“Yes. With my shotgun.”

First mention of the weapon.

“Okay, Earl,” Decker said, “you’re doing fine. Want to stop a moment, take a sip of juice?”

“Yes.”

“Go ahead,” Decker said.

Earl gulped down his second glass of orange juice. Decker offered him another.

“I’m hungry,” Earl said.

“I’ll feed you when we get home,” Sue Beth said.

Decker thought, He ain’t going nowhere, especially home. Arraignment, bail hearing. Not to mention all the prelims before the actual trial and sentencing. If the whole thing stuck in the first place. Earl’s mental status made anything he said suspect. But it could take weeks before someone determined his capability. Sue Beth didn’t know what she was in for.

He said, “Earl may be here for a while. I’ll get someone to fetch him a candy bar, if that’s okay with you.”

“Please,” Earl pleaded with his sister.

“Fine,” Sue Beth said. “Just get it over with.”

Decker summoned someone to bring food. After Earl gorged on four candy bars, three bags of chips, and a carton of milk, Decker resumed questioning.

“Earl? You said you killed them all with your shotgun?”

“Yes.”

“Where’s your gun?”

Earl burped. “S’cuse me.”

“It’s okay,” Decker said. “Where’s the shotgun that you killed everyone with?”

“It’s gone.”

“Where?” Decker asked. “Where did the gun go?”

“I had it,” Earl said. “Then I lost it.”

Decker tried to remain calm. “You lost the gun?”

“Yes.”

“A shotgun’s a big gun to just lose.”

“Yes.”

“Did you really lose the shotgun, Earl?”

“Yes.”

Decker rubbed his hands over his face, then looked at Earl. The man/boy looked upset, scared that he’d done something wrong. Then Decker realized he’d picked up the slight nuance of disbelief in Decker’s voice. Earl was keenly aware of how adults reacted to him, no doubt spent a lot of time worrying about displeasing the older folks. Decker smiled, took the small man’s hand, and said, “How’d you lose the gun?”

“Don’t remember.”

“Can you think real hard and try to remember?”

Earl squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them and said, “Don’t remember.”

“Did you throw it away?” Decker asked.

“Yes.”

Decker cursed himself. He knew the answer was worth zip. Leading questions. Just let Earl talk.

“So you don’t remember what happened to the gun?” Decker backtracked.

“Threw it away,” Earl said. “And the little one, too.”

The .38 S and W. The boy had seen weapons. Did he use both of them as well? Decker said, “The little one?”

Earl nodded.

“Do you mean a little gun, Earl?”

“Yes.”

“Was the little gun your gun, too?” Decker asked.

“No.”

“That little one wasn’t your gun?”

“No.”

“Was it Pappy’s?”

“Don’t know.”

“Granny’s?”

“Don’t know.”

“Did the little gun belong to Linda or Luke?”

“Don’t know.”