igotupandwalkedaroundintheroom.itwasgoingtobeahotday.italreadywashot.iturnedtheblindsononeofthewindowstokeepthesunout.thenigaveittoherstraight.

「ilookedhimupinwho’swhoyesterdayafternoon.he’sforty-twoyearsold,yoursishisonlymarriage,nochildren.hispeoplearenewenglanders,hewenttoandoverandprinceton.hehasawarrecordandagoodone.hehaswrittentwelveofthesefatsex-and-swordplayhistoricalnovelsandeverydamnoneofthemhasbeenonthebest-sellerlists.hemusthavemadeplentyofthefolding.ifhehadfallenoutoflovewithhiswife,hesoundslikethetypewhowouldsaysoandgetaporce.ifhewasharingaroundwithanotherwoman,youwouldprobablyknowaboutit,andanywayhewouldn’thavetogetdrunkjusttoprovehefeltbad.ifyou’vebeenmarriedfiveyears,thenhewasthirty-sevenwhenthathappened.i’dsayheknewmostofwhatthereistoknowaboutwomenbythattime.isaymost,becausenobodyeverknowsallofit.」

istoppedandlookedatherandshesmiledatme.iwasn’thurtingherfeelings.iwenton.

「howardspencersuggested—onwhatgroundsihavenoidea—thatwhat’sthematterwithrogerwadeissomethingthathappenedalongtimeagobeforeyouweremarriedandthatithascaughtupwithhimnow,andishittinghimharderthanhecantake.spencerthoughtofblackmail.wouldyouknow?」

sheshookherheadslowly.「ifyoumeanwouldiknowifrogerhadbeenpayingoutalotofmoneytosomeone—no,iwouldn’tknowthat.idon’tmeddlewithhisbookkeepingaffairs.hecouldgiveawayalotofmoneywithoutmyknowingit.」

「okaythen.notknowingmr.wadeican’thavemuchideahowhewouldreacttohavingthebiteputonhim.ifhehasaviolenttemper,hemightbreaksomebody’sneck.ifthesecret,whateveritis,mightdamagehissocialorprofessionalstandingoreven,totakeanextremecase,madethelawboysdroparound,hemightpayoff—forawhileanyhow.butnoneofthisgetsusanywhere.youwanthimfound,you’reworried,you’remorethanworried.sohowdoigoaboutfindinghim?idon’twantyourmoney,mrs.wade.notnowanyway.」

shereachedintoherbagagainandcameupwithacoupleofpiecesofyellowpaper.theylookedlikesecondsheets,folded,andoneofthemlookedcrumpled.shesmoothedthemoutandhandedthemtome.

「oneifoundonhisdesk,」shesaid.「itwasverylate,orratherearlyinthemorning.iknewhehadbeendrinkingandiknewhehadn’tcomeupstairs.abouttwoo’clockiwentdowntoseeifhewasallright—orcomparativelyallright,passedoutonthefloororthecouchorsomething.hewasgone.theotherpaperwasinthewastebasketorrathercaughtontheedge,sothatithadn’tfallenin.」

ilookedatthefirstpiece,theonenotcrumpled.therewasashorttypewrittenparagraphonit,nomore.itread:「idonotcaretobeinlovewithmyselfandthereisnolongeranyoneelseformetobeinlovewith.signed:roger(f.scottfitzgerald)wade.p.s.thisiswhyineverfinishedthelasttycoon.」

「thatmeananythingtoyou,mrs.wade?」

「justattitudinizing.hehasalwaysbeenagreatadmirerofscottfitzgerald.hesaysfitzgeraldisthebestdrunkenwritersincecoleridge,whotookdope.noticethetyping,mr.marlowe.clear,even,andnomistakes.」

「idid.mostpeoplecan’tevenwritetheirnamesproperlywhensoused.」iopenedthecrumpledpaper.moretyping,alsowithoutanyerrorsorunevenness.thisoneread:「idonotlikeyou,dr.v.butrightnowyou’rethemanforme.」

shespokewhileiwasstilllookingatit.「ihavenoideawhodr.v.is.wedon’tknowanydoctorwithanamebeginningthatway.isupposeheistheonewhohasthatplacewhererogerwasthelasttime.」

「whenthecowpokebroughthimhome?yourhusbanddidn’tmentionanynamesatall—evenplacenames?」

sheshookherhead.「nothing.i’velookedinthedirectory.therearedozensofdoctorsofonesortoranotherwhosenamesbeginwithv.also,itmaynotbehissurname.」

「quitelikelyhe’snotevenadoctor,」isaid.「thatbringsupthequestionofreadycash.alegitimatemanwouldtakeacheck,butaquackwouldn’t.itmightturnintoevidence.andaguylikethatwouldn’tbecheap.roomandboardathishousewouldcomehigh.nottomentiontheneedle.」

shelookedpuzzled.「theneedle?」

「alltheshadyonesusedopeontheirclients.easiestwaytohandlethem.knockthemoutfortenortwelvehoursandwhentheycomeoutofit,they’regoodboys.butusingnarcoticswithoutalicensecangetyouroomandboardwithunclesam.andthatcomesveryhighindeed.」

「isee.rogerprobablywouldhaveseveralhundreddollars.healwayskeepsthatmuchinhisdesk.idon’tknowwhy.isupposeit’sjustawhim.there’snonetherenow.」

「okay,」isaid.「i’lltrytofinddr.v.idon’tknowjusthow,buti’lldomybest.takethecheckwithyou,mrs.wade.」

「butwhy?aren’tyouentitled—」

「lateron,thanks.andi’dratherhaveitfrommr.wade.he’snotgoingtolikewhatidoinanycase.」

「butifhe’ssickandhelpless—」

「hecouldhavecalledhisowndoctororaskedyouto.hedidn’t.thatmeanshedidn’twantto.」

sheputthecheckbackinherbagandstoodup.shelookedveryforlorn.「ourdoctorrefusedtotreathim,」shesaidbitterly.

「therearehundredsofdoctors,mrs.wade.anyoneofthemwouldhandlehimonce.mostofthemwouldstaywithhimforsometime,medicineisaprettycompetitiveaffairnowadays.」

「isee.ofcourseyoumustberight.」shewalkedslowlytothedoorandiwalkedwithher.iopenedit.

「youcouldhavecalledadoctoronyourown.whydidn’tyou?」

shefacedmesquarely.hereyeswerebright.theremighthavebeenahintoftearsinthem.alovelydishandnomistake.

「becauseilovemyhusband,mr.marlowe.i’ddoanythingintheworldtohelphim.butiknowwhatsortofmanheistoo.ificalledadoctoreverytimehetooktoomanydrinks,iwouldn’thaveahusbandverylong.youcan’ttreatagrownmanlikeachildwithasorethroat.」

「youcanifhe’sadrunk.oftenyoudamnwellhaveto.」

shewasstandingclosetome.ismelledherperfume.orthoughtidid.ithadn’tbeenputonwithaspraygun.perhapsitwasjustthesummerday.

「supposethereissomethingshamefulinhispast,」shesaid,draggingthewordsoutonebyoneasifeachofthemhadabittertaste.「evensomethingcriminal.itwouldmakenodifferencetome.buti’mnotgoingtobethemeansofitsbeingfoundout.」

「butit’sallrightifhowardspencerhiresmetofindout?」

shesmiledveryslowly.「doyoureallythinkiexpectedyoutogivehowardanyanswerbuttheoneyoudid—amanwhowenttojailratherthanbetrayafriend?」

「thanksfortheplug,butthatwasn’twhyigotjugged.」

shenoddedafteramomentofsilence,saidgoodbye,andstarteddowntheredwoodsteps.iwatchedhergetintohercar,aslimgrayjaguar,verynewlooking.shedroveituptotheendofthestreetandswungaroundintheturningcirclethere.herglovewavedatmeasshewentbydownthehill.thelittlecarwhiskedaroundthecornerandwasgone.

therewasaredoleanderbushagainstpartofthefrontwallofthehouse.iheardaflutterinitandababymockingbirdstartedcheepinganxiously.ispottedhimhangingontooneofthetopbranches,flappinghiswingsasifhewashavingtroublekeepinghisbalance.fromthecypresstreesatthecornerofthewalltherewasasingleharshwarningchirp.thecheepingstoppedatonceandthelittlefatbirdwassilent.

iwentinsideandshutthedoorandlefthimtohisflyinglesson.birdshavetolearntoo.