inthemorningishavedagainanddressedanddrovedowntownintheusualwayandparkedintheusualplaceandiftheparkinglotattendanthappenedtoknowthatiwasanimportantpubliccharacterhedidatopjobinhidingit.iwentupstairsandalongthecorridorandgotkeysouttounlockmydoor.adarksmooth-lookingguywatchedme.

「youmarlowe?」

「so?」

「stickaround,」hesaid.「aguywantstoseeyou.」heunplasteredhisbackfromthewallandstrolledofflanguidly.

isteppedinsidetheofficeandpickedupthemail.therewasmoreofitonthedeskwherethenightcleaningwomanhadputit.islittheenvelopesafteriopenedwindows,andthrewawaywhatididn’twant,whichwaspracticallyallofit.iswitchedonthebuzzertotheotherdoorandfilledapipeandlititandthenjustsattherewaitingforsomebodytoscreamforhelp.

ithoughtaboutterrylennoxinadetachedsortofway.hewasalreadyrecedingintothedistance,whitehairandscarredfaceandweakcharmandhispeculiarbrandofpride.ididn’tjudgehimoranalyzehim,justasihadneveraskedhimquestionsabouthowhegotwoundedorhowheeverhappenedtogethimselfmarriedtoanyonelikesylvia.hewaslikesomebodyyoumeetonboardshipandgettoknowverywellandneverreallyknowatall.hewasgonelikethesamefellowwhenhesaysgoodbyeatthepierandlet’skeepintouch,oldman,andyouknowyouwon’tandhewon’t.likelyenoughyou’llneverevenseetheguyagain.ifyoudohewillbeanentirelydifferentperson,justanotherrotarianinaclubcar.how’sbusiness?oh,nottoobad.youlookgood.sodoyou.i’veputontoomuchweight.don’tweall?rememberthattripinthefranconia(orwhateveritwas)?ohsure,swelltrip,wasn’tit?

thehellitwasaswelltrip.youwereboredstiff.youonlytalkedtotheguybecausetherewasn’tanybodyaroundthatinterestedyou.maybeitwaslikethatwithterrylennoxandme.no,notquite.iownedapieceofhim.ihadinvestedtimeandmoneyinhim,andthreedaysintheicehouse,nottomentionaslugonthejawandapunchintheneckthatifelteverytimeiswallowed.nowhewasdeadandicouldn’tevengivehimbackhisfivehundredbucks.thatmademesore.itisalwaysthelittlethingsthatmakeyousore.

thedoorbuzzerandthetelephonerangatthesametime.iansweredthephonefirstbecausethebuzzermeantonlythatsomebodyhadwalkedintomypint-sizewaitingroom.

「isthismr.marlowe?mr.endicottiscallingyou.onemomentplease.」

hecameontheline.「thisissewellendicott,」hesaid,asifhedidn’tknowhisgoddamsecretaryhadalreadyfedmehisname.

「goodmorning,mr.endicott.」

「gladtoheartheyturnedyouloose.ithinkpossiblyyouhadtherightideanottobuildanyresistance.」

「itwasn’tanidea.itwasjustmulishness.」

「idoubtifyou’llhearanymoreaboutit.butifyoudoandneedhelp,letmehearfromyou.」

「whywouldi?themanisdead.they’dhaveahellofatimeprovingheevercamenearme.thenthey’dhavetoproveihadguiltyknowledge.andthenthey’dhavetoprovehehadcommittedacrimeorwasafugitive.」

heclearedhisthroat.「perhaps,」hesaidcarefully,「youhaven’tbeentoldheleftafullconfession.」

「iwastold,mr.endicott.i’mtalkingtoalawyer.wouldibeoutoflineinsuggestingthattheconfessionwouldhavetobeprovedtoo,bothastogenuinenessandastoveracity?」

「i’mafraidihavenotimeforalegaldiscussion,」hesaidsharply.「i’mflyingtomexicowitharathermelancholydutytoperform.youcanprobablyguesswhatitis?」

「uh-huh.dependswhoyou’rerepresenting.youdidn’ttellme,remember.」

「irememberverywell.well,goodbye,marlowe.myofferofhelpisstillgood.butletmealsoofferyoualittleadvice.don’tbetoocertainyou’reintheclear.you’reinaprettyvulnerablebusiness.」

hehungup.iputthephonebackinitscradlecarefully.isatforamomentwithmyhandonit,scowling.theniwipedthescowloffmyfaceandgotuptoopenthecommunicatingdoorintomywaitingroom.

amanwassittingbythewindowrufflingamagazine.heworeabluish-graysuitwithanalmostinvisiblepalebluecheck.onhiscrossedfeetwereblackmoccasin-typeties,thekindwithtwoeyeletsthatarealmostascomfortableasstrollersanddon’twearyoursocksouteverytimeyouwalkablock.hiswhitehandkerchiefwasfoldedsquareandtheendofapairofsunglassesshowedbehindit.hehadthickdarkwavyhair.hewastannedverydark.helookedupwithbird-brighteyesandsmiledunderahairlinemustache.histiewasadarkmaroontiedinapointedbowoverasparklingwhiteshirt.

hethrewthemagazineaside.「thecraptheseragsgofor,」hesaid.「ibeenreadingapieceaboutcostello.yeah,theyknowallaboutcostello.likeiknowallabouthelenoftroy.」

「whatcanidoforyou?」

helookedmeoverunhurriedly.「tarzanonabigredscooter,」hesaid.

「what?」

「you.marlowe.tarzanonabigredscooter.theyroughyouupmuch?」

「hereandthere.whatmakesityourbusiness?」

「afterallbrighttalkedtogregorius?」

「no.notafterthat.」

henoddedshortly.「yougotacrustaskingallbrighttouseammunitiononthatslob.」

「iaskedyouwhatmadeityourbusiness.incidentallyidon’tknowcommissionerallbrightandididn’taskhimtodoanything.whywouldhedoanythingforme?」

hestaredatmemorosely.hestoodupslowly,gracefulasapanther.hewalkedacrosstheroomandlookedintomyoffice.hejerkedhisheadatmeandwentin.hewasaguywhoownedtheplacewherehehappenedtobe.iwentinafterhimandshutthedoor.hestoodbythedesklookingaround,amused.

「you’resmalltime,」hesaid.「verysmalltime.」

iwentbehindmydeskandwaited.

「howmuchyoumakeinamonth,marlowe?」

iletitride,andlitmypipe.

「seven-fiftywouldbetops,」hesaid.

idroppedaburntmatchintoatrayandpuffedtobaccosmoke.

「you’reapiker,marlowe.you’reapeanutgrifter.you’resolittleittakesamagnifyingglasstoseeyou.」ididn’tsayanythingatall.「yougotcheapemotions.you’recheapallover.youpalaroundwithaguy,eatafewdrinks,talkafewgags,sliphimalittledoughwhenhe’sstrapped,andyou’resoldouttohim.justlikesomeschoolkidthatreadfrankmerriwell.yougotnoguts,nobrains,noconnections,nosavvy,soyouthrowoutaphonyattitudeandexpectpeopletocryoveryou.tarzanonabigredscooter.」hesmiledasmallwearysmile.「inmybookyou’reanickel’sworthofnothing.」

heleanedacrossthedeskandflickedmeacrossthefacebackhanded,casuallyandcontemptuously,notmeaningtohurtme,andthesmallsmilestayedonhisface.thenwhenididn’tevenmoveforthathesatdownslowlyandleanedanelbowonthedeskandcuppedhisbrownchininhisbrownhand.thebird-brighteyesstaredatmewithoutanythinginthembutbrightness.

「knowwhoiam,cheapie?」

「yourname’smenendez.theboyscallyoumendy.youoperateonthestrip.」

「yeah?howdidigetsobig?」

「iwouldn’tknow.youprobablystartedoutasapimpinamexicanwhorehouse.」

hetookagoldcigarettecaseoutofhispocketandlitabrowncigarettewithagoldlighter.heblewacridsmokeandnodded.heputthegoldcigarettecaseonthedeskandcaresseditwithhisfingertips.

「i’mabigbadman,marlowe.imakelotsofdough.igottomakelotsofdoughtojuicetheguysigottojuiceinordertomakelotsofdoughtojuicetheguysigottojuice.igotaplaceinbel-airthatcostninetygrandandialreadyspentmorethanthattofixitup.igotalovelyplatinum-blondwifeandtwokidsinprivateschoolsbackeast.mywife’sgotahundredandfiftygrandinrocksandanotherseventy-fiveinfursandclothes.igotabutler,twomaids,acook,achauffeur,notcountingthemonkeythatwalksbehindme.everywhereigoi’madarling.thebestofeverything,thebestfood,thebestdrinks,thebesthotelsuites.igotaplaceinfloridaandaseagoingyachtwithacrewoffivemen.igotabentley,twocadillacs,achryslerstationwagon,andanmgformyboy.coupleofyearsmygirlgetsonetoo.whatyougot?」

「notmuch,」isaid.「thisyearihaveahousetolivein—alltomyself.」

「nowoman?」

「justme.inadditiontothatihavewhatyouseehereandtwelvehundreddollarsinthebankandafewthousandinbonds.thatansweryourquestion?」

「what’sthemostyouevermadeonasinglejob?」

「eight-fifty.」

「jesus,howcheapcanaguyget?」

「stophammingandtellmewhatyouwant.」

hekilledhiscigarettehalfsmokedandimmediatelylitanother.heleanedbackinhischair.hislipcurledatme.

「wewerethreeguysinafoxholeeating,」hesaid.「itwascoldashell,snowallaround.weeatoutofcans.coldfood.alittleshelling,moremortarfire.wearebluewiththecold,andimeanblue,randystarrandmeandthisterrylennox.amortarshellplopsrightinthemiddleofusandforsomereasonitdon’tgooff.thosejerrieshavealotoftricks.theygotatwistedsenseofhumor.sometimesyouthinkit’sadudandthreesecondslateritain’tadud.terrygrabsitandhe’soutofthefoxholebeforerandyandmecanevenstarttogetunstuck.butimeanquick,brother.likeagoodballhandler.hethrowshimselffacedownandthrowsthethingawayfromhimanditgoesoffintheair.mostofitgoesoverhisheadbutahunkgetsthesideofhisface.rightthenthekrautsmountanattackandthenextthingweknowweain’tthereanymore.」