「onwhatcharge?」iaskedhim.

「sectionthirty-two.accessoryafterthefact.afelony.itratesuptoafive-spotinquentin.」

「bettercatchlennoxfirst,」isaidcarefully.grenzhadsomethingandisenseditinhismanner.ididn’tknowhowmuch,buthehadsomethingallright.

heleanedbackinhischairandpickedupapenandtwirleditslowlybetweenhispalms.thenhesmiled.hewasenjoyinghimself.

「lennoxisahardmantohide,marlowe.withmostpeopleyouneedaphotoandagoodclearphoto.notwithaguythathasscarsalloveronesideofhisface.nottomentionwhitehair,andnotoverthirty-fiveyearsold.wegotfourwitnesses,maybemore.」

「witnessestowhat?」iwastastingsomethingbitterinmymouth,likethebileihadtastedaftercaptaingregoriussluggedme.thatremindedmethatmyneckwasstillsoreandswollen.irubbeditgently.

「don’tbeachump,marlowe.asandiegosuperiorcourtjudgeandhiswifehappenedtobeseeingtheirsonanddaughter-in-lawoffonthatplane.allfoursawlennoxandthejudge’swifesawthecarhecameinandwhocamewithhim.youdon’thaveaprayer.」

「that’snice,」isaid.「howdidyougettothem?」

「specialbulletinonradioandtv.afulldescriptionwasallittook.thejudgecalledin.」

「soundsgood,」isaidjudicially.「butittakesalittlemorethanthat,grenz.youhavetocatchhimandprovehecommittedamurder.thenyouhavetoproveiknewit.」

hesnappedafingeratthebackofthetelegram.「ithinkiwilltakethatdrink,」hesaid.「beenworkingnightstoomuch.」heopenedthedrawerandputabottleandashotglassonthedesk.hepoureditfulltothebrimandknockeditbackinalump.「better,」hesaid.「muchbetter.sorryican’tofferyouonewhileyou’reincustody.」hecorkedthebottleandpusheditawayfromhim,butnotoutofreach.「ohyeah,wegottoprovesomething,yousaid.well,itcouldbewealreadygotaconfession,chum.toobad,huh?」

asmallbutverycoldfingermovedthewholelengthofmyspine,likeanicyinsectcrawling.

「sowhydoyouneedastatementfromme?」

hegrinned.「welikeatidyrecord.lennoxwillbebroughtbackandtried.weneedeverythingwecanget.it’snotsomuchwhatwewantfromyouaswhatwemightbewillingtoletyougetawaywith—ifyoucooperate.」

istaredathim.hedidalittlepaper-fiddling.hemovedaroundinhischair,lookedathisbottle,andhadtouseupalotofwillpowernotgrabbingforit.「maybeyou’dlikethewholelibretto,」hesaidsuddenlywithanoff-keyleer.「well,smartguy,justtoshowyoui’mnotkidding,hereitis.」

ileanedacrosshisdeskandhethoughtiwasreachingforhisbottle.hegrabbeditawayandputitbackinthedrawer.ijustwantedtodropastubinhisashtray.ileanedbackagainandlitanotherpill.hespokerapidly.

「lennoxgotofftheplaneatmazatlán,anairlinejunctionpointandatownofaboutthirty-fivethousand.hedisappearedfortwoorthreehours.thenatallmanwithblackhairandadarkskinandwhatmighthavebeenalotofknifescarsbookedtotorreónunderthenameofsilvanorodriguez.hisspanishwasgoodbutnotgoodenoughforamanofhisname.hewastootallforamexicanwithsuchdarkskin.thepilotturnedinareportonhim.thecopsweretooslowattorreón.mexcopsarenoballsoffire.whattheydobestisshootpeople.bythetimetheygotgoingthemanhadcharteredaplaneandgoneontoalittlemountaintowncalledotatoclán,asmalltimesummerresortwithalake.thepilotofthecharterplanehadtrainedasacombatpilotintexas.hespokegoodenglish.lennoxpretendednottocatchwhathesaid.」

「ifitwaslennox,」iputin.

「waitawhile,chum.itwaslennoxallright.okay,hegetsoffatotatoclánandregistersatthehotelthere,thistimeasmariodecerva.hewaswearingagun,amauser7.65,whichdoesn’tmeantoomuchinmexico,ofcourse.butthecharterpilotthoughttheguydidn’tseemkosher,sohehadawordwiththelocallaw.theyputlennoxundersurveillance.theydidsomecheckingwithmexicocityandthentheymovedin.」

grenzpickeduparulerandsightedalongit,ameaninglessgesturewhichkepthimfromlookingatme.

isaid,「uh-huh.smartboy,yourcharterpilot,andnicetohiscustomers.thestorystinks.」

helookedupatmesuddenly.「whatwewant,」hesaiddryly,「isaquicktrial,apleaofseconddegreewhichwewillaccept.therearesomeangleswe’drathernotgointo.afterall,thefamilyisprettyinfluential.」

「meaningharlanpotter.」

henoddedbriefly.「formymoneythewholeideaisallwet.springercouldhaveafielddaywithit.it’sgoteverything.sex,scandal,money,beautifulunfaithfulwife,woundedwarherohusband—isupposethat’swherehegotthescars—hell,itwouldbefront-pagestuffforweeks.everyraginthecountrywouldeatitup.soweshuffleitofftoafastfade.」heshrugged.「okay,ifthechiefwantsitthatway,it’suptohim.doigetthatstatement?」heturnedtotherecordingmachinewhichhadbeenhummingawaysoftlyallthistime,withthelightshowinginfront.

「turnitoff,」isaid.

heswungaroundandgavemeaviciouslook.「youlikeitinjail?」

「it’snottoobad.youdon’tmeetthebestpeople,butwhothehellwantsto?bereasonable,grenz.you’retryingtomakeafinkoutofme.maybei’mobstinate,orevensentimental,buti’mpracticaltoo.supposeyouhadtohireaprivateeye—yeah,yeah,iknowhowyouwouldhatetheidea—butjustsupposeyouwerewhereitwasyouronlyout.wouldyouwantonethatfinkedonhisfriends?」

hestaredatmewithhate.

「acouplemorepoints.doesn’titstrikeyouthatlennox’sevasiontacticswerejustalittletootransparent?ifhewantedtobecaught,hedidn’thavetogotoallthattrouble.ifhedidn’twanttobecaught,hehadbrainsenoughnottodisguisehimselfasamexicaninmexico.」

「meaningwhat?」grenzwassnarlingatmenow.

「meaningyoucouldjustbefillingmeupwithalotofhooeyyoumadeup,thattherewasn’tanyrodriguezwithdyedhairandtherewasn’tanymariodecervaatotatoclán,andyoudon’tknowanymoreaboutwherelennoxisthanwhereblackbeardthepirateburiedhistreasure.」

hegothisbottleoutagain.hepouredhimselfashotanddrankitdownquickly,asbefore.herelaxedslowly.heturnedinhischairandswitchedofftherecordingmachine.

「i’dliketohavetriedyou,」hesaidgratingly.「you’rethekindofwiseguyiliketoworkover.thisrapwillbehangingoveryouforalonglongtime,cutie.you’llwalkwithitandeatwithitandsleepwithit.andnexttimeyoustepoutoflinewe’llmurderyouwithit.rightnowigottodosomethingthatturnsmygutsinsideout.」

hepawedonhisdeskandpulledtheface-downpapertohim,turneditoverandsignedit.youcanalwaystellwhenamaniswritinghisownname.hehasaspecialwayofmoving.thenhestoodupandmarchedaroundthedeskandthrewthedoorofhisshoeboxopenandyelledforspranklin.

thefatmancameinwithhisgrenzgavehimthepaper.

「i’vejustsignedyourreleaseorder,」hesaid.「i’mapublicservantandsometimesihaveunpleasantduties.wouldyoucaretoknowwhyisignedit?」

istoodup.「ifyouwanttotellme.」

「thelennoxcaseisclosed,mister.thereain’tanylennoxcase.hewroteoutafullconfessionthisafternooninhishotelroomandshothimself.inotatoclán,justlikeisaid.」

istoodtherelookingatnothing.outofthecornerofmyeyeisawgrenzbackawayslowlyasifhethoughtimightbegoingtoslughim.imusthavelookedprettynastyforamoment.thenhewasbehindhisdeskagainandspranklinhadgrabbedontomyarm.

「comeon,move,」hesaidinawhiningkindofvoice.「manlikestogettohomenightsonceinawhile.」

iwentoutwithhimandclosedthedoor.icloseditquietlyasifonaroomwheresomeonehadjustdied.