asicrossedthelivingroomeileenwascomingdownthestairsinwhiteslacksandopen-toedsandalsandapaleblueshirt.shelookedatmewithcompletesurprise.「ididn’tknowyouwerehere,mr.marlowe,」shesaid,asthoughshehadn’tseenmeforaweekandatthattimeihadjustdroppedinfortea.

「iputhisguninthedesk,」isaid.

「gun?」thenitseemedtodawnonher.「oh,lastnightwasalittlehectic,wasn’tit?butithoughtyouhadgonehome.」

iwalkedoverclosertoher.shehadathingoldchainaroundherneckandsomekindoffancypendantingoldandblueonwhiteenamel.theblueenameledpartlookedlikeapairofwings,butnotspreadout.againstthesetherewasabroadwhiteenamelandgolddaggerthatpiercedascroll.icouldn’treadthewords.itwassomekindofmilitaryinsigne.

「igotdrunk,」isaid.「deliberatelyandnotelegantly.iwasalittlelonely.」

「youdidn’thavetobe,」shesaid,andhereyeswereasclearaswater.therewasn’tatraceofguileinthem.

「amatterofopinion,」isaid.「i’mleavingnowandi’mnotsurei’llbeback.youheardwhatisaidaboutthegun?」

「youputitinhisdesk.itmightbeagoodideatoputitsomewhereelse.buthedidn’treallymeantoshoothimself,didhe?」

「ican’tanswerthat.butnexttimehemight.」

sheshookherhead.「idon’tthinkso.ireallydon’t.youwereawonderfulhelplastnight,mr.marlowe.idon’tknowhowtothankyou.」

「youmadeaprettygoodtry.」

shegotpink.thenshelaughed.「ihadaverycuriousdreaminthenight,」shesaidslowly,lookingoffovermyshoulder.「someoneiusedtoknowwashereinthehouse.someonewhohasbeendeadfortenyears.」herfingerswentupandtouchedthegoldandenamelpendant.「that’swhyiamwearingthistoday.hegaveittome.」

「ihadacuriousdreammyself,」isaid.「buti’mnottellingmine.letmeknowhowrogergetsonandifthereisanythingicando.」

sheloweredhereyesandlookedintomine.「yousaidyouwerenotcomingback.」

「isaidiwasn’tsure.imayhavetocomeback.ihopeiwon’t.thereissomethingverywronginthishouse.andonlypartofitcameoutofabottle.」

shestaredatme,frowning.「whatdoesthatmean?」

「ithinkyouknowwhati’mtalkingabout.」

shethoughtitovercarefully.herfingerswerestilltouchingthependantgently.sheletoutaslowpatientsigh.「there’salwaysanotherwoman,」shesaidquietly.「atsometimeorother.it’snotnecessarilyfatal.we’retalkingatcrosspurposes,aren’twe?wearenoteventalkingaboutthesamething,perhaps?」

「couldbe,」isaid.shewasstillstandingonthesteps,thethirdstepfromthebottom.shestillhadherfingersonthependant.shestilllookedlikeagoldendream.「especiallyifyouhaveinmindthattheotherwomanislindaloring.」

shedroppedherhandfromthependantandcamedownonemorestepofthestairs.

「dr.loringseemstoagreewithme,」shesaidindifferently.「hemusthavesomesourceofinformation.」

「yousaidhehadplayedthatscenewithhalfthemalesinthevalley.」

「didi?well—itwastheconventionalsortofthingtosayatthetime.」shecamedownanotherstep.

「ihaven’tshaved,」isaid.

thatstartledher.thenshelaughed.「oh,iwasn’texpectingyoutomakelovetome.」

「justwhatdidyouexpectofme,mrs.wade—inthebeginning,whenyoufirstpersuadedmetogohunting?whyme—whathaveigottooffer?」

「youkeptfaith,」shesaidquietly.「whenitcouldn’thavebeenveryeasy.」

「i’mtouched.butidon’tthinkthatwasthereason.」

shecamedownthelaststepandthenshewaslookingupatme.「thenwhatwasthereason?」

「orifitwas—itwasadamnpoorreason.justabouttheworstreasonintheworld.」

shefrownedatinyfrown.「why?」

「becausewhatidid—thiskeepingfaith—issomethingevenafooldoesn’tdotwice.」

「youknow,」shesaidlightly,「thisisgettingtobeaveryenigmaticconversation.」

「you’reaveryenigmaticperson,mrs.wade.solongandgoodluckandifyoureallycareanythingaboutroger,you’dbetterfindhimtherightkindofdoctor—andquick.」

shelaughedagain.「oh,thatwasamildattacklastnight.yououghttoseehiminabadone.he’llbeupandworkingbythisafternoon.」

「likehellhewill.」

「butbelievemehewill.iknowhimsowell.」

igaveherthelastshotrightintheteethanditsoundedprettynasty.

「youdon’treallywanttosavehim,doyou?youjustwanttolookasifyouaretryingtosavehim.」

「that,」shesaiddeliberately,「wasaverybeastlythingtosaytome.」

shesteppedpastmeandwalkedthroughthediningroomdoorsandthenthebigroomwasemptyandicrossedtothefrontdoorandletmyselfout.itwasaperfectsummermorninginthatbrightsecludedvalley.itwastoofarfromthecitytogetanysmogandcutoffbythelowmountainsfromthedampnessoftheocean.itwasgoingtobehotlater,butinanicerefinedexclusivesortofway,nothingbrutalliketheheatofthedesert,notstickyandrankliketheheatofthecity.idlevalleywasaperfectplacetolive.perfect.nicepeoplewithnicehomes,nicecars,nicehorses,nicedogs,possiblyevennicechildren.

butallamannamedmarlowewantedfromitwasout.andfast.