greenpattedhisthighs,upanddown,upanddown.hegrinnedatmequietly.daytonwasmotionlessinthechair.hiseyesateme.

「onaccountofyourphonenumberwaswrittenonapadinhisroomduringthepasttwenty-fourhours,」greensaid.「it’sadatepadandyesterdaywastornoffbutyoucouldseetheimpressionontoday’spage.wedon’tknowwhenhecalledyouup.wedon’tknowwherehewentorwhyorwhen.butwegottoask,natch.」

「whyintheguesthouse?」iasked,notexpectinghimtoanswer,buthedid.

heblushedalittle.「seemsshewentthereprettyoften.atnight.hadvisitors.thehelpcanseedownthroughthetreeswherethelightsshow.carscomeandgo,sometimeslate,sometimesverylate.toomuchisenough,huh?don’tkidyourself.lennoxisourboy.hewentdownthatwayaboutoneinthethebutlerhappenedtosee.hecomebackalone,maybetwentyminuteslater.afterthatnothing.thelightsstayedon.thismorningnolennox.thebutlergoesdownbytheguesthouse.thedameisasnakedasamermaidonthebedandletmetellyouhedon’trecognizeherbyherface.shepracticallyain’tgotone.beattopieceswithabronzestatuetteofamonkey.」

「terrylennoxwouldn’tdoanythinglikethat,」isaid.「sureshecheatedonhim.oldstuff.shealwayshad.they’dbeenporcedandremarried.idon’tsupposeitmadehimhappybutwhyshouldhegocrazyoveritnow?」

「nobodyknowsthatanswer,」greensaidpatiently.「ithappensallthetime.menandwomenboth.aguytakesitandtakesitandtakesit.thenhedon’t.heprobablydon’tknowwhyhimself,whyatthatparticularinstanthegoesberserk.onlyhedoes,andsomebody’sdead.sowegotbusinesstodo.soweaskyouonesimplequestion.soquithorsingaroundorwetakeyouin.」

「he’snotgoingtotellyou,sergeant,」daytonsaidacidly.「hereadthatlawbook.likealotofpeoplethatreadalawbookhethinksthelawisinit.」

「youmakethenotes,」greensaid,「andleaveyourbrainsalone.ifyou’rerealgoodwe’llletyousing‘mothermachree’atthepolicesmoker.」

「thehellwithyou,sarge,ifimaysaysowithproperrespectforyourrank.」

「let’syouandhimfight,」isaidtogreen.「i’llcatchhimwhenhedrops.」

daytonlaidhisnotepadandball-pointasideverycarefully.hestoodupwithabrightgleaminhiseyes.hewalkedoverandstoodinfrontofme.

「onyourfeet,brightboy.justbecauseiwenttocollegedon’tmakemetakeanygufffromanitlikeyou.」

istartedtogetup.iwasstilloffbalancewhenhehitme.hehookedmewithaneatleftandcrossedit.bellsrang,butnotfordinner.isatdownhardandshookmyhead.daytonwasstillthere.hewassmilingnow.

「let’stryagain,」hesaid.「youweren’tsetthattime.itwasn’treallykosher.」

ilookedatgreen.hewaslookingathisthumbasifstudyingahangnail.ididn’tmoveorspeak,waitingforhimtolookup.ifistoodupagain,daytonwouldslugmeagain.hemightslugmeagainanyhow.butifistoodupandhesluggedme,iwouldtakehimtopieces,becausetheblowsprovedhewasstrictlyaboxer.heputthemintherightplacebutitwouldtakealotofthemtowearmedown.

greensaidalmostabsently:「smartwork,billyboy.yougavethemanexactlywhathewanted.clamjuice.」

thenhelookedupandsaidmildly:「oncemore,fortherecord,marlowe.lasttimeyousawterrylennox,whereandhowandwhatwastalkedabout,andwheredidyoucomefromjustnow.yes—orno?」

daytonwasstandingloosely,nicelybalanced.therewasasoftsweetsheeninhiseyes.

「howabouttheotherguy?」iasked,ignoringhim.

「whatotherguywasthat?」

「inthehay,intheguesthouse.noclotheson.you’renotsayingshehadtogodowntheretoplaysolitaire,」

「thatcomeslater—whenwegetthehusband.」

「fine.ifit’snottoomuchtroublewhenyoualreadyhaveapatsy.」

「youdon’ttalk,wetakeyouin,marlowe.」

「asamaterialwitness?」

「asamaterialmyfoot.asasuspect.suspicionofaccessoryafterthefactofmurder.helpingasuspectescape.myguessisyoutooktheguysomewhere.andrightnowaguessisallineed.theskipperistoughthesedays.heknowstherulebookbuthegetsabsent-minded.thiscouldbeamiseryforyou.onewayoranotherwegetastatementfromyou.theharderitistoget,thesurerweareweneedit.」

「that’salotofcraptohim,」daytonsaid.「heknowsthebook.」

「it’salotofcraptoeverybody,」greensaidcalmly.「butitstillworks.comeon,marlowe.i’mblowingthewhistleonyou.」

「okay,」isaid.「blowit.terrylennoxwasmyfriend.i’vegotareasonableamountofsentimentinvestedinhim.enoughnottospoilitjustbecauseacopsayscomethrough.you’vegotacaseagainsthim,maybefarmorethanihearfromyou.motive,opportunity,andthefactthatheskippedout.themotiveisoldstuff,longneutralized,almostpartofthedeal.idon’tadmirethatkindofdeal,butthat’sthekindofguyheis—alittleweakandverygentle.therestofitmeansnothingexceptthatifheknewshewasdeadheknewhewasasittingduckforyou.attheinquestiftheyhaveoneandiftheycallme,i’llhavetoanswerquestions.idon’thavetoansweryours.icanseeyou’reaniceguy,green.justasicanseeyourpartnerisjustanothergoddambadgeflasherwithapowercomplex.ifyouwanttogetmeinarealjam,lethimhitmeagain.i’llbreakhisgoddampencilforhim.」

greenstoodupandlookedatmesadly.daytonhadn’tmoved.hewasaone-shottoughguy.hehadtohavetimeouttopathisback.

「i’llusethephone,」greensaid.「butiknowwhatansweri’llget.you’reasickchicken,marlowe.averysickchicken.getthehelloutamyway.」thislasttodayton.daytonturnedandwentbackandpickeduphispad.

greencrossedtothephoneandlifteditslowly,hisplainfacecreasedwiththelongslowthanklessgrind.that’sthetroublewithcops.you’reallsettohatetheirgutsandthenyoumeetonethatgoeshumanonyou.

thecaptainsaidtobringmein,andrough.

theyputhandcuffsonme.theydidn’tsearchthehouse,whichseemedcarelessofthem.possiblytheyfigurediwouldbetooexperiencedtohaveanythingtherethatcouldbedangeroustome.inwhichtheywerewrong.becauseiftheyhadmadeanykindofjobofittheywouldhavefoundterrylennox’scarkeys.andwhenthecarwasfound,asitwouldbesoonerorlater,theywouldfitthekeystoitandknowhehadbeeninmycompany.

actually,asitturnedout,thatmeantnothing.thecarwasneverfoundbyanypolice.itwasstolensometimeinthenight,drivenmostprobablytoelpaso,fittedwithnewkeysandforgedpapers,andputonthemarketeventuallyinmexicocity.theprocedureisroutine.mostlythemoneycomesbackintheformofheroin.partofthegood-neighborpolicy,asthehoodlumsseeit.