hegrinned.itwasasourkindofgrin,butitwasagrin.heputhislongyellowfingerstogetherandcrossedalegoverhiskneeandleanedbackcomfortably.

「aprettygoodpitch,mr.marlowe,andihaveletyoumakeit.nowlistentome.youareexactlyrightinthinkingalliwantisquiet.it’squitepossiblethatyourconnectionwiththewadesmaybeincidental,accidental,andcoincidental.letitremainso.iamafamilymaninanagewhenitmeansalmostnothing.oneofmydaughtersmarriedabostonianprigandtheothermadeanumberoffoolishmarriages,thelastbeingwithacomplaisantpauperwhoallowedhertoliveaworthlessandimmorallifeuntilhesuddenlyandfornogoodreasonlosthisself-controlandmurderedher.youthinkthatimpossibletoacceptbecauseofthebrutalitywithwhichitwasdone.youarewrong.heshotherwithamauserautomatic,theverygunhetookwithhimtomexico.andafterheshotherhedidwhathedidinordertocoverthebulletwound.iadmitthebrutalityofthis,butrememberthemanhadbeeninawar,hadbeenbadlywounded,hadsufferedagreatdealandseenotherssuffer.hemaynothaveintendedtokillher.theremayhavebeensomesortofscuffle,sincethegunbelongedtomydaughter.itwasasmallbutpowerfulgun,7.65mmcaliber,amodelcalledthebulletwentcompletelythroughherheadandlodgedinthewallbehindachintzcurtain.itwasnotfoundimmediatelyandthefactwasnotpublishedatall.nowletusconsiderthesituation.」hebrokeoffandstaredatme.「areyouverybadlyinneedofacigarette?」

「sorry,mr.potter.itookitoutwithoutthinking.forceofhabit.」iputthecigarettebackforthesecondtime.

「terryhadjustkilledhiswife.hehadamplemotivefromtheratherlimitedpolicepointofview.buthealsohadanexcellentdefense—thatitwasherguninherpossessionandthathetriedtotakeitawayfromherandfailedandsheshotherselfwithit.agoodtriallawyercouldhavedonealotwiththat.hewouldprobablyhavebeenacquitted.ifhehadcalledmeupthen,iwouldhavehelpedhim.butbymakingthemurderabrutalaffairtocoverthetracesofthebullet,hemadeitimpossible.hehadtorunawayandeventhathedidclumsily.」

「hecertainlydid,mr.potter.buthecalledyouupinpasadenafirst,didn’the?hetoldmehedid.」

thebigmannodded.「itoldhimtodisappearandiwouldstillseewhaticoulddo.ididn’twanttoknowwherehewas.thatwasimperative.icouldnothideacriminal.」

「soundsgood,mr.potter.」

「doidetectanoteofsarcasm?nomatter.whenilearnedthedetailstherewasnothingtobedone.icouldnotpermitthesortoftrialthatkindofkillingwouldresultin.tobefrank,iwasverygladwhenilearnedthathehadshothimselfinmexicoandleftaconfession.」

「icanunderstandthat,mr.potter.」

hebeetledhiseyebrowsatme.「becareful,youngman.idon’tlikeirony.canyouunderstandnowthaticannottolerateanyfurtherinvestigationofanysortbyanyperson?andwhyihaveusedallmyinfluencetomakewhatinvestigationtherewasasbriefaspossibleandaslittlepublicizedaspossible?」

「sure—ifyou’reconvincedhekilledher.」

「ofcoursehekilledher.withwhatintentisanothermatter.itisnolongerimportant.iamnotapubliccharacterandidonotintendtobe.ihavealwaysgonetoagreatdealoftroubletoavoidanykindofpublicity.ihaveinfluencebutidon’tabuseit.thedistrictattorneyoflosangelescountyisanambitiousmanwhohastoomuchgoodsensetowreckhiscareerforthenotorietyofthemoment.iseeaglintinyoureye,marlowe.getridofit.weliveinwhatiscalledademocracy,rulebythemajorityofthepeople.afineidealifitcouldbemadetowork.thepeopleelect,butthepartymachinesnominate,andthepartymachinestobeeffectivemustspendagreatdealofmoney.somebodyhastogiveittothem,andthatsomebody,whetheritbeaninpidual,afinancialgroup,atradeunionorwhathaveyou,expectssomeconsiderationinreturn.whatiandpeopleofmykindexpectistobeallowedtoliveourlivesindecentprivacy.iownnewspapers,butidon’tlikethem.iregardthemasaconstantmenacetowhateverprivacywehaveleft.theirconstantyelpingaboutafreepressmeans,withafewhonorableexceptions,freedomtopeddlescandal,crime,sex,sensationalism,hate,innuendo,andthepoliticalandfinancialusesofpropaganda.anewspaperisabusinessouttomakemoneythroughadvertisingrevenue.thatispredicatedonitscirculationandyouknowwhatthecirculationdependson.」

igotupandwalkedaroundmychair.heeyedmewithcoldattention.isatdownagain.ineededalittleluck.hell,ineededitincarloadlots.

「okay,mr.potter,whatgoesfromhere?」

hewasn’tlistening.hewasfrowningathisownthoughts.「there’sapeculiarthingaboutmoney,」hewenton.「inlargequantitiesittendstohavealifeofitsown,evenaconscienceofitsown.thepowerofmoneybecomesverydifficulttocontrol.manhasalwaysbeenavenalanimal.thegrowthofpopulations,thehugecostsofwars,theincessantpressureofconfiscatorytaxation—allthesethingsmakehimmoreandmorevenal.theaveragemanistiredandscared,andatired,scaredmancan’taffordideals.hehastobuyfoodforhisfamily.inourtimewehaveseenashockingdeclineinbothpublicandprivatemorals.youcan’texpectqualityfrompeoplewhoselivesareasubjectiontoalackofquality.youcan’thavequalitywithmassproduction.youdon’twantitbecauseitlaststoolong.soyousubstitutestyling,whichisacommercialswindleintendedtoproduceartificialobsolescence.massproductioncouldn’tsellitsgoodsnextyearunlessitmadewhatitsoldthisyearlookunfashionableayearfromnow.wehavethewhitestkitchensandthemostshiningbathroomsintheworld.butinthelovelywhitekitchentheaverageamericanhousewifecan’tproduceamealfittoeat,andthelovelyshiningbathroomismostlyareceptaclefordeodorants,laxatives,sleepingpills,andtheproductsofthatconfidenceracketcalledthecosmeticindustry.wemakethefinestpackagesintheworld,mr.marlowe.thestuffinsideismostlyjunk.」

hetookoutalargewhitehandkerchiefandtouchedhistempleswithit.iwassittingtherewithmymouthopen,wonderingwhatmadetheguytick.hehatedeverything.

「it’salittletoowarmformeintheseparts,」hesaid.「i’musedtoacoolerclimate.i’mbeginningtosoundlikeaneditorialthathasforgottenthepointitwantedtomake.」

「igotyourpointallright,mr.potter.youdon’tlikethewaytheworldisgoingsoyouusewhatpoweryouhavetocloseoffaprivatecornertoliveinasnearaspossibletothewayyourememberpeoplelivedfiftyyearsagobeforetheageofmassproduction.you’vegotahundredmilliondollarsandallithasboughtyouisapainintheneck.」

hepulledthehandkerchieftautbytwooppositecorners,thencrumpleditintoaballandstuffeditinapocket.

「andthen?」heaskedshortly.

「that’sallthereis,thereisn’tanymore.youdon’tcarewhomurderedyourdaughter,mr.potter.youwroteheroffasabadjoblongago.evenifterrylennoxdidn’tkillher,andtherealmurdererisstillwalkingaroundfree,youdon’tcare.youwouldn’twanthimcaught,becausethatwouldrevivethescandalandtherewouldhavetobeatrialandhisdefensewouldblowyourprivacyashighastheempirestatebuilding.unless,ofcourse,hewasobligingenoughtocommitsuicide,beforetherewasanytrial.preferablyintahitiorguatemalaorthemiddleofthesaharadesert.anywherewherethecountywouldhatetheexpenseofsendingamantoverifywhathadhappened.」

hesmiledsuddenly,abigruggedsmilewithareasonableamountoffriendlinessinit.

「whatdoyouwantfromme,marlowe?」

「ifyoumeanhowmuchmoney,nothing.ididn’taskmyselfhere.iwasbrought.itoldthetruthabouthowimetrogerwade.buthedidknowyourdaughterandhedoeshavearecordofviolence,althoughihaven’tseenanyofit.lastnighttheguytriedtoshoothimself.he’sahauntedman.hehasamassiveguiltcomplex.ifihappenedtobelookingforagoodsuspect,hemightdo.irealizehe’sonlyoneofmany,buthehappenstobetheonlyonei’vemet.」

hestoodupandstandinguphewasreallybig.toughtoo.hecameoverandstoodinfrontofme.

「atelephonecall,mr.marlowe,woulddepriveyouofyourlicense.don’tfencewithme.iwon’tputupwithit.」

「twotelephonecallsandi’dwakeupkissingthegutter—withthebackofmyheadmissing.」

helaughedharshly.「idon’toperatethatway.isupposeinyourquaintlineofbusinessitisnaturalforyoutothinkso.i’vegivenyoutoomuchofmytime.i’llringforthebutlertoshowyouout.」

「notnecessary,」isaid,andstoodupmyself.「icamehereandgottold.thanksforthetime.」

heheldhishandout.「thankyouforcoming.ithinkyou’reaprettyhonestsortoffellow.don’tbeahero,youngman.there’snopercentageinit.」

ishookhandswithhim.hehadagriplikeapipewrench.hesmiledatmebenignantlynow.hewasmr.big,thewinner,everythingundercontrol.

「oneofthesedaysimightbeabletothrowsomebusinessyourway,」hesaid.「anddon’tgoawaythinkingthatibuypoliticiansorlawenforcementofficers.idon’thaveto.goodbye,mr.marlowe.andthankyouagainforcoming.」

hestoodthereandwatchedmeoutoftheroom.ihadmyhandonthefrontdoorwhenlindaloringpoppedoutofashadowsomewhere.

「well?」sheaskedmequietly.「howdidyougetonwithfather?」

「fine.heexplainedcivilizationtome.imeanhowitlookstohim.he’sgoingtoletitgoonforalittlewhilelonger.butitbetterbecarefulandnotinterferewithhisprivatelife.ifitdoes,he’sapttomakeaphonecalltogodandcanceltheorder.」

「you’rehopeless,」shesaid.

「me?i’mhopeless?lady,takealookatyouroldman.comparedwithhimi’mablue-eyedbabywithabrandnewrattle.」

iwentonoutandamoshadthecaddytherewaiting.hedrovemebacktohollywood.iofferedhimabuckbuthewouldn’ttakeit.iofferedtobuyhimthepoemsoft.s.eliot.hesaidhealreadyhadthem.