hetwistedhismouthsardonically.「couldjustbelennoxhadsomehelpcommittingsuicide.resistingarrestalittle.mexicancopshaveveryitchytriggerfingers.ifyouwanttolayalittlebet,i’llgiveyouniceoddsthatnobodygetstocountthebulletholes.」

「ithinkyou’rewrong,」isaid.「iknewterrylennoxprettywell.hewrotehimselfoffalongtimeago.iftheybroughthimbackalive,hewouldhaveletthemhaveittheirway.he’dhavecoppedamanslaughterplea.」

lonniemorganshookhishead.iknewwhathewasgoingtosayandhesaidit.「notachance.ifhehadshotherorcrackedherskull,maybeyes.buttherewastoomuchbrutality.herfacewasbeatentoapulp.seconddegreemurderwouldbethebesthecouldget,andeventhatwouldraiseastink.」

isaid:「youcouldberight.」

helookedatmeagain.「yousayyouknewtheguy.doyougoforthesetup?」

「i’mtired.i’mnotinathinkingmoodtonight.」

therewasalongpause.thenlonniemorgansaidquietly:「ifiwasarealbrightguyinsteadofahacknewspaperman,i’dthinkmaybehedidn’tkillheratall.」

「it’sathought.」

hestuckacigaretteinhismouthandlititbyscratchingamatchonthedashboard.hesmokedsilentlywithafixedfrownonhisthinface.wereachedlaurelcanyonanditoldhimwheretoturnofftheboulevardandwheretoturnintomystreet.hiscarchurnedupthehillandstoppedatthefootofmyredwoodsteps.

igotout.「thanksfortheride,morgan.careforadrink?」

「i’lltakearaincheck.ifigureyou’dratherbealone.」

「i’vegotlotsoftimetobealone.toodamnmuch.」

「you’vegotafriendtosaygoodbyeto,」hesaid.「hemusthavebeenthatifyouletthemtossyouintothecanonhisaccount.」

「whosaidididthat?」

hesmiledfaintly.「justbecauseican’tprintitdon’tmeanididn’tknowit,chum.solong.seeyouaround.」

ishutthecardoorandheturnedanddroveoffdownthehill.whenhistaillightsvanishedaroundthecornericlimbedthesteps,pickedupnewspapers,andletmyselfintotheemptyhouse.iputallthelampsonandopenedallthewindows.theplacewasstuffy.

imadesomecoffeeanddrankitandtookthefivecnotesoutofthecoffeecan.theywererolledtightandpusheddownintothecoffeeattheside.iwalkedupanddownwithacupofcoffeeinmyhand,turnedthetvon,turneditoff,sat,stood,andsatagain.ireadthroughthepapersthathadpileduponthefrontsteps.thelennoxcasestartedoutbig,butbythatmorningitwasaparttwoitem.therewasaphotoofsylvia,butnoneofterry.therewasasnapofmethatididn’tknowexisted.「privatedetectiveheldforquestioning.」therewasalargephotoofthelennoxhomeinencino.itwaspseudoenglishwithalotofpeakedroofanditwouldhavecostahundredbuckstowashthewindows.itstoodonaknollinabigtwoacres,whichisalotofrealestateforthelosangelesarea.therewasaphotooftheguesthouse,whichwasaminiatureofthemainbuilding.itwashedgedinwithtrees.bothphotoshadobviouslybeentakenfromsomedistanceoffandthenblownupandtrimmed.therewasnophotoofwhatthepaperscalledthe「deathroom.」

ihadseenallthisstuffbefore,injail,butireaditandlookedatitagainwithdifferenteyes.ittoldmenothingexceptthatarichandbeautifulgirlhadbeenmurderedandthepresshadbeenprettythoroughlyexcluded.sotheinfluencehadstartedtoworkveryearly.thecrimebeatboysmusthavegnashedtheirteethandgnashedtheminvain.itfigured.ifterrytalkedtohisfather-in-lawinpasadenatheverynightshewaskilled,therewouldhavebeenadozenguardsontheestatebeforethepolicewereevennotified.

buttherewassomethingthatdidn’tfigureatall—thewayshehadbeenbeatenup.nobodycouldsellmethatterryhaddonethat.

iputthelampsoutandsatbyanopenwindow.outsideinabushamockingbirdranthroughafewtrillsandadmiredhimselfbeforesettlingdownforthenight.myneckitched,soishavedandshoweredandwenttobedandlayonmybacklistening,asiffaroffinthedarkimighthearavoice,thekindofcalmandpatientvoicethatmakeseverythingclear.ididn’thearitandiknewiwasn’tgoingto.nobodywasgoingtoexplainthelennoxcasetome.noexplanationwasnecessary.themurdererhadconfessedandhewasdead.therewouldn’tevenbeaninquest.

aslonniemorganofthejournalhadremarked—veryconvenient.ifterrylennoxhadkilledhiswife,thatwasfine.therewasnoneedtotryhimandbringoutalltheunpleasantdetails.ifhehadn’tkilledher,thatwasfinetoo.adeadmanisthebestfallguyintheworld.henevertalksback.