nextmorningthebellrangasiwaswipingthetalcumoffanearlobe.whenigottothedoorandopenedupilookedintoapairofviolet-blueeyes.shewasinbrownlinenthistime,withapimento-coloredscarf,andnoearringsorhat.shelookedalittlepale,butnotasthoughanyonehadbeenthrowingherdownstairs.shegavemeahesitantlittlesmile.

「iknowishouldn’thavecomeheretobotheryou,mr.marlowe.youprobablyhaven’tevenhadbreakfast.butihadareluctancetogotoyourofficeandihatetelephoningaboutpersonalmatters.」

「sure.comein,mrs.wade.wouldyougoforacupofcoffee?」

shecameintothelivingroomandsatonthedavenportwithoutlookingatanything.shebalancedherbagonherlapandsatwithherfeetclosetogether.shelookedratherprim.iopenedwindowsandpulledupvenetianblindsandliftedadirtyashtrayoffthecocktailtableinfrontofher.

「thankyou.blackcoffee,please.nosugar.」

iwentouttothekitchenandspreadapapernapkinonagreenmetaltray.itlookedascheesyasacelluloidcollar.icrumpleditupandgotoutoneofthosefringedthingsthatcomeinsetswithlittletriangularnapkins.theycamewiththehouse,likemostofthefurniture.isetouttwodesertrosecoffeecupsandfilledthemandcarriedthetrayin.

shesipped.「thisisverynice,」shesaid.「youmakegoodcoffee.」

「lasttimeanyonedrankcoffeewithmewasjustbeforeiwenttojail,」isaid.「iguessyouknewi’dbeeninthecooler,mrs.wade.」

shenodded.「ofcourse.youweresuspectedofhavinghelpedhimescape,wasn’tit?」

「theydidn’tsay.theyfoundmytelephonenumberonapadinhisroom.theyaskedmequestionsididn’tanswer—mostlybecauseofthewaytheywereasked.butidon’tsupposeyouareinterestedinthat.」

sheputhercupdowncarefullyandleanedbackandsmiledatme.iofferedheracigarette.

「idon’tsmoke,thankyou.ofcoursei’minterested.aneighborofoursknewthelennoxes.hemusthavebeeninsane.hedoesn’tsoundatalllikethatkindofman.」

ifilledabulldogpipeandlitit.「iguessso,」isaid.「hemusthavebeen.hewasbadlywoundedinthewar.buthe’sdeadandit’salldonewith.andidon’tthinkyoucameheretotalkaboutthat.」

sheshookherheadslowly.「hewasafriendofyours,mr.marlowe.youmusthaveaprettystrongopinion.andithinkyouareaprettydeterminedman.」

itampedthetobaccoinmypipeandlititagain.itookmytimeandstaredatheroverthepipebowlwhileiwasdoingit.

「look,mrs.wade,」isaidfinally.「myopinionmeansnothing.ithappenseveryday.themostunlikelypeoplecommitthemostunlikelycrimes.niceoldladiespoisonwholefamilies.clean-cutkidscommitmultipleholdupsandshootings.bankmanagerswithspotlessrecordsgoingbacktwentyyearsarefoundouttobelong-termembezzlers.andsuccessfulandpopularandsupposedlyhappynovelistsgetdrunkandputtheirwivesinthehospital.weknowdamnlittleaboutwhatmakesevenourbestfriendstick.」

ithoughtitwouldburnherup,butshedidn’tdomuchmorethanpressherlipstogetherandnarrowhereyes.

「howardspencershouldn’thavetoldyouthat,」shesaid.「itwasmyownfault.ididn’tknowenoughtokeepawayfromhim.i’velearnedsincethattheonethingyoucanneverdotoamanwhoisdrinkingtoomuchistotrytostophim.youprobablyknowthatmuchbetterthanido.」

「youcertainlycan’tstophimwithwords,」isaid.「ifyou’relucky,andifyouhavethestrength,youcansometimeskeephimfromhurtinghimselforsomeoneelse.eventhattakesluck.」

shereachedquietlyforhercoffeecupandsaucer.herhandswerelovely,liketherestofher.thenailswerebeautifullyshapedandpolishedandonlyveryslightlytinted.

「didhowardtellyouhehadn’tseenmyhusbandthistime?」

「yeah.」

shefinishedhercoffeeandputthecupcarefullybackonthetray.shefiddledwiththespoonforafewseconds.thenshespokewithoutlookingupatme.

「hedidn’ttellyouwhy,becausehedidn’tknow.iamveryfondofhowardbutheisthemanagingtype,wantstotakechargeofeverything.hethinksheisveryexecutive.」

iwaited,notsayinganything.therewasanothersilence.shelookedatmequicklythenlookedawayagain.verysoftlyshesaid:「myhusbandhasbeenmissingforthreedays.idon’tknowwhereheis.icameheretoaskyoutofindhimandbringhimhome.oh,ithashappenedbefore.onetimehedrovehimselfallthewaytoportlandandgotsickinahotelthereandhadtogetadoctortosoberhimup.it’sawonderhowheevergotthatfarwithoutgettingintotrouble.hehadn’teatenanythingforthreedays.anothertimehewasinaturkishbathinlongbeach,oneofthoseswedishplaceswheretheygivehighcolonics.andthelasttimeitwassomesortofsmallprivateandprobablynotveryreputablesanitarium.thiswaslessthanthreeweeksago.hewouldn’ttellmethenameofitorwhereitwas,justsaidhehadbeentakingacureandwasallright.buthelookeddeadlypaleandweak.igotabriefglimpseofthemanwhobroughthimhome.atallyoungmandressedinthesortofoverelaboratecowboyoutfityouwouldonlyseeonthestageorinatechnicolormusicalfilm.heletrogeroutinthedrivewayandbackedoutanddroveawayatonce.」

「couldhavebeenaduderanch,」isaid.「someofthesetamecowpunchersspendeverydimetheymakeonafancyoutfitlikethat.thewomengocrazyoverthem.that’swhatthey’retherefor.」

sheopenedherbagandtookoutafoldedpaper,「i’vebroughtyouacheckforfivehundreddollars,mr.marlowe.willyouacceptitasaretainer?」

sheputthefoldedcheckdownonthetable.ilookedatit,butdidn’ttouchit.「why?」iaskedher.「yousayhehasbeengonethreedays.ittakesthreeorfourtosoberamanupandgetsomefoodintohim.won’thecomebackthewayhedidbefore?ordoessomethingmakethistimedifferent?」

「hecan’tstandmuchmoreofit,mr.marlowe.itwillkillhim.theintervalsaregettingshorter.i’mbadlyworried.i’mmorethanworried,i’mscared.it’sunnatural.we’vebeenmarriedforfiveyears.rogerwasalwaysadrinker,butnotapsychopathicdrinker.somethingisallwrong.iwanthimfound.ididn’tsleepmorethananhourlastnight.」

「anyideawhyhedrinks?」

thevioleteyeswerelookingatmesteadily.sheseemedabitfragilethismorning,butcertainlynothelpless.shebitherlowerlipandshookherhead.「unlessit’sme,」shesaidatlast,almostinawhisper.「menfalloutoflovewiththeirwives.」

「i’monlyanamateurpsychologist,mrs.wade.amaninmyrackethastobealittleofthat.i’dsayit’smorelikelyhehasfallenoutoflovewiththekindofstuffhewrites.」

「it’squitepossible,」shesaidquietly.「iimagineallwritershavespellslikethat.it’struethathecan’tseemtofinishabookheisworkingon.butitisn’tasifhehadtofinishitfortherentmoney.idon’tthinkthatisquiteenoughreason.」

「whatsortofguyishesober?」

shesmiled.「well,i’mratherprejudiced.ithinkheisaveryniceguyindeed.」

「andhowishedrunk?」

「horrible.brightandhardandcruel.hethinksheisbeingwittywhenheisonlybeingnasty.」

「youleftoutviolent.」

sheraisedhertawnyeyebrows.「justonce,mr.marlowe.andtoomuchhasbeenmadeofthat.i’dneverhavetoldhowardspencer.rogertoldhimhimself.」