「ineedanotherdrink,」isaid,andwavedatthewaiter.「ifeelanicybreathonthebackofmyneck.couldyoubyanychanceberelatedtothepotterfamily,mrs.loring?」

「sylvialennoxwasmysister,」shesaidsimply.「ithoughtyouwouldknow.」

thewaiterdriftedoverandigavehimanurgentmessage.mrs.loringshookherheadandsaidshedidn’twantanythingmore.whenthewaitertookoffisaid:

「withthehusholdmanpotter—excuseme,mr.harlanpotter—putonthisaffair,iwouldbeluckytoknowforsurethatterry’swifeevenhadasister.」

「surelyyouexaggerate.myfatherishardlythatpowerful,mr.marlowe—andcertainlynotthatruthless.i’lladmithedoeshaveveryold-fashionedideasabouthispersonalprivacy.henevergivesinterviewseventohisownnewspapers.heisneverphotographed,henevermakesspeeches,hetravelsmostlybycarorinhisownplanewithhisowncrew.butheisquitehumanforallthat.helikedterry.hesaidterrywasagentlemantwenty-fourhoursadayinsteadofforthefifteenminutesbetweenthetimetheguestsarriveandthetimetheyfeeltheirfirstcocktail.」

「heslippedalittleattheend.terrydid.」

thewaitertrottedupwithmythirdgimlet.itrieditforflavorandthensattherewithafingerontheedgeoftheroundbaseoftheglass.

「terry’sdeathwasquiteablowtohim,mr.marlowe.andyou’regettingsarcasticagain.pleasedon’t.fatherknewitwouldalllookfartooneattosomepeople.hewouldmuchratherterryhadjustdisappeared.ifterryhadaskedhimforhelp,ithinkhewouldhavegivenit.」

「ohno,mrs.loring.hisowndaughterhadbeenmurdered.」

shemadeanirritablemotionandeyedmecoldly.

「thisisgoingtosoundprettyblunt,i’mafraid.fatherhadwrittenmysisterofflongago.whentheymethebarelyspoketoher.ifheexpressedhimself,whichhehasn’tandwon’t,ifeelsurehewouldbejustasdoubtfulaboutterryasyouare.butonceterrywasdead,whatdiditmatter?theycouldhavebeenkilledinaplanecrashorafireorahighwayaccident.ifshehadtodie,itwasthebestpossibletimeforhertodie.inanothertenyearsshewouldhavebeenasex-riddenhaglikesomeofthesefrightfulwomenyouseeathollywoodparties,orusedtoafewyearsback.thedregsoftheinternationalset.」

allofasuddenigotmad,fornogoodreason.istoodupandlookedoverthebooth.thenextonewasstillempty.intheonebeyondaguywasreadingapaperallbyhimself,quietly.isatdownwithabump,pushedmyglassoutoftheway,andleanedacrossthetable.ihadsenseenoughtokeepmyvoicedown.

「forhell’ssake,mrs.loring,whatareyoutryingtosellme?thatharlanpotterissuchasweetlovelycharacterhewouldn’tdreamofusinghisinfluenceonapoliticaltodroptheblanketonamurderinvestigationsothatthemurderwasneverreallyinvestigatedatall?thathehaddoubtsaboutterry’sguiltbutdidn’tletanyoneliftafingertofindoutwhowasreallythekiller?thathedidn’tusethepoliticalpowerofhisnewspapersandhisbankaccountandtheninehundredguyswhowouldtripovertheirchinstryingtoguesswhathewanteddonebeforeheknewhimself?thathedidn’tarrangeitsothatatamelawyerandnobodyelse,nobodyfromthe’sofficeorthecitycops,wentdowntomexicotomakesureterryactuallyhadputasluginhisheadinsteadofbeingknockedoffbysomeindianwithahotgunjustforkicks?youroldmanisworthahundredmillionbucks,mrs.loring.iwouldn’tknowjusthowhegotit,butiknowdamnwellhedidn’tgetitwithoutbuildinghimselfaprettyfar-reachingorganization.he’snosoftie.he’sahardtoughman.you’vegottobeinthesedaystomakethatkindofmoney.andyoudobusinesswithsomefunnypeople.youmaynotmeetthemorshakehandswiththem,buttheyarethereonthefringedoingbusinesswithyou.」

「you’reafool,」shesaidangrily.「i’vehadenoughofyou.」

「ohsure.idon’tmakethekindofmusicyouliketohear.letmetellyousomething.terrytalkedtoyouroldmanthenightsylviadied.whatabout?whatdidyouroldmansaytohim?‘justrunondowntomexicoandshootyourself,oldboy.let’skeepthisinthefamily.iknowmydaughterisatrampandthatanyoneofadozendrunkenbastardsmighthaveblownhistopandpushedherprettyfacedownherthroatforher.butthat’sincidental,oldboy.theguywillbesorrywhenhesobersup.you’vehaditsoftandnowisthetimeyoupayback.whatwewantistokeepthefairpotternameassweetasmountainlilac.shemarriedyoubecausesheneededafront.sheneedsitworsethanevernowshe’sdead.andyou’reit.ifyoucangetlostandstaylost,fine.butifyougetfound,youcheckout.seeyouinthemorgue.’」

「doyoureallythink,」thewomaninblackaskedwithdryiceinhervoice,「thatmyfathertalkslikethat?」

ileanedbackandlaughedunpleasantly.「wecouldpolishupthedialoguealittleifthathelps.」

shegatheredherstufftogetherandslidalongtheseat.「i’dliketogiveyouawordofwarning,」shesaidslowlyandverycarefully,「averysimplewordofwarning.ifyouthinkmyfatheristhatkindofmanandifyougoaroundbroadcastingthekindofthoughtsyouhavejustexpressedtome,yourcareerinthiscityinyourbusinessorinanybusinessisapttobeextremelyshortandterminatedverysuddenly.」

「perfect,mrs.loring,perfect.igetitfromthelaw,igetitfromthehoodlumelement,igetitfromthecarriagetrade.thewordschange,butthemeaningisthesame.layoff.icameinheretodrinkagimletbecauseamanaskedmeto.nowlookatme.i’mpracticallyintheboneyard.」

shestoodupandnoddedbriefly.「threegimlets.doubles.perhapsyou’redrunk.」

idroppedtoomuchmoneyonthetableandstoodupbesideher.「youhadoneandahalf,mrs.loring.whyeventhatmuch?didamanaskyoutoo,orwasitallyourownidea?yourowntonguegotalittleloose.」

「whoknows,mr.marlowe?whoknows?whoreallyknowsanything?there’samanoverthereatthebarwatchingus.woulditbeanyoneyouknow?」

ilookedaround,surprisedthatshehadnoticed.aleandarkcharactersatontheendstoolnearestthedoor.

「hisnameischickagostino,」isaid.「he’saguntoterforagamblingboynamedmenendez.let’sknockhimdownandjumponhim.」

「youcertainlyaredrunk,」shesaidquicklyandstartedtowalk.iwentafterher.themanonthestoolswungaroundandlookedtohisfront.whenicameabreastisteppedupbehindhimandreachedinunderbothhisarmsquickly.maybeiwasalittledrunk.

heswungaroundangrilyandslidoffthestool.「watchit,kiddo,」hesnarled.outofthecornerofmyeyeisawthatshehadstoppedjustinsidethedoortoglanceback.

「noguns,mr.agostino?howrecklessofyou.it’salmostdark.whatifyoushouldrunintoatoughmidget?」

「scram!」hesaidsavagely.

「aw,youstolethatlinefromthenewyorker.」

hismouthworkedbuthedidn’tmove.ilefthimandfollowedmrs.loringoutthroughthedoorintothespaceundertheawning.agray-hairedcoloredchauffeurstoodtheretalkingtothekidfromtheparkinglot.hetouchedhiscapandwentoffandcamebackwithaflossycadillaclimousine.heopenedthedoorandmrs.loringgotin.heshutthedoorasthoughhewasputtingdownthelidofajewelbox.hewentaroundthecartothedriver’sseat.

sheranthewindowdownandlookedoutatme,halfsmiling.

「goodnight,mr.marlowe.it’sbeennice—orhasit?」

「wehadquiteafight.」

「youmeanyouhad—andmostlywithyourself.」

「itusuallyis.goodnight,mrs.loring.youdon’tlivearoundhere,doyou?」

「notexactly.iliveinidlevalley.atthefarendofthelake.myhusbandisadoctor.」

「wouldyouhappentoknowanypeoplenamedwade?」

shefrowned.「yes,iknowthewades.why?」

「whydoiask?they’retheonlypeopleinidlevalleythatiknow.」

「isee.well,goodnightagain,mr.marlowe.」

sheleanedbackintheseatandthecadillacpurredpolitelyandslidawayintothetrafficalongthestrip.

turningialmostbumpedintochickagostino.

「who’sthedoll?」hesneered.「andnexttimeyoucrackwise,bemissing.」

「nobodythatwouldwanttoknowyou,」isaid.

「okay,brightboy.igotthelicensenumber.mendylikestoknowlittlethingslikethat.」

thedoorofacarbangedopenandamanaboutsevenfeethighandfourfeetwidejumpedoutofit,tookonelookatagostino,thenonelongstride,andgrabbedhimbythethroatwithonehand.

「howmanytimesigottatellyoucheaphoodsnottohangaroundwhereieat?」heroared.

heshookagostinoandhurledhimacrossthesidewalkagainstthewall.chickcrumpledupcoughing.

「nexttime,」theenormousmanyelled,「isureashellputtheblastonyou,andbelieveme,boy,you’llbeholdingagunwhentheypickyouup.」

chickshookhisheadandsaidnothing.thebigmangavemearakingglanceandgrinned.「nicenight,」hesaid,andstrolledintovictor’s.

iwatchedchickstraightenhimselfoutandregainsomeofhiscomposure.「who’syourbuddy?」iaskedhim.

「bigwilliemagoon,」hesaidthickly.「avicesquadbimbo.hethinkshe’stough.」

「youmeanheisn’tsure?」iaskedhimpolitely.

helookedatmeemptilyandwalkedaway.igotmycaroutofthelotanddrovehome.inhollywoodanythingcanhappen,anythingatall.