itwassoquietinvictor’sthatyoualmostheardthetemperaturedropasyoucameinatthedoor.onabarstoolawomaninablacktailormade,whichcouldn’tatthattimeofyearhavebeenanythingbutsomesyntheticfabriclikeorlon,wassittingalonewithapalegreenish-coloreddrinkinfrontofherandsmokingacigaretteinalongjadeholder.shehadthatfine-drawnintenselookthatissometimesneurotic,sometimessex-hungry,andsometimesjusttheresultofdrasticdieting.

isatdowntwostoolsawayandthebarkeepnoddedtome,butdidn’tsmile.

「agimlet,」isaid.「nobitters.」

heputthelittlenapkininfrontofmeandkeptlookingatme.「youknowsomething,」hesaidinapleasedvoice.「iheardyouandyourfriendtalkingonenightandigotmeinabottleofthatrose’slimejuice.thenyoudidn’tcomebackanymoreandionlyopenedittonight.」

「myfriendlefttown,」isaid.「adoubleifit’sallrightwithyou.andthanksfortakingthetrouble.」

hewentaway.thewomaninblackgavemeaquickglance,thenlookeddownintoherglass.「sofewpeopledrinkthemaroundhere,」shesaidsoquietlythatididn’trealizeatfirstthatshewasspeakingtome.thenshelookedmywayagain.shehadverylargedarkeyes.shehadthereddestfingernailsihadeverseen.butshedidn’tlooklikeapickupandtherewasnotraceofcome-oninhervoice.「gimletsimean.」

「afellowtaughtmetolikethem,」isaid.

「hemustbeenglish.」

「why?」

「thelimejuice.it’sasenglishasboiledfishwiththatawfulanchovysaucethatlooksasifthecookhadbledintoit.that’showtheygotcalledlimeys.theenglish—notthefish.」

「ithoughtitwasmoreatropicaldrink,hotweatherstuff.malayaorsomeplacelikethat.」

「youmayberight.」sheturnedawayagain.

thebartendersetthedrinkinfrontofme.withthelimejuiceithasasortofpalegreenishyellowishmistylook.itastedit.itwasbothsweetandsharpatthesametime.thewomaninblackwatchedme.thensheliftedherownglasstowardsme.webothdrank.theniknewherswasthesamedrink.

thenextmovewasroutine,soididn’tmakeit.ijustsatthere.「hewasn’tenglish,」isaidafteramoment.「iguessmaybehehadbeenthereduringthewar.weusedtocomeinhereonceinawhile,earlylikenow.beforethemobstartedboiling.」

「it’sapleasanthour,」shesaid.「inabaralmosttheonlypleasanthour.」sheemptiedherglass.「perhapsiknewyourfriend,」shesaid.「whatwashisname?」

ididn’tanswerherrightaway.ilitacigaretteandwatchedhertapthestubofhersoutofthejadeholderandfitanotherinitsplace.ireachedacrosswithalighter.「lennox,」isaid.

shethankedmeforthelightandgavemeabriefsearchingglance.thenshenodded.「yea,iknewhimverywell.perhapsalittletoowell.」

thebarkeepdriftedoverandglancedatmyglass.「acouplemoreofthesame,」isaid.「inabooth.」

igotdownoffthestoolandstoodwaiting.shemightormightnotblowmedown.ididn’tparticularlycare.onceinawhileinthismuchtoosex-consciouscountryamanandawomancanmeetandtalkwithoutdraggingbedroomsintoit.thiscouldbeit,orshecouldjustthinkiwasonthemake.ifso,thehellwithher.

shehesitated,butnotforlong.shegatheredupapairofblackglovesandablacksuedebagwithagoldframeandclaspandwalkedacrossintoacornerboothandsatdownwithoutaword.isatdownacrossthesmalltable.

「mynameismarlowe.」

「mineislindaloring,」shesaidcalmly.「abitofasentimentalist,aren’tyou,mr.marlowe?」

「becauseicameinheretodrinkagimlet?howaboutyourself?」

「imighthaveatasteforthem.」

「somighti.butitwouldbealittletoomuchcoincidence.」

shesmiledatmevaguely.shehademeraldearringsandanemeraldlapelpin.theylookedlikerealstonesbecauseofthewaytheywerecut—flatwithbevelededges.andeveninthedimlightofabartheyhadaninnerglow.

「soyou’retheman,」shesaid.

thebarwaiterbroughtthedrinksoverandsetthemdown.whenhewentawayisaid:「i’mafellowwhoknewterrylennox,likedhim,andhadanoccasionaldrinkwithhim.itwaskindofasidedeal,anaccidentalfriendship.ineverwenttohishomeorknewhiswife.isawheronceinaparkinglot.」

「therewasalittlemoretoitthanthat,wasn’tthere?」

shereachedforherglass.shehadanemeraldringsetinanestofdiamonds.besideitathinplatinumbandsaidshewasmarried.iputherinthesecondhalfofthethirties,earlyinthesecondhalf.

「maybe,」isaid,「theguybotheredme.hestilldoes.howaboutyou?」

sheleanedonanelbowandlookedupatmewithoutanyparticularexpression.「isaidiknewhimrathertoowell.toowelltothinkitmatteredmuchwhathappenedtohim.hehadarichwifewhogavehimalltheluxuries.allsheaskedinreturnwastobeletalone.」

「seemsreasonable,」isaid.

「don’tbesarcastic,mr.marlowe.somewomenarelikethat.theycan’thelpit.itwasn’tasifhedidn’tknowinthebeginning.ifhehadtogetproud,thedoorwasopen.hedidn’thavetokillher.」

「iagreewithyou.」

shestraightenedupandlookedhardatme.herlipcurled.「soheranawayand,ifwhatihearistrue,youhelpedhim.isupposeyoufeelproudaboutthat.」

「notme,」isaid.「ijustdiditforthemoney.」

「thatisnotamusing,mr.marlowe.franklyidon’tknowwhyisitheredrinkingwithyou.」

「that’seasilychanged,mrs.loring.」ireachedformyglassanddroppedthecontentsdownthehatch.「ithoughtperhapsyoucouldtellmesomethingaboutterrythatididn’tknow.i’mnotinterestedinspeculatingwhyterrylennoxbeathiswife’sfacetoabloodysponge.」

「that’saprettybrutalwaytoputit,」shesaidangrily.

「youdon’tlikethewords?neitherdoi.andiwouldn’tbeheredrinkingagimletifibelievedhedidanythingofthesort.」

shestared.afteramomentshesaidslowly:「hekilledhimselfandleftafullconfession.whatmoredoyouwant?」

「hehadagun,」isaid.「inmexicothatmightbeenoughexcuseforsomejitterycoptopourleadintohim.plentyofamericanpolicehavedonetheirkillingsthesameway—someofthemthroughdoorsthatdidn’topenfastenoughtosuitthem.asfortheconfession,ihaven’tseenit.」

「nodoubtthemexicanpolicefakedit,」shesaidtartly.

「theywouldn’tknowhow,notinalittleplacelikeotatoclán.no,theconfessionisprobablyrealenough,butitdoesn’tprovehekilledhiswife.nottomeanyway.allitprovestomeisthathedidn’tseeanywayout.inaspotlikethatacertainsortofman—youcancallhimweakorsoftorsentimentalifitamusesyou—mightdecidetosavesomeotherpeoplefromalotofverypainfulpublicity.」

「that’sfantastic,」shesaid.「amandoesn’tkillhimselfordeliberatelygethimselfkilledtosavealittlescandal.sylviawasalreadydead.asforhersisterandherfather—theycouldtakecareofthemselvesveryefficiently.peoplewithenoughmoney,mr.marlowe,canalwaysprotectthemselves.」

「okay,i’mwrongaboutthemotive.maybei’mwrongalldowntheline.aminuteagoyouweremadatme.youwantmetoleavenow—soyoucandrinkyourgimlet?」

suddenlyshesmiled.「i’msorry.i’mbeginningtothinkyouaresincere.whatithoughtthenwasthatyouweretryingtojustifyyourself,farmorethanterry.idon’tthinkyouare,somehow.」

「i’mnot.ididsomethingfoolishandigottheworksforit.uptoapointanyway.idon’tdenythathisconfessionsavedmealotworse.iftheyhadbroughthimbackandtriedhim,iguesstheywouldhavehungoneonmetoo.theleastitwouldhavecostmewouldhavebeenfarmoremoneythanicouldafford.」

「nottomentionyourlicense,」shesaiddryly.

「maybe.therewasatimewhenanycopwithahangovercouldgetmebusted.it’salittledifferentnow.yougetahearingbeforeacommissionofthestatelicensingauthority.thosepeoplearenottoocrazyaboutthecitypolice.」

shetastedherdrinkandsaidslowly:「allthingsconsidered,don’tyouthinkitwasbestthewayitwas?notrial,nosensationalheadlines,nomud-slingingjusttosellnewspaperswithouttheslightestregardfortruthorfairplayorforthefeelingsofinnocentpeople.」

「didn’tijustsayso?andyousaiditwasfantastic.」

sheleanedbackandputherheadagainsttheuppercurveofthepaddingonthebackofthebooth.「fantasticthatterrylennoxshouldhavekilledhimselfjusttoachievethat.notfantasticthatitwasbetterforallpartiesthatthereshouldbenotrial.」