heopenedthepaperagainandtoreitintolongstripsviciouslyanddumpedthestripsintohiswastebasket.

「isupposeadrunkwillwriteorsayordoanything,」hesaidslowly.「it’smeaninglesstome.candy’snotblackmailingme.helikesme.」

「maybeyou’dbettergetdrunkagain.youmightrememberwhatyoumeant.youmightrememberalotofthings.we’vebeenthroughthisbefore—thatnightwhenthegunwentoff.isupposetheseconalblankedyououttoo.yousoundedsoberenough.butnowyoupretendnottorememberwritingthatstuffijustgaveyou.nowonderyoucan’twriteyourbook,wade.it’sawonderyoucanstayalive.」

hereachedsidewaysandopenedadrawerofhisdesk.hishandfumbledinitandcameoutwithathree-deckercheckbook.heopeneditandreachedforapen.

「ioweyouathousanddollars,」hesaidquietly.hewroteinthebook.thenonthecounterfoil.hetorethecheckout,camearoundthedeskwithit,anddroppeditinfrontofme.「isthatallright?」

ileanedbackandlookedupathimanddidn’ttouchthecheckanddidn’tanswerhim.hisfacewastightanddrawn.hiseyesweredeepandempty.

「isupposeyouthinkikilledherandletlennoxtaketherap,」hesaidslowly.「shewasatrampallright.butyoudon’tbeatawoman’sheadinjustbecauseshe’satramp.candyknowsiwenttheresometimes.thefunnypartofitisidon’tthinkhewouldtell.icouldbewrong,butidon’tthinkso.」

「wouldn’tmatterifhedid,」isaid.「harlanpotter’sfriendswouldn’tlistentohim.also,shewasn’tkilledwiththatbronzething.shewasshotthroughtheheadwithherowngun.」

「shemaybehadagun,」hesaidalmostdreamily.「butididn’tknowshehadbeenshot.itwasn’tpublished.」

「didn’tknowordidn’tremember?」iaskedhim.「no,itwasn’tpublished.」

「whatareyoutryingtodotome,marlowe?」hisvoicewasstilldreamy,almostgentle.「whatdoyouwantmetodo?tellmywife?tellthepolice?whatgoodwoulditdo?」

「yousaidagoodmandiedforyou.」

「allimeantwasthatiftherehadbeenanyrealinvestigationimighthavebeenidentifiedasone—butonlyone—ofthepossiblesuspects.itwouldhavefinishedmeinseveralways.」

「ididn’tcomeheretoaccuseyouofamurder,wade.what’seatingyouisthatyou’renotsureyourself.youhavearecordofviolencetoyourwife.youblackoutwhenyou’redrunk.it’snoargumenttosayyoudon’tbeatawoman’sheadinjustbecauseshe’satramp.thatisexactlywhatsomebodydiddo.andtheguywhogotcreditforthejobseemedtomealotlesslikelythanyou.」

hewalkedtotheopenfrenchwindowsandstoodlookingoutattheshimmerofheatoverthelake.hedidn’tanswerme.hehadn’tmovedorspokenacoupleofminuteslaterwhentherewasalightknockatthedoorandcandycameinwheelingateawagon,withacrispwhitecloth,silver-covereddishes,apotofcoffee,andtwobottlesofbeer.

「openthebeer,boss?」heaskedwade’sback.

「bringmeabottleofwhiskey.」wadedidn’tturnaround.

「sorry,boss.nowhiskey.」

wadespunaroundandyelledathim,butcandydidn’tbudge.helookeddownatthechecklyingonthecocktailtableandhisheadtwistedashereadit.thenhelookedupatmeandhissedsomethingbetweenhisteeth.thenhelookedatwade.

「igonow.thismydayoff.」

heturnedandwent.wadelaughed.

「soigetitmyself,」hesaidsharply,andwent.

iliftedoneofthecoversandsawsomeneatlytrimmedthreecorneredsandwiches.itookoneandpouredsomebeerandatethesandwichstandingup.wadecamebackwithabottleandaglass.hesatdownonthecouchandpouredastiffjoltandsuckeditdown.therewasthesoundofacargoingawayfromthehouse,probablycandyleavingbytheservicedriveway.itookