thedeputyontheearlynightshiftwasabigblondguywithmeatyshouldersandafriendlygrin.hewasmichelle-agedandhadlongsinceoutlivedbothpityandanger.hewantedtoputineighteasyhoursandhelookedasifalmostanythingwouldbeeasydownhisstreet.heunlockedmydoor.

「companyforyou.guyfromthe’soffice.nosleep,huh?」

「it’salittleearlyforme.whattimeisit?」

「ten-fourteen.」hestoodinthedoorwayandlookedoverthecell.oneblanketwasspreadonthelowerbunk,onewasfoldedforapillow.therewereacoupleofusedpapertowelsinthetrashbucketandasmallwadoftoiletpaperontheedgeofthewashbasin.henoddedapproval.「anythingpersonalinhere?」

「justme.」

heleftthecelldooropen.wewalkedalongaquietcorridortotheelevatorandrodedowntothebookingdesk.afatmaninagraysuitstoodbythedesksmokingacorncob.hisfingernailsweredirtyandhesmelled.

「i’mspranklinfromthe’soffice,」hetoldmeinatoughvoice.「mr.grenzwantsyouupstairs.」hereachedbehindhishipandcameupwithapairofbracelets.「let’strytheseforsize.」

thejaildeputyandthebookingclerkgrinnedathimwithdeepenjoyment.「what’sthematter,sprank?afraidhe’llmugyouintheelevator?」

「idon’twantnotrouble,」hegrowled.「hadaguybreakfrommeonce.theyatemyassoff.let’sgo,boy.」

thebookingclerkpushedaformathimandhesigneditwithaflourish.「inevertakenounnecessarychances,」hesaid.「manneverknowswhathe’supagainstinthistown.」

aprowlcarcopbroughtinadrunkwithabloodyear.wewenttowardstheelevator.「you’reintrouble,boy,」spranklintoldmeintheelevator.「heapbadtrouble.」itseemedtogivehimavaguesatisfaction.「aguycangethisselfinalotoftroubleinthistown.」

theelevatormanturnedhisheadandwinkedatme.igrinned.

「don’ttrynothing,boy,」spranklintoldmeseverely.「ishotamanonce.triedtobreak.theyatemyassoff.」

「yougetitcomingandgoing,don’tyou?」

hethoughtitover.「yeah,」hesaid.「eitherwaytheyeatyourassoff.it’satoughtown.norespect.」

wegotoutandwentinthroughthedoubledoorsofthe’soffice.theswitchboardwasdead,withlinespluggedinforthenight.therewasnobodyinthewaitingchairs.lightswereoninacoupleofoffices.spranklinopenedthedoorofasmalllightedroomwhichcontainedadesk,afilingcase,ahardchairortwo,andathick-setmanwithahardchinandstupideyes.hisfacewasredandhewasjustpushingsomethingintothedrawerofhisdesk.

「youcouldknock,」hebarkedatspranklin.

「sorry,mr.grenz,」spranklinbumbled.「iwasthinkin’abouttheprisoner.」

hepushedmeintotheoffice.「shoulditakethecuffsoff,mr.grenz?」

「idon’tknowwhatthehellyouputthemonfor,」grenzsaidsourly.hewatchedspranklinunlockthecuffsonmywrist.hehadthekeyonabunchthesizeofagrapefruitandittroubledhimtofindit.

「okay,scram,」grenzsaid.「waitoutsidetotakehimback.」

「i’mkindofoffduty,mr.grenz.」

「you’reoffdutywhenisayyou’reoffduty.」

spranklinflushedandedgedhisfatbottomoutthroughthedoor.grenzlookedafterhimsavagely,thenwhenthedoorclosedhemovedthesamelooktome.ipulledachairoverandsatdown.

「ididn’ttellyoutositdown,」grenzbarked.

igotaloosecigaretteoutofmypocketandstuckitinmymouth.「andididn’tsayyoucouldsmoke,」grenzroared.

