nomatterhowsmartyouthinkyouare,youhavetohaveaplacetostartfrom:aname,anaddress,aneighborhood,abackground,anatmosphere,apointofreferenceofsomesort.allihadwastypingonacrumpledyellowpagethatsaid,「idonotlikeyou,dr.v.butrightnowyou’rethemanforme.」withthaticouldpinpointthepacificocean,spendamonthwadingthroughthelistsofhalfadozencountymedicalassociations,andendupwiththebiground0.inourtownquacksbreedlikeguineapigs.thereareeightcountieswithinahundredmilesofthecityhallandineverytownineverysingleoneofthemtherearedoctors,somegenuinemedicalmen,somejustmail-ordermechanicswithalicensetocutcornsorjumpupanddownonyourspine.oftherealdoctorssomeareprosperousandsomepoor,someethical,othersnotsuretheycanaffordit.awell-heeledpatientwithincipient’scouldbemoneyfromhometoplentyofoldgeezerswhohavefallenbehindinthevitaminandantibiotictrade.butwithoutacluetherewasnoplacetostart.ididn’thavetheclueandeileenwadeeitherdidn’thaveitordidn’tknowshehadit.andevenififoundsomebodythatfittedandhadtherightinitial,hemightturnouttobeamyth,sofarasrogerwadewasconcerned.thejinglemightbesomethingthatjusthappenedtorunthroughhisheadwhilehewasgettinghimselfstewedup.justasthescottfitzgeraldallusionmightbemerelyanoff-beatwayofsayinggoodbye.

inasituationlikethatthesmallmantriestopickthebigman’sbrains.soicalledupamaniknewinthecarneorganization,aflossyagencyinbeverlyhillsthatspecializedinprotectionforthecarriagetrade—protectionmeaningalmostanythingwithonefootinsidethelaw.theman’snamewasgeorgepetersandhesaidhecouldgivemetenminutesifimadeitfast.

theyhadhalfthesecondfloorofoneofthesecandy-pinkfour-storiedbuildingswheretheelevatordoorsopenallbythemselveswithanelectriceye,wherethecorridorsarecoolandquiet,andtheparkinglothasanameoneverystall,andthedruggistoffthefrontlobbyhasasprainedwristfromfillingbottlesofsleepingpills.

thedoorwasfrenchgrayoutsidewithraisedmetallettering,ascleanandsharpasanewknife.thecarneorganization,inc.geraldc.carne,president.belowandsmaller:entrance.itmighthavebeenaninvestmenttrust.

insidewasasmallanduglyreceptionroom,buttheuglinesswasdeliberateandexpensive.thefurniturewasscarletanddarkgreen,thewallswereaflatbrunswickgreen,andthepictureshungonthemwereframedinagreenaboutthreeshadesdarkerthanthat.thepictureswereguysinredcoatsonbighorsesthatwerejustcrazytojumpoverhighfences.thereweretwoframelessmirrorstintedaslightbutdisgustingshadeofrosepink.themagazinesonthetableofpolishedprimaverawereofthelatestissueandeachonewasenclosedinaclearplasticcover.thefellowwhodecoratedthatroomwasnotamantoletcolorsscarehim.heprobablyworeapimentoshirt,mulberryslacks,zebrashoes,andvermiliondrawerswithhisinitialsontheminanicemandarinorange.

thewholethingwasjustwindow-dressing.theclientsofthecarneorganizationwerechargedaminimumofonehundredfishperdiemandtheyexpectedserviceintheirhomes.theydidn’tgositinnowaitingrooms.carnewasanex-colonelofmilitarypolice,abigpinkandwhiteguyashardasaboard.hehadofferedmeajobonce,butinevergotdesperateenoughtotakeit.thereareonehundredandninetywaysofbeingabastardandcarneknewallofthem.

arubbedglasspartitionslidopenandareceptionistlookedoutatme.shehadanironsmileandeyesthatcouldcountthemoneyinyourhipwallet.

「goodmorning.mayihelpyou?」

「georgepeters,please,mynameismarlowe.」

sheputagreenleatherbookontheledge.「isheexpectingyou,mr.marlowe?idon’tseeyournameontheappointmentlist.」

「it’sapersonalmatter.ijusttalkedtohimonthephone.」

「isee.howdoyouspellyourname,mr.marlowe?andyourfirstname,please?」

itoldher.shewroteitdownonalongnarrowform,thenslippedtheedgeunderaclockpunch.

「who’sthatsupposedtoimpress?」iaskedher.

「weareveryparticularaboutdetailshere,」shesaidcoldly.「colonelcarnesaysyouneverknowwhenthemosttrivialfactmayturnouttobevital.」

「ortheotherwayaround,」isaid,butshedidn’tgetit.whenshehadfinishedherbookworkshelookedupandsaid:

「iwillannounceyoutomr.peters.」

itoldherthatmademeveryhappy.aminutelateradoorinthepanelingopenedandpetersbeckonedmeintoabattleship-graycorridorlinedwithlittleofficesthatlookedlikecells.hisofficehadsoundproofingontheceiling,agraysteeldeskwithtwomatchingchairs,agraydictatingmachineonagraystand,atelephoneandpensetofthesamecolorasthewallsandfloor.therewereacoupleofframedphotographsonthewalls,oneofcarneinuniform,withhissnowdrophelmeton,andoneofcarneasacivilianseatedbehindadeskandlookinginscrutable.alsoframedonthewallwasasmallinspirationallegendinsteelylettersonagraybackground.itread:

acarneoperativedresses,speaksandbehaveslikeagentlemanatalltimesandinallplacestherearenoexceptionstothisrule.

peterscrossedtheroomintwolongstepsandpushedoneofthepicturesaside.setintothegraywallbehinditwasagraymicrophonepickup.hepulleditout,unclippedawire,andpusheditbackinplace.hemovedthepictureinfrontofitagain.

「rightnowi’dbeoutofajob,」hesaid,「exceptthatthesonofabitchisoutfixingadrunk-drivingrapforsomeactor.allthemikeswitchesareinhisoffice.hehasthewholejointwired.theothermorningisuggestedtohimthathehaveamicrofilmcamerainstalledwithinfraredlightbehindadiaphanousmirrorinthereceptionroom.hedidn’tliketheideatoowell.maybebecausesomebodyelsehadit.」

hesatdowninoneofthehardgraychairs.istaredathim.hewasagawkylong-leggedmanwithabonyfaceandrecedinghair.hisskinhadthewornweatheredlookofamanwhohasbeenoutofdoorsagreatdeal,inallkindsofweather.hehaddeep-seteyesandanupperlipalmostaslongashisnose.whenhegrinnedthebottomhalfofhisfacedisappearedintotwoenormousditchesthatranfromhisnostrilstotheendsofhiswidemouth.

「howcanyoutakeit?」iaskedhim.

「sitdown,pal.breathequietly,keepyourvoicedown,andrememberthatacarneoperativeistoacheapshamuslikeyouwhattoscaniniistoanorgangrinder’smonkey.」hepausedandgrinned.「itakeitbecauseidon’tgiveadamn.it’sgoodmoneyandanytimecarnestartsactinglikehethoughtiwasdoingtimeinthatmaximum-securityprisonheraninenglandduringthewar,i’llpickupmycheckandblow.what’syourtrouble?ihearyouhaditroughawhileback.」

「nocomplaintsaboutthat.i’dliketolookatyourfileonthebarred-windowboys.iknowyouhaveone.eddiedowsttoldmeafterhequithere.」

henodded.「eddiewasjustamitetoosensitiveforthecarneorganization.thefileyoumentionistopsecret.innocircumstancesmustanyconfidentialinformationbedisclosedtooutsiders.i’llgetitatonce.」

hewentoutandistaredatthegraywastebasketandthegraylinoleumandthegrayleathercornersofthedeskblotter.peterscamebackwithagraycardboardfileinhishand.heputitdownandopenedit.

「forchrissake,haven’tyougotanythinginthisplacethatisn’tgray?」

「theschoolcolors,mylad.thespiritoftheorganization.yeah,ihavesomethingthatisn’tgray.」