hepulledadeskdraweropenandtookoutacigarabouteightincheslong.

「anupmanthirty,」hesaid.「presentedtomebyanelderlygentfromenglandwhohasbeenfortyyearsincaliforniaandstillsays‘wireless.’soberheisjustanoldswishwithagooddealofsuperficialcharm,whichisallrightwithme,becausemostpeopledon’thaveany,superficialorotherwise,includingcarne.hehasasmuchcharmasasteelpuddler’sunderpants.notsober,theclienthasastrangehabitofwritingchecksonbankswhichneverheardofhim.healwaysmakesgoodandwithmyfondhelphehassofarstayedoutoftheicebox.hegavemethis.shouldwesmokeittogether,likeacoupleofindianchiefsplanningamassacre?」

「ican’tsmokecigars.」

peterslookedatthehugecigarsadly.「samehere,」hesaid.「ithoughtofgivingittocarne.butit’snotreallyaone-mancigar,evenwhentheonemaniscarne.」hefrowned.「youknowsomething?i’mtalkingtoomuchaboutcarne.imustbeedgy.」hedroppedthecigarbackinthedrawerandlookedattheopenfile.「justwhatdowewantfromthis?」

「i’mlookingforawell-heeledalcoholicwithexpensivetastesandmoneytogratifythem.sofarhehasn’tgoneinforcheck-bouncing.ihaven’theardsoanyway.hehasastreakofviolenceandhiswifeisworriedabouthim.shethinkshe’shidoutinsomesobering-upjointbutshecan’tbesure.theonlycluewehaveisajinglementioningadr.v.justtheinitial.mymanisgonethreedaysnow.」

petersstaredatmethoughtfully.「that’snottoolong,」hesaid.「what’stoworryabout?」

「ififindhimfirst,igetpaid.」

helookedatmesomemoreandshookhishead.「idon’tgetit,butthat’sokay.we’llsee.」hebegantoturnthepagesofthefile.「it’snottooeasy,」hesaid.「thesepeoplecomeandgo.asingleletterain’tmuchofalead.」hepulledapageoutofthefolder,turnedsomemorepages,pulledanother,andfinallyathird.「threeofthemhere,」hesaid.「dr.amosvarley,anosteopath.bigplaceinaltadena.makesorusedtomakenightcallsforfiftybucks.tworegisterednurses.wasinahasslewiththestatenarcoticspeopleacoupleofyearsback,andturnedinhisprescriptionbook.thisinformationisnotreallyuptodate.」

iwrotedownthenameandaddressinaltadena.

「thenwehavedr.lestervukanich.ear,nose,andthroat,stockwellbuilding,onhollywoodboulevard.thisone’sadilly.officepracticemostly,andseemstosortofspecializeinchronicsinusinfections.ratheraneatroutine.yougoinandcomplainofasinusheadacheandhewashesoutyourantrumsforyou.firstofcoursehehastoanesthetizewithnovocain.butifhelikesyourlooksitdon’thavetobenovocain.catch?」

「sure.」iwrotethatonedown.

「thisisgood,」peterswenton,readingsomemore.「obviouslyhistroublewouldbesupplies.soourdr.vukanichdoesalotoffishingoffensenadaandfliesdowninhisownplane.」

「iwouldn’tthinkhe’dlastlongifhebringsthedopeinhimself,」isaid.

petersthoughtaboutthatandshookhishead.「idon’tthinkiagree.hecouldlastforeverifhe’snottoogreedy.hisonlyrealdangerisadiscontentedcustomer—pardonme,imeanpatient—butheprobablyknowshowtohandlethat.he’shadfifteenyearsinthesameoffice.」

「wherethehelldoyougetthisstuff?」iaskedhim.

「we’reanorganization,myboy.notalonewolflikeyou.somewegetfromtheclientsthemselves,somewegetfromtheinside.carne’snotafraidtospendmoney.he’sagoodmixerwhenhewantstobe.」

「he’dlovethisconversation.」

「screwhim.ourlastofferingtodayisamannamedverringer.theoperativewhofiledonhimislonggone.seemsaladypoetsuicidedatverringer’sranchinsepulvedacanyononetime.herunsasortofartcolonyforwritersandsuchwhowantseclusionandacongenialatmosphere.ratesmoderate.hesoundslegit.hecallshimselfdoctor,butdoesn’tpracticemedicine.couldbeaph.d.frankly,idon’tknowwhyhe’sinhere.unlesstherewassomethingaboutthissuicide.」hepickedupanewspaperclippingpastedtoablanksheet.「yeah,overdoseofmorphine.nosuggestionverringerknewanythingaboutit.」

「ilikeverringer,」isaid.「ilikehimverymuch.」

petersclosedthefileandslappedit.「youhaven’tseenthis,」hesaid.hegotupandlefttheroom.whenhecamebackiwasstandinguptoleave.istartedtothankhim,butheshookitoff.

「look,」hesaid,「theremustbehundredsofplaceswhereyourmancouldbe.」

isaidiknewthat.

「andbytheway,iheardsomethingaboutyourfriendlennoxthatmightinterestyou.oneofourboysranacrossafellowinnewyorkfiveorsixyearsagothatanswersthedescriptionexactly.buttheguy’snamewasnotlennox,hesays.itwasmarston.ofcoursehecouldbewrong.theguywasdrunkallthetime,soyoucouldn’treallybesure.

isaid:「idoubtifitwasthesameman.whywouldhechangehisname?hehadawarrecordthatcouldbechecked.」

「ididn’tknowthat.ourman’sinseattlerightnow.youcantalktohimwhenhegetsback,ifitmeansanythingtoyou.hisnameisashterfelt.」

「thanksforeverything,george.itwasaprettylongtenminutes.」

「imightneedyourhelpsomeday.」

「thecarneorganization,」isaid,「neverneedsanythingfromanybody.」

hemadearudegesturewithhisthumb.ilefthiminhismetallicgraycellanddepartedthroughthewaitingroom.itlookedfinenow.theloudcolorsmadesenseafterthecellblock.