menendezstoppedtalkingandgavemethebrightsteadyglareofhisdarkeyes.

「thanksfortellingme,」isaid.

「youtakeagoodribbing,marlowe.you’reokay.randyandmetalkedthingsoverandwedecidedthatwhathappenedtoterrylennoxwasenoughtoscrewupanyguy’sbrains.foralongtimewefiguredhewasdeadbuthewasn’t.thekrautsgothim.theyworkedhimoverforaboutayearandahalf.theydidagoodjobbuttheyhurthimtoomuch.itcostusmoneytofindout,anditcostusmoneytofindhim.butwemadeplentyintheblackmarketafterthewar.wecouldaffordit.allterrygetsoutofsavingourlivesishalfofanewface,whitehair,andabadcaseofnerves.backeasthehitsthebottle,getspickeduphereandthere,kindofgoestopieces.there’ssomethingonhismindbutweneverknowwhat.thenextthingweknowhe’smarriedtothisrichdameandridinghigh.heunmarriesher,hitsbottomagain,marriesheragain,andshegetsdead.randyandmecan’tdoathingforhim.hewon’tletusexceptforthatshortjobinvegas.andwhenhegetsinarealjamhedon’tcometous,hegoestoacheapielikeyou,aguythatcopscanpusharound.sothenhegetsdead,andwithouttellingusgoodbye,andwithoutgivingusachancetopayoff.icouldhavegothimoutofthecountryfasterthanacardsharpcanstackadeck.buthegoescryingtoyou.itmakesmesore.acheapie,aguycopscanpusharound.」

「thecopscanpushanybodyaround.whatdoyouwantmetodoaboutit?」

「justlayoff,」menendezsaidtightly.

「layoffwhat?」

「tryingtomakeyourselfdoughorpublicityoutofthelennoxcase.it’sfinished,wrappedup.terry’sdeadandwedon’twanthimbotheredanymore.theguysufferedtoomuch.」

「ahoodlumwithsentiment,」isaid.「thatslaysme.」

「watchyourlip,cheapie.watchyourlip.mendymenendezdon’targuewithguys.hetellsthem.findyourselfanotherwaytogrababuck.getme?」

hestoodup.theinterviewwasfinished.hepickeduphisgloves.theyweresnow-whitepigskin.theydidn’tlookasifheeverhadthemon.adressytype,mr.menendez.butverytoughbehinditall.

「i’mnotlookingforpublicity,」isaid.「andnobody’sofferedmeanydough.whywouldtheyandforwhat?」

「don’tkidme,marlowe.youdidn’tspendthreedaysinthefreezerjustbecauseyou’reasweetheart.yougotpaidoff.iain’tsayingwhobybutigotanotion.andthepartyi’mthinkingabouthasplentymoreofthestuff.thelennoxcaseisclosedanditstaysclosedevenif—」hestoppeddeadandflippedhisglovesatthedeskedge.

「evenifterrydidn’tkillher,」isaid.

hissurprisewasasthinasthegoldonaweekendweddingring.

「i’dliketogoalongwithyouonthat,cheapie.butitdon’tmakeanysense.butifitdidmakesense—andterrywanteditthewayitis—thenthat’showitstays.」

ididn’tsayanything.afteramomenthegrinnedslowly.

「tarzanonabigredscooter,」hedrawled.「atoughguy.letsmecomeinhereandwalkalloverhim.aguythatgetshiredfornickelsanddimesandgetspushedaroundbyanybody.nodough,nofamily,noprospects,nonothing.seeyouaround,cheapie.」

isatstillwithmyjawsclamped,staringattheglitterofhisgoldcigarettecaseonthedeskcorner.ifeltoldandtired.igotupslowlyandreachedforthecase.

「youforgotthis,」isaid,goingaroundthedesk.

「igothalfadozenofthem,」hesneered.

wheniwasnearenoughtohimihelditout.hishandreachedforitcasually.「howabouthalfadozenofthese?」iaskedhimandhithimashardasicouldinthemiddleofhisbelly.

hedoubledupmewling.thecigarettecasefelltothefloor.hebackedagainstthewallandhishandsjerkedbackandforthconvulsively.hisbreathfoughttogetintohislungs.hewassweating.veryslowlyandwithanintenseefforthestraightenedupandwewereeyetoeyeagain.ireachedoutandranafingeralongtheboneofhisjaw.heheldstillforit.

finallyheworkedasmileontohisbrownface.

「ididn’tthinkyouhaditinyou,」hesaid.

「nexttimebringagun—ordon’tcallmecheapie.」

「igotaguytocarrythegun.」

「bringhimwithyou.you’llneedhim.」

「you’reahardguytogetsore,marlowe.」

imovedthegoldcigarettecasetoonesidewithmyfootandbentandpickeditupandhandedittohim.hetookitanddroppeditintohispocket.

「icouldn’tfigureyou,」isaid.「whyitwasworthyourtimetocomeuphereandrideme.thenitgotmonotonous.alltoughguysaremonotonous.likeplayingcardswithadeckthat’sallaces.you’vegoteverythingandyou’vegotnothing.you’rejustsittingtherelookingatyourself.nowonderterrydidn’tcometoyouforhelp.itwouldbelikeborrowingmoneyfromawhore.」

hepresseddelicatelyonhisstomachwithtwofingers.「i’msorryyousaidthat,cheapie.youcouldcrackwiseoncetoooften.」

hewalkedtothedoorandopenedit.outsidethebodyguardstraightenedfromtheoppositewallandturned.menendezjerkedhishead.thebodyguardcameintotheofficeandstoodtherelookingmeoverwithoutexpression.

「takeagoodlookathim,chick,」menendezsaid.「makesureyouknowhimjustincase.youandhimmighthavebusinessoneofthesedays.」

「ialreadysawhim,chief,」thesmoothdarktight-lippedguysaidinthetight-lippedvoicetheyallaffect.「hewouldn’tbothermenone.」

「don’tlethimhityouintheguts,」menendezsaidwithasourgrin.「hisrighthookain’tfunny.」

thebodyguardjustsneeredatme.「hewouldn’tgetthatclose.」

「well,solong,cheapie,」menendeztoldmeandwentout.

「seeyouaround,」thebodyguardtoldmecoolly.「thename’schickagostino.iguessyou’llknowme.」

「likeadirtynewspaper,」isaid.「remindmenottosteponyourface.」

hisjawmusclesbulged.thenheturnedsuddenlyandwentoutafterhisboss.

thedoorclosedslowlyonthepneumaticgadget.ilistenedbutididn’theartheirstepsgoingdownthehall.theywalkedassoftlyascats.justtomakesure,iopenedthedooragainafteraminuteandlookedout.butthehallwasquiteempty.

iwentbacktomydeskandsatdownandspentalittletimewonderingwhyafairlyimportantlocalracketeerlikemenendezwouldthinkitworthhistimetocomeinpersontomyofficeandwarnmetokeepmynoseclean,justminutesafterihadreceivedasimiliarthoughdifferentlyexpressedwarningfromsewellendicott.

ididn’tgetanywherewiththat,soithoughtimightaswellmakeitaperfectscore.iliftedthephoneandputinacalltotheterrapinclubatlasvegas,persontoperson,philipmarlowecallingmr.randystarr.nosoap.mr.starrwasoutoftown,andwoulditalktoanyoneelse?iwouldnot.ididn’tevenwanttotalktostarrverybadly.itwasjustapassingfancy.hewastoofarawaytohitme.

afterthatnothinghappenedforthreedays.nobodysluggedmeorshotatmeorcalledmeuponthephoneandwarnedmetokeepmynoseclean.nobodyhiredmetofindthewanderingdaughter,theerringwife,thelostpearlnecklace,orthemissingwill.ijustsatthereandlookedatthewall.thelennoxcasediedalmostassuddenlyasithadbeenborn.therewasabriefinquesttowhichiwasnotsummoned.itwasheldatanoddhour,withoutpreviousannouncementandwithoutajury.thecoronerenteredhisownverdict,whichwasthatthedeathofsylviapotterwesterheymdigiorgiolennoxhadbeencausedwithhomicidalintentbyherhusband,terencewilliamlennox,sincedeceasedoutsidethejurisdictionofthecoroner’soffice.presumablyaconfessionwasreadintotherecord.presumablyitwasverifiedenoughtosatisfythecoroner.

thebodywasreleasedforburial.itwasflownnorthandburiedinthefamilyvault.thepresswasnotinvited.nobodygaveanyinterviews,leastofallmr.harlanpotter,whonevergaveinterviews.hewasaboutashardtoseeasthedalailama.guyswithahundredmilliondollarsliveapeculiarlife,behindascreenofservants,bodyguards,secretaries,lawyers,andtameexecutives.presumablytheyeat,sleep,gettheirhaircut,andwearclothes.butyouneverknowforsure.everythingyoureadorhearaboutthemhasbeenprocessedbyapublicrelationsgangofguyswhoarepaidbigmoneytocreateandmaintainausablepersonality,somethingsimpleandcleanandsharp,likeasterilizedneedle.itdoesn’thavetobetrue.itjusthastobeconsistentwiththeknownfacts,andtheknownfactsyoucouldcountonyourfingers.

lateafternoonofthethirddaythetelephonerangandiwastalkingtoamanwhosaidhisnamewashowardspencer,thathewasarepresentativeofanewyorkpublishinghouseincaliforniaonabriefbusinesstrip,thathehadaproblemhewouldliketodiscusswithmeandwouldimeethiminthebaroftheritz-beverlyhotelateleventhenextmorning.

iaskedhimwhatsortofproblem.

「ratheradelicateone,」hesaid,「butentirelyethical.ifwedon’tagree,ishallexpecttopayyouforyourtime,naturally.」

「thankyou,mr.spencer,butthatwon’tbenecessary.didsomeoneiknowrecommendmetoyou?」

「someonewhoknowsaboutyou—includingyourrecentbrushwiththelaw,mr.marlowe.imightsaythatthatwaswhatinterestedme.mybusiness,however,hasnothingtodowiththattragicaffair.it’sjustthat—well,let’sdiscussitoveradrink,ratherthanoverthetelephone.」

「yousureyouwanttomixitwithaguywhohasbeeninthecooler?」

helaughed.hislaughandhisvoicewerebothpleasant.hetalkedthewaynewyorkersusedtotalkbeforetheylearnedtotalkflatbush.

「frommypointofview,mr.marlowe,thatisarecommendation.not,letmeadd,thefactthatyouwere,asyouputit,inthecooler,butthefact,shallisay,thatyouappeartobeextremelyreticent,evenunderpressure.」

hewasaguywhotalkedwithcommas,likeaheavynovel.overthephoneanyway.

「okay,mr.spencer,i’llbethereinthemorning.」

hethankedmeandhungup.iwonderedwhocouldhavegivenmetheplug.ithoughtitmightbesewellendicottandcalledhimtofindout.buthehadbeenoutoftownallweek,andstillwas.itdidn’tmattermuch.eveninmybusinessyouoccasionallygetasatisfiedcustomer.andineededajobbecauseineededthemoney—orthoughtidid,untiligothomethatnightandfoundtheletterwithaportraitofmadisoninit.