The district attorney was the first to break the silence with, "Simon's got a bad case of nerves."
"We oughtn't to have used him," said Rafe. "First thing you know the tom fool will say or do something we'll all be sorry for. I didn't think he was like that."
"Maybe we'd ought to have told him all of it from the beginning."
"Not that. No, he'd never have gone in it then. He ain't got nerve enough. I'm afraid Reelfoot's days of usefulness to us are over."
"He's done good work in the past."
"The past ain't now. And I tell you, Arthur, if Simon gets any more jumpy than he is now, he'll kick the kettle over. You hear me, he'll do it, the pup!"
Rafe allowed the district attorney two full minutes to mull over this, then he continued:
"We gotta get rid of him."
The district attorney looked over at Rafe, his upper lip lifting. "I suppose we gotta."
"We'll work the old game over again."