「i’mallowedtosmokeinthecellblock.whynothere?」

「becausethisismyoffice.imaketheruleshere.」arawsmellofwhiskeyfloatedacrossthedesk.

「takeanotherquickone,」isaid.「it’llcalmyoudown.yougotkindofinterruptedwhenwecamein.」

hisbackhitthebackofthechairhard.hisfacewentdarkred.istruckamatchandlitmycigarette.

afteralongminutegrenzsaidsoftly.「okay,toughboy.quiteaman,aren’tyou?youknowsomething?they’reallsizesandshapeswhentheycomeinhere,buttheyallgooutthesamesize—small.andthesameshape—bent.」

「whatdidyouwanttoseemeabout,mr.grenz?anddon’tmindmeifyoufeellikehittingthatbottle.i’mafellowthatwilltakeasnortmyself,ifi’mtiredandnervousandoverworked.」

「youdon’tseemmuchimpressedbythejamyou’rein.」

「idon’tfigurei’minanyjam.」

「we’llseeaboutthat.meantimeiwantaveryfullstatementfromyou.」heflickedafingeratarecordingsetonastandbesidehisdesk.「we’lltakeitnowandhaveittranscribedtomorrow.ifthechiefdeputyissatisfiedwithyourstatement,hemayreleaseyouonyourownundertakingnottoleavetown.let’sgo.」heswitchedontherecorder.hisvoicewascold,decisive,andasnastyasheknewhowtomakeit.buthisrighthandkeptedgingtowardsthedeskdrawer.hewastooyoungtohaveveinsinhisnose,buthehadthem,andthewhitesofhiseyeswereabadcolor.

「igetsotiredofit,」isaid.

「tiredofwhat?」hesnapped.

「hardlittlemeninhardlittleofficestalkinghardlittlewordsthatdon’tmeanagoddamthing.i’vehadfifty-sixhoursinthefelonyblock.nobodypushedmearound,nobodytriedtoprovehewastough.theydidn’thaveto.theyhaditoniceforwhentheyneededit.andwhywasiinthere?iwasbookedonsuspicion.whatthehellkindoflegalsystemletsamanbeshovedinafelonytankbecausesomecopdidn’tgetananswertosomequestions?whatevidencedidhehave?atelephonenumberonapad.andwhatwashetryingtoprovebylockingmeup?notadamnthingexceptthathehadthepowertodoit.nowyou’reonthesamepitch—tryingtomakemefeelwhatalotofpoweryougenerateinthiscigarboxyoucallyouroffice.yousendthisscaredbaby-sitteroverlateatnighttobringmeinhere.youthinkmaybesittingalonewithmythoughtsforfifty-sixhourshasmadegrueloutofmybrains?youthinki’mgoingtocryinyourlapandaskyoutostrokemyheadbecausei’msoawfulgoddamlonelyinthegreatbigjail?comeoffit,grenz.takeyourdrinkandgethuman;i’mwillingtoassumeyouarejustdoingyourjob.buttakethebrassknucklesoffbeforeyoustart.ifyou’rebigenoughyoudon’tneedthem,andifyouneedthemyou’renotbigenoughtopushmearound.」

hesatthereandlistenedandlookedatme.thenhegrinnedsourly.「nicespeech,」hesaid.「nowyou’vegotthecrapoutofyoursystem,let’sgetthatstatement.youwanttoanswerspecificquestionsorjusttellityourownway?」

「iwastalkingtothebirds,」isaid.「justtohearthebreezeblow.i’mnotmakinganystatement.you’realawyerandyouknowidon’thaveto.」

「that’sright,」hesaidcoolly.「iknowthelaw.iknowpolicework.i’mofferingyouachancetoclearyourself.ifyoudon’twantit,that’sjakewithmetoo.icanarraignyoutomorrowmorningattenandhaveyousetforapreliminaryhearing.youmaygetbail,althoughi’llfightit,butifyoudo,itwillbestiff.it’llcostyouplenty.that’sonewaywecandoit.」

helookeddownatapaperonhisdesk,readit,andturneditfacedown.