thegunwasn’tpointedatme,hewasjustholdingit.itwasamedium-caliberautomatic,foreignmade,certainlynotacoltorasavage.withthewhitetiredfaceandthescarsandtheturned-upcollarandthepulled-downhatandthegunhecouldhavesteppedrightoutofanold-fashionedkick-em-in-the-teethgangstermovie.

「you’redrivingmetotijuanatogetaplaneattenfifteen,」hesaid.「ihaveapassportandvisaandi’mallsetexceptfortransportation.forcertainreasonsican’ttakeatrainorabusoraplanefromwouldfivehundredbucksbeareasonabletaxifare?」

istoodinthedoorwayanddidn’tmovetolethimin.「fivehundredplusthegat?」iasked.

helookeddownatitratherabsently.thenhedroppeditintohispocket.

「itmightbeaprotection,」hesaid,「foryou.notforme.」

「comeoninthen.」istoodtoonesideandhecameinwithanexhaustedlungeandfellintoachair.

thelivingroomwasstilldark,becauseoftheheavygrowthofshrubberytheownerhadallowedtomaskthewindows.iputalamponandmoochedacigarette.ilitit.istareddownathim.irumpledmyhairwhichwasalreadyrumpled.iputtheoldtiredgrinonmyface.

「whatthehell’sthematterwithmesleepingsuchalovelymorningaway?ten-fifteen,huh?well,there’splentyoftime.let’sgoouttothekitchenandi’llbrewsomecoffee.」

「i’minagreatdealoftrouble,shamus.」shamus,itwasthefirsttimehehadcalledmethat.butitkindofwentwithhisstyleofentry,thewayhewasdressed,thegunandall.

「it’sgoingtobeapeachofaday.lightbreeze.youcanhearthosetougholdeucalyptustreesacrossthestreetwhisperingtoeachother.talkingaboutoldtimesinaustraliawhenthewallabieshoppedaboutunderneaththebranchesandthekoalabearsrodepiggybackoneachother.yes,igotthegeneralideayouwereinsometrouble.let’stalkaboutitafteri’vehadacoupleofcupsofcoffee.i’malwaysalittlelightheadedwhenifirstwakeup.letusconferwithmr.hugginsandmr.young.」

「look,marlowe,thisisnotthetime—」

「fearnothing,oldboy.mr.hugginsandmr.youngaretwoofthebest.theymakehuggins-youngcoffee.it’stheirlifework,theirprideandjoy.oneofthesedaysi’mgoingtoseethattheygettherecognitiontheydeserve.sofarallthey’remakingismoney.youcouldn’texpectthattosatisfythem.」

ilefthimwiththatbrightchatterandwentouttothekitchenattheback.iturnedthehotwateronandgotthecoffeemakerdownofftheshelf.iwettherodandmeasuredthestuffintothetopandbythattimethewaterwassteaming.ifilledthelowerhalfofthedingusandsetitontheflame.isettheupperpartontopandgaveitatwistsoitwouldbind.

bythattimehehadcomeinafterme.heleanedinthedoorwayamomentandthenedgedacrosstothebreakfastnookandslidintotheseat.hewasstillshaking.igotabottleofoldgrand-dadofftheshelfandpouredhimashotinabigglass.iknewhewouldneedabigglass.evenwiththathehadtousebothhandstogetittohismouth.heswallowed,puttheglassdownwithathud,andhitthebackoftheseatwithajar.

「almostpassedout,」hemuttered.「seemslikei’vebeenupforaweek.didn’tsleepatalllastnight.」

thecoffeemakerwasalmostreadytobubble.iturnedtheflamelowandwatchedthewaterrise.ithungalittleatthebottomoftheglasstube.iturnedtheflameupjustenoughtogetitoverthehumpandthenturneditlowagainquickly.istirredthecoffeeandcoveredit.isetmytimerforthreeminutes.verymethodicalguy,marlowe.nothingmustinterferewithhiscoffeetechnique.notevenaguninthehandofadesperatecharacter.

ipouredhimanotherslug.「justsitthere,」isaid.「don’tsayaword.justsit.」

hehandledthesecondslugwithonehand.ididafastwash-upinthebathroomandthebellofthetimerwentjustasigotback.icuttheflameandsetthecoffeemakeronastrawmatonthetable.whydidigointosuchdetail?becausethechargedatmospheremadeeverylittlethingstandoutasaperformance,amovementdistinctandvastlyimportant.itwasoneofthosehypersensitivemomentswhenallyourautomaticmovements,howeverlongestablished,howeverhabitual,becomeseparateactsofwill.youarelikeamanlearningtowalkafterpolio.youtakenothingforgranted,absolutelynothingatall.

thecoffeewasalldownandtheairrushedinwithitsusualfussandthecoffeebubbledandthenbecamequiet.iremovedthetopofthemakerandsetitonthedrainboardinthesocketofthecover.

ipouredtwocupsandaddedaslugtohis.「blackforyou,terry.」iaddedtwolumpsofsugarandsomecreamtomine.iwascomingoutofitbynow.iwasn’tconsciousofhowiopenedthefrigandgotthecreamcarton.

isatdownacrossfromhim.hehadn’tmoved.hewasproppedinthecornerofthenook,rigid.thenwithoutwarninghisheadcamedownonthetableandhewassobbing.

hedidn’tpayanyattentionwhenireachedacrossanddugthegunoutofhispocket.itwasamauser7.65,abeauty.isniffedit.isprangthemagazineloose.itwasfull.nothinginthebreach.

heliftedhisheadandsawthecoffeeanddranksomeslowly,notlookingatme.「ididn’tshootanybody,」hesaid.

「well—notrecentlyanyhow.andthegunwouldhavehadtobecleaned.ihardlythinkyoushotanybodywiththis.」

「i’lltellyouaboutit,」hesaid.

「waitjustaminute.」idrankmycoffeeasquicklyastheheatwouldletme.irefilledmycup.「it’slikethis,」isaid.「beverycarefulwhatyoutellme.ifyoureallywantmetorideyoudowntotijuana,therearetwothingsimustnotbetold.one—areyoulistening?」

henoddedveryslightly.hewaslookingblank-eyedatthewallovermyhead.thescarswereverylividthismorning.hisskinwasalmostdeadwhitebutthescarsseemedtoshineoutofitjustthesame.

「one,」irepeatedslowly,「ifyouhavecommittedacrimeoranythingthelawcallsacrime—aseriouscrime,imean—ican’tbetoldaboutit.two,ifyouhaveessentialknowledgethatsuchacrimehasbeencommitted,ican’tbetoldaboutthateither.notifyouwantmetodriveyoutotijuana.thatclear?」

helookedmeintheeye.hiseyesfocused,buttheywerelifeless.hehadthecoffeeinsidehim.hehadnocolor,buthewassteady.ipouredhimsomemoreandloadeditthesameway.

「itoldyouiwasinajam,」hesaid.

「iheardyou.idon’twanttoknowwhatkindofjam.ihavealivingtoearn,alicensetoprotect.」

「icouldholdthegunonyou,」hesaid.

igrinnedandpushedthegunacrossthetable.helookeddownatitbutdidn’ttouchit.

「nottotijuanayoucouldn’tholditonme,terry.notacrosstheborder,notupthestepsintoaplane.i’mamanwhooccasionallyhasbusinesswithguns.we’llforgetaboutthegun.i’dlookgreattellingthecopsiwassoscaredijusthadtodowhatyoutoldmeto.supposing,ofcourse,whichidon’tknow,thattherewasanythingtotellthecops.」

「listen,」hesaid,「itwillbenoonorevenlaterbeforeanybodyknocksatthedoor.thehelpknowsbetterthantodisturbherwhenshesleepslate.butbyaboutnoonhermaidwouldknockandgoin.shewouldn’tbeinherroom.」

isippedmycoffeeandsaidnothing.

「themaidwouldseethatherbedhadn’tbeensleptin,」hewenton.「thenshewouldthinkofanotherplacetolook.there’sabigguesthouseprettyfarbackfromthemainhouse.ithasitsowndrivewayandgarageandsoon.sylviaspentthenightthere.themaidwouldeventuallyfindherthere.」

ifrowned.「i’vegottobeverycarefulwhatquestionsiaskyou,terry.couldn’tshehavespentthenightawayfromhome?」

「herclotheswouldbethrownalloverherroom.sheneverhangsanythingup.themaidwouldknowshehadputarobeoverherpajamasandgoneoutthatway.soitwouldonlybetotheguesthouse.」

「notnecessarily,」isaid.

「itwouldbetotheguesthouse.hell,doyouthinktheydon’tknowwhatgoesonintheguesthouse?servantsalwaysknow.」

「passit,」isaid.

heranafingerdownthesideofhisgoodcheekhardenoughtoleavearedstreak.「andintheguesthouse,」hewentonslowly,「themaidwouldfind—」

「sylviadeaddrunk,paralyzed,spifflicated,icedtotheeyebrows,」isaidharshly.

「oh.」hethoughtaboutit.bigthink.「ofcourse,」headded,「that’showitwouldbe.sylviaisnotasouse.whenshedoesgetovertheedgeit’sprettydrastic.」

「that’stheendofthestory,」isaid.「oralmost.letmeimprovise.thelasttimewedranktogetheriwasabitroughwithyou,walkedoutifyourecall.youirritatedthehelloutofme.thinkingitoverafterwardsicouldseethatyouwerejusttryingtosneeryourselfoutofafeelingofdisaster.yousayyouhaveapassportandavisa.ittakesalittletimetogetavisatomexico.theydon’tletjustanybodyin.soyou’vebeenplanningtoblowforsometime.iwaswonderinghowlongyouwouldstick.」

「iguessifeltsomevaguekindofobligationtobearound,someideashemightneedmeforsomethingmorethanafronttokeeptheoldmanfromnosingaroundtoohard.bytheway,itriedtocallyouinthemiddleofthenight.」

「isleephard.ididn’thear.」

「theniwenttoaturkishbathplace.istayedacoupleofhours,hadasteambath,aplunge,aneedleshower,arubdownandmadeacoupleofphonecallsfromthere.ileftthecaratlabreaandfountain.iwalkedfromthere.nobodysawmeturnintoyourstreet.」

「dothesephonecallsconcernme?」

「onewastoharlanpotter.theoldmanflewdowntopasadenayesterday,somebusiness.hehadn’tbeentothehouse.ihadalotoftroublegettinghim.buthefinallytalkedtome.itoldhimiwassorry,butiwasleaving.」hewaslookingalittlesidewayswhenhesaidthis,towardsthewindowoverthesinkandthetecomabushthatfrettedagainstthescreen.

「howdidhetakeit?」