i could only infer then that the agents of ned , foiled for the moment by my circuitous and seemingly aimless wandering away from the dennys , had fallen back to the next critical juncture -- that is the building containing my shitty little room -- and were now in the process of decamping at various key points in the vicinity in all likelihood under the expert direction of ned himself ( crouching in the muddy yard , still wearing the green overalls and hip boots , pretending to dig up the squirrel holes with his trowel , while actually directing his minions in curt authoritative phrases whispered into a cell phone concealed in his boot . )