it’salongdragbackfromtijuanaandoneofthedullestdrivesinthestate.tijuanaisnothing;alltheywantthereisthebuck.thekidwhosidlesovertoyourcarandlooksatyouwithbigwistfuleyesandsays,「onedime,please,mister,」willtrytosellyouhissisterinthenextsentence.tijuanaisnotmexico.nobordertownisanythingbutabordertown,justasnowaterfrontisanythingbutawaterfront.sandiego?oneofthemostbeautifulharborsintheworldandnothinginitbutnavyandafewfishingboats.atnightitisfairyland.theswellisasgentleasanoldladysinginghymns.butmarlowehastogethomeandcountthespoons.

theroadnorthisasmonotonousasasailor’schantey.yougothroughatown,downahill,alongastretchofbeach,throughatown,downahill,alongastretchofbeach.

itwastwoo’clockwhenigotbackandtheywerewaitingformeinadarksedanwithnopolicetags,noredlight,onlythedoubleantenna,andnotonlypolicecarshavethose.iwashalfwayupthestepsbeforetheycameoutofitandyelledatme,theusualcoupleintheusualsuits,withtheusualstonyleisureofmovement,asiftheworldwaswaitinghushedandsilentforthemtotellitwhattodo.

「yournamemarlowe?wewanttotalktoyou.」

heletmeseetheglintofabadge.forallicaughtofithemighthavebeenpestcontrol.hewasgrayblondandlookedsticky.hispartnerwastall,good-looking,neat,andhadaprecisenastinessabouthim,agoonwithaneducation.theyhadwatchingandwaitingeyes,patientandcarefuleyes,cooldisdainfuleyes,cops’eyes.theygetthematthepassing-outparadeatthepoliceschool.

「sergeantgreen,centralhomicide.thisisdetectivedayton.」

iwentonupandunlockedthedoor.youdon’tshakehandswithbigcitycops.thatcloseistooclose.

theysatinthelivingroom.iopenedthewindowsandthebreezewhispered.greendidthetalking.

「mannamedterrylennox.knowhim,huh?」

「wehaveadrinktogetheronceinawhile.helivesinencino,marriedmoney.i’veneverbeenwherehelives.」

「onceinawhile,」greensaid.「howoftenwouldthatbe?」

「it’savagueexpression.imeantitthatway.itcouldbeonceaweekoronceintwomonths.」

「methiswife?」

「once,verybriefly,beforetheyweremarried.」

「yousawhimlastwhenandwhere?」

itookapipeofftheendtableandfilledit.greenleanedforwardclosetome.thetallladsatfartherbackholdingaballpointpoisedoverared-edgedpad.

「thisiswhereisay,‘what’sthisallabout?’andyousay,‘weaskthequestions.’」

「soyoujustanswerthem,huh?」

ilitthepipe.thetobaccowasalittletoomoist.ittookmesometimetolightitproperlyandthreematches.

「igottime,」greensaid,「butialreadyusedupalotofitwaitingaround.sosnapitup,mister.weknowwhoyouare.andyouknowweain’theretoworkupanappetite.」

「iwasjustthinking,」isaid.「weusedtogotovictor’sfairlyoften,andnotsooftentothegreenlanternandthebullandbear—that’stheplacedownattheendofthestripthattriestolooklikeanenglishinn—」

「quitstalling.」

「who’sdead?」iasked.

detectivedaytonspokeup.hehadahard,mature,don’t-try-to-foolwith-mevoice.「justanswerthequestions,marlowe.weareconductingaroutineinvestigation.that’sallyouneedtoknow.」

maybeiwastiredandirritable.maybeifeltalittleguilty.icouldlearntohatethisguywithoutevenknowinghim.icouldjustlookathimacrossthewidthofacafeteriaandwanttokickhisteethin.

「shoveit,jack,」isaid.「keepthatguffforthejuvenilebureau.it’sahorselaugheventothem.」

greenchuckled.nothingchangedindayton’sfacethatyoucouldputafingeronbuthesuddenlylookedtenyearsolderandtwentyyearsnastier.thebreathgoingthroughhisnosewhistledfaintly.

「hepassedthebarexamination,」greensaid.「youcan’tfoolaroundwithdayton.」

igotupslowlyandwentovertothebookshelves.itookdowntheboundcopyofthecaliforniapenalcode.ihelditouttodayton.

「wouldyoukindlyfindmethesectionthatsaysihavetoanswerthequestions?」

hewasholdinghimselfverystill.hewasgoingtoslugmeandwebothknewit.buthewasgoingtowaitforthebreak.whichmeantthathedidn’ttrustgreentobackhimupifhegotoutofline.

hesaid:「everycitizenhastoco-operatewiththepolice.inallways,evenbyphysicalaction,andespeciallybyansweringanyquestionsofanon-incriminatingnaturethepolicethinkitnecessarytoask.」hisvoicesayingthiswashardandbrightandsmooth.

「itworksoutthatway,」isaid.「mostlybyaprocessofdirectorindirectintimidation.inlawnosuchobligationexists.nobodyhastotellthepoliceanything,anytime,anywhere.」

「awshutup,」greensaidimpatiently.「you’recrawfishingandyouknowit.sitdown.lennox’swifehasbeenmurdered.inaguesthouseattheirplaceinencino.lennoxhasskippedout.anywayhecan’tbefound.sowe’relookingforasuspectinamurdercase.thatsatisfyyou?」

ithrewthebookinachairandwentbacktothecouchacrossthetablefromgreen.「sowhycometome?」iasked.「i’veneverbeennearthehouse.itoldyouthat.」