shewasveryseriousnow.thesmilehadgone.「youaredecidingtoosoon.youcan’tjudgepeoplebywhattheydo.ifyoujudgethematall,itmustbebywhattheyare.」

inoddedvaguely.becausethatwasexactlythewayihadthoughtaboutterrylennox.onthefactshewasnobargain,exceptforthatonebriefflashofgloryinthefoxhole—ifmenendeztoldthetruthaboutthat—butthefactsdidn’ttellthewholestorybyanymeans.hehadbeenamanitwasimpossibletodislike.howmanydoyoumeetinalifetimethatyoucansaythatabout?

「andyouhavetoknowthemforthat,」sheaddedgently.「goodbye,mr.marlowe.ifyoushouldchangeyourmind—」sheopenedherbagquicklyandgavemeacard—「andthankyouforbeinghere.」

shenoddedtospencerandwalkedaway.iwatchedheroutofthebar,downtheglassed-inannextothediningroom.shecarriedherselfbeautifully.iwatchedherturnunderthearchwaythatledtothelobby.isawthelastflickerofherwhitelinenskirtassheturnedthecorner.thenieasedmyselfdownintotheboothandgrabbedtheginandorange.

spencerwaswatchingme.therewassomethinghardinhiseyes.

「nicework,」isaid,「butyououghttohavelookedatheronceinawhile.adreamlikethatdoesn’tsitacrosstheroomfromyoufortwentyminuteswithoutyourevennoticing.」

「stupidofme,wasn’tit?」hewastryingtosmile,buthedidn’treallywantto.hedidn’tlikethewayihadlookedather.「peoplehavesuchqueerideasaboutprivatedetectives.whenyouthinkofhavingoneinyourhome—」

「don’tthinkofhavingthisoneinyourhome,」isaid.「anyhow,thinkupanotherstoryfirst.youcandobetterthantryingtomakemebelieveanybody,drunkorsober,wouldthrowthatgorgeousdownstairsandbreakfiveribsforher.」

hereddened.hishandstightenedonthebriefcase.「youthinki’maliar?」

「what’sthedifference?you’vemadeyourplay.you’realittlehotfortheladyyourself,maybe.」

hestoodupsuddenly.「idon’tlikeyourtones,」hesaid.「i’mnotsureilikeyou.domeafavorandforgetthewholeidea.ithinkthisoughttopayyouforyourtime.」

hethrewatwentyonthetable,andthenaddedsomeonesforthewaiter.hestoodamomentstaringdownatme.hiseyeswerebrightandhisfacewasstillred.「i’mmarriedandhavefourchildren,」hesaidabruptly.

「congratulations.」

hemadeaswiftnoiseinhisthroatandturnedandwent.hewentprettyfast.iwatchedhimforawhileandthenididn’t.idranktherestofmydrinkandgotoutmycigarettesandshookonelooseandstuckitinmymouthandlitit.theoldwaitercameupandlookedatthemoney.

「canigetyouanythingelse,sir?」

「nope.thedoughisallyours.」

hepickeditupslowly.「thisisatwenty-dollarbill,sir.thegentlemanmadeamistake.」

「hecanread.thedoughisallyours,isaid.」

「i’msurei’mverygrateful.ifyouarequitesure,sir—」

「quitesure.」

hebobbedhisheadandwentaway,stilllookingworried.thebarwasfillingup.acoupleofstreamlineddemi-virginswentbycarolingandwaving.theyknewthetwohotshotsintheboothfartheron.theairbegantobespatteredwithdarlingsandcrimsonfingernails.

ismokedhalfofmycigarette,scowlingatnothing,andthengotuptoleave.iturnedtoreachbackformycigarettesandsomethingbumpedintomehardfrombehind.itwasjustwhatineeded.iswungaroundandiwaslookingattheprofileofabroad-beamedcrowd-pleaserinanoverdrapedoxfordflannel.hehadtheoutstretchedarmofthepopularcharacterandthetwo-by-sixgrinoftheguywhoneverlosesasale.

itookholdoftheoutstretchedarmandspunhimaround.「what’sthematter,jack?don’ttheymaketheaisleswideenoughforyourpersonality?」

heshookhisarmlooseandgottough.「don’tgetfancy,buster.imightloosenyourjawforyou.」

「ha,ha,」isaid.「youmightplaycenterfieldfortheyankeesandhitahomerunwithabreadstick.」

hedoubledameatyfist.

「darling,thinkofyourmanicure,」itoldhim.

hecontrolledhisemotions.「nutstoyou,wiseguy,」hesneered.「someothertime,whenihavelessonmymind.」

「couldtherebeless?」

「g’wan,beatit,」hesnarled.「onemorecrackandyou’llneednewbridgework.」

igrinnedathim.「callmeup,jack.butwithbetterdialogue.」

hisexpressionchanged.helaughed.「youinpictures,chum?」

「onlythekindtheypinupinthepostoffice.」

「seeyouinthemugbook,」hesaid,andwalkedaway,stillgrinning.

itwasallverysilly,butitgotridofthefeeling.iwentalongtheannexandacrossthelobbyofthehoteltothemainentrance.ipausedinsidetoputonmysunglasses.itwasn’tuntiligotintomycarthatirememberedtolookatthecardeileenwadehadgivenme.itwasanengravedcard,butnotaformalcallingcard,becauseithadanaddressandatelephonenumberonit.mrs.rogerstearnswade,1247idlevalleyroad.tel.idlevalley5-6324.

iknewagooddealaboutidlevalley,andiknewithadchangedagreatdealfromthedayswhentheyhadthegatehouseattheentranceandtheprivatepoliceforce,andthegamblingcasinoonthelake,andthefifty-dollarjoygirls.quietmoneyhadtakenoverthetractafterthecasinowasclosedout.quietmoneyhadmadeitasubpider’sdream.aclubownedthelakeandthelakefrontageandiftheydidn’twantyouintheclub,youdidn’tgettoplayinthewater.itwasexclusiveintheonlyremainingsenseofthewordthatdoesn’tmeanmerelyexpensive.

ibelongedinidlevalleylikeapearloniononabananasplit.

howardspencercalledmeuplateintheafternoon.hehadgotoverhismadandwantedtosayhewassorryandhehadn’thandledthesituationverywell,andhadiperhapsanysecondthoughts.

「i’llgoseehimifheasksmeto.nototherwise.」

「isee.therewouldbeasubstantialbonus—」

「look,mr.spencer,」isaidimpatiently,「youcan’thiredestiny.ifmrs.wadeisafraidoftheguy,shecanmoveout.that’sherproblem.nobodycouldprotecthertwenty-fourhoursadayfromherownhusband.thereisn’tthatmuchprotectionintheworld.butthat’snotallyouwant.youwanttoknowwhyandhowandwhentheguyjumpedtherails,andthenfixitsothathedoesn’tdoitagain—atleastuntilhefinishesthebook.andthat’suptohim.ifhewantstowritethedamnbookbadenough,he’lllayoffthehoochuntilhedoesit.youwanttoodamnmuch.」

「theyallgotogether,」hesaid.「it’salloneproblem.butiguessiunderstand.it’salittleoversubtleforyourkindofoperation.well,goodbye.i’mflyingbacktonewyorktonight.」

「haveasmoothtrip.」

hethankedmeandhungup.iforgottotellhimihadgivenhistwentytothewaiter.ithoughtofcallingbacktotellhim,thenithoughthewasmiserableenoughalready.

iclosedtheofficeandstartedoffinthedirectionofvictor’stodrinkagimlet,asterryhadaskedmetoinhisletter.ichangedmymind.iwasn’tfeelingsentimentalenough.iwenttolowry’sandhadamartiniandsomeprimeribsandyorkshirepuddinginstead.

whenigothomeiturnedonthetvsetandlookedatthefights.theywerenogood,justabunchofdancingmasterswhooughttohavebeenworkingforarthurmurray.alltheydidwasjabandbobupanddownandfeintoneanotheroffbalance.notoneofthemcouldhithardenoughtowakehisgrandmotheroutofalightdoze.thecrowdwasbooingandtherefereekeptclappinghishandsforaction,buttheywentrightonswayingandjitteringandjabbinglonglefts.iturnedtoanotherchannelandlookedatacrimeshow.theactiontookplaceinaclothesclosetandthefacesweretiredandoverfamiliarandnotbeautiful.thedialoguewasstuffevenmonogramwouldn’thaveused.thedickhadacoloredhouseboyforcomicrelief.hedidn’tneedit,hewasplentycomicalallbyhimself.andthecommercialswouldhavesickenedagoatraisedonbarbedwireandbrokenbeerbottles.

icutitoffandsmokedalongcooltightlypackedcigarette.itwaskindtomythroat.itwasmadeoffinetobacco.iforgottonoticewhatbranditwas.iwasaboutreadytohitthehaywhendetective-sergeantgreenofhomicidecalledmeup.

「thoughtyoumightliketoknowtheyburiedyourfriendlennoxacoupleofdaysagorightinthatmexicantownwherehedied.alawyerrepresentingthefamilywentdownthereandattendedtoit.youwereprettyluckythistime,marlowe.nexttimeyouthinkofhelpingapalskipthecountry,don’t.」

「howmanybulletholesdidhehaveinhim?」

「what’sthat?」hebarked.thenhewassilentforaspace.thenhesaidrathertoocarefully:「one,ishouldsay.it’susuallyenoughwhenitblowsaguy’sheadoff.thelawyerisbringingbackasetofprintsandwhateverwasinhispockets.anythingmoreyou’dliketoknow?」

「yeah,butyoucan’ttellme.i’dliketoknowwhokilledlennox’swife.」

「cripes,didn’tgrenztellyouheleftafullconfession?itwasinthepapers,anyway.don’tyoureadthepapersanymore?」

「thanksforcallingme,sergeant.itwasrealkindofyou.」

「look,marlowe,」hesaidraspingly.「yougotanyfunnyideasaboutthiscase,youcouldbuyyourselfalotofgrieftalkingaboutthem.thecaseisclosed,finalized,andlaidawayinmothballs.damnluckyforyouitis.accessoryafterthefactisgoodforfiveyearsinthisstate.andletmetellyousomethingelse.i’vebeenacopalongtimeandonethingi’velearnedforsureisitain’talwayswhatyoudothatgetsyousentup.it’swhatitcanbemadetolooklikewhenitcomesintocourt.goodnight.」

hehungupinmyear.ireplacedthephonethinkingthatanhonestcopwithabadconsciencealwaysactstough.sodoesadishonestcop.sodoesalmostanyone,includingme.