itwasthedamndest-lookinghouseieversaw.itwasasquaregrayboxthreestorieshigh,withamansardroof,steeplyslopedandbrokenbytwentyorthirtydoubledormerwindowswithalotofweddingcakedecorationaroundthemandbetweenthem.theentrancehaddoublestonepillarsoneachsidebutthecreamofthejointwasanoutsidespiralstaircasewithastonerailing,toppedbyatowerroomfromwhichtheremusthavebeenaviewthewholelengthofthelake.

themotoryardwaspavedwithstone.whattheplacereallyseemedtoneedwasahalfmileofpoplar-lineddrivewayandadeerparkandawildgardenandaterraceonthreelevelsandafewhundredrosesoutsidethelibrarywindowandalonggreenvistafromeverywindowendinginforestandsilenceandquietemptiness.whatithadwasawalloffieldstonearoundacomfortabletenorfifteenacres,whichisafairhunkofrealestateinourcrowdedlittlecountry.thedrivewaywaslinedwithacypresshedgetrimmedround.therewereallsortsofornamentaltreesinclumpshereandthereandtheydidn’tlooklikecaliforniatrees.importedstuff.whoeverbuiltthatplacewastryingtodragtheatlanticseaboardovertherockies.hewastryinghard,buthehadn’tmadeit.

amos,themiddle-agedcoloredchauffeur,stoppedthecaddygentlyinfrontofthepillaredentrance,hoppedout,andcamearoundtoholdtheopendoorformrs.loring.igotoutfirstandhelpedhimholdit.ihelpedhergetout.shehadhardlyspokentomesincewegotintothecarinfrontofmybuilding.shelookedtiredandnervous.maybethisidiotichunkofarchitecturedepressedher.itwouldhavedepressedalaughingjackassandmadeitcoolikeamourningdove.

「whobuiltthisplace?」iaskedher.「andwhowashemadat?」

shefinallysmiled.「hadn’tyouseenitbefore?」

「neverbeenthisfarintothevalley.」

shewalkedmeovertotheothersideofthedrivewayandpointedup.「themanwhobuiltitjumpedoutofthattowerroomandlandedaboutwhereyouarestanding.hewasafrenchcountnamedlatourelleandunlikemostfrenchcountshehadalotofmoney.hiswifewasramonadesborough,whowasnotexactlythreadbareherself.inthesilent-picturedaysshemadethirtythousandaweek.latourellebuiltthisplacefortheirhome.it’ssupposedtobeaminiatureofthechâteaudeblois.youknowthat,ofcourse.」

「likethebackofmyhand,」isaid.「iremembernow.itwasoneofthosesundaypaperstoriesonce.shelefthimandhekilledhimself.therewassomekindofqueerwilltoo,wasn’tthere?」

shenodded.「helefthisex-wifeafewmillionsforcarfareandtiedtherestupinatrust.theestatewastobekeptonjustasitwas.nothingwastobechanged,thediningtablewastobelaidinstyleeverynight,andnobodywastobeallowedinsidethegroundsexcepttheservantsandthelawyers.thewillwasbroken,ofcourse.eventuallytheestatewascarveduptosomeextentandwhenimarrieddr.loringmyfathergaveittomeforaweddingpresent.itmusthavecosthimafortunemerelytomakeitfittoliveinagain.iloatheit.ialwayshave.」

「youdon’thavetostayhere,doyou?」

sheshruggedinatiredsortofway.「partofthetime,atleast.oneofhisdaughtershastoshowhimsomesignofstability.dr.loringlikesithere.」

「hewould.anyguywhocouldmakethekindofscenehemadeatwade’shouseoughttowearspatswithhispajamas.」

shearchedhereyebrows.「why,thankyoufortakingsuchaninterest,mr.marlowe.butithinkenoughhasbeensaidonthatsubject.shallwegoin?myfatherdoesn’tliketobekeptwaiting.」

wecrossedthedrivewayagainandwentupthestonestepsandhalfofthebigdoubledoorsswungopennoiselesslyandanexpensiveandverysnooty-lookingcharacterstoodasideforustoenter.thehallwaywasbiggerthanallthefloorspaceinthehouseiwaslivingin.ithadatesselatedfloorandthereseemedtobestained-glasswindowsatthebackandiftherehadbeenanylightcomingthroughthemimighthavebeenabletoseewhatelsewasthere.fromthehallwaywewentthroughsomemoredoublecarveddoorsintoadimroomthatcouldn’thavebeenlessthanseventyfeetlong.amanwassittingtherewaiting,silent.hestaredatuscoldly.

「amilate,father?」mrs.loringaskedhurriedly.「thisismr.philipmarlowe.mr.harlanpotter.」

themanjustlookedatmeandmovedhischindownabouthalfaninch.

「ringfortea,」hesaid.「sitdown,mr.marlowe.」

isatdownandlookedathim.helookedatmelikeanentomologistlookingatabeetle.nobodysaidanything.therewascompletesilenceuntiltheteacame.itwasputdownonahugesilvertrayonachinesetable.lindasatatatableandpoured.

「twocups,」harlanpottersaid.「youcanhaveyourteainanotherroom,linda.」

「yes,father.howdoyoulikeyourtea,mr.marlowe?」

「anywayatall,」isaid.myvoiceseemedtoechooffintothedistanceandgetsmallandlonely.

shegavetheoldmanacupandthengavemeacup.thenshestoodupsilentlyandwentoutoftheroom.iwatchedhergo.itookasipofteaandgotacigaretteout.

「don’tsmoke,please.iamsubjecttoasthma.」

iputthecigarettebackinthepack.istaredathim.idon’tknowhowitfeelstobeworthahundredmillionorso,buthedidn’tlookasifhewashavinganyfun.hewasanenormousman,allofsixfeetfiveandbuilttoscale.heworeagraytweedsuitwithnopadding.hisshouldersdidn’tneedany.heworeawhiteshirtandadarktieandnodisplayhandkerchief.aspectaclecaseshowedintheoutsidebreastpocket.itwasblack,likehisshoes.hishairwasblacktoo,nograyatall.itwasbrushedsidewaysacrosshisskullinamacarthursweep.andihadahunchtherewasnothingunderitbutbareskull.hiseyebrowswerethickandblack.hisvoiceseemedtocomefromalongwayoff.hedrankhisteaasifhehatedit.

「itwillsavetime,mr.marlowe,ifiputmypositionbeforeyou.ibelieveyouareinterferinginmyaffairs.ifiamcorrect,iproposetostopit.」

「idon’tknowenoughaboutyouraffairstointerfereinthem,mr.potter.」

「idisagree.」

hedranksomemoreteaandputthecupaside.heleanedbackinthebigchairhewassittinginandtookmetopieceswithhishardgrayeyes.

「iknowwhoyouare,naturally.andhowyoumakeyourliving—ifyoumakeone—andhowyoubecameinvolvedwithterrylennox.ithasbeenreportedtomethatyouhelpedterrygetoutofthecountry,thatyouhavedoubtsabouthisguilt,andthatyouhavesincemadecontactwithamanwhowasknowntomydeaddaughter.forwhatpurposehasnotbeenexplainedtome.explainit.」

「ifthemanhasaname,」isaid,「nameit.」

hesmiledveryslightly,butnotasifhewasfallingforme.「wade.rogerwade.somesortofwriter,ibelieve.awriter,theytellme,ofratherprurientbookswhichishouldnotbeinterestedtoread.ifurtherunderstandthatthismanisadangerousalcoholic.thatmayhavegivenyouastrangenotion.」

「maybeyouhadbetterletmehavemyownnotions,mr.potter.theyarenotimportant,naturally,butthey’reallihave.first,idonotbelieveterrykilledhiswife,becauseofthewayitwasdoneandbecauseidon’tthinkhewasthatkindofman.second,ididn’tmakecontactwithwade.iwasaskedtoliveinhishouseanddowhaticouldtokeephimsoberwhilehefinishedajobofwriting.third,ifheisadangerousalcoholic,ihaven’tseenanysignofit.fourth,myfirstcontactwasattherequestofhisnewyorkpublisherandididn’tatthattimehaveanyideathatrogerwadeevenknewyourdaughter.fifth,irefusedthisofferofemploymentandthenmrs.wadeaskedmetofindherhusbandwhowasawaysomewheretakingacure.ifoundhimandtookhimhome.」

「verymethodical,」hesaiddryly.

「i’mnotfinishedbeingmethodical,mr.potter.sixth,youorsomeoneonyourinstructionssentalawyernamedsewellendicotttogetmeoutofjail.hedidn’tsaywhosenthim,buttherewasn’tanyoneelseinthepicture.seventh,whenigotoutofjailahoodlumnamedmendymenendezpushedmearoundandwarnedmetokeepmynosecleanandgavemeasonganddanceabouthowterryhadsavedhislifeandthelifeofagambleratlasvegasnamedrandystarr.thestorycouldbetrueforalliknow.menendezpretendedtobesorethatterryhadn’taskedhimforhelpgettingtomexicoandhadaskedapunklikemeinstead.he,menendez,couldhavedoneittwowaysfromthejackbyliftingonefinger,anddoneitmuchbetter.」

「surely,」harlanpottersaidwithableaksmile,「youarenotundertheimpressionthatinumbermr.menendezandmr.starramongmyacquaintances.」

「iwouldn’tknow,mr.potter.amandoesn’tmakeyourkindofmoneyinanywayicanunderstand.thenextpersontowarnmeoffthecourthouselawnwasyourdaughter,mrs.loring.wemetbyaccidentatabarandwespokebecausewewerebothdrinkinggimlets,terry’sfavoritedrink,butanuncommononearoundhere.ididn’tknowwhoshewasuntilshetoldme.itoldheralittleofhowifeltaboutterryandshegavemetheideathatiwouldhaveashortunhappycareerifigotyoumad.areyoumad,mr.potter?」

「wheniam,」hesaidcoldly,「youwillnothavetoaskme.youwillbeinnouncertaintyaboutit.」

「whatithought.i’vebeenkindofexpectingthegoonsquadtodroparound,buttheyhaven’tshownsofar.ihaven’tbeenbotheredbythecopseither.icouldhavebeen.icouldhavebeengivenaroughtime.ithinkallyouwanted,mr.potter,wasquiet.justwhathaveidonetodisturbyou?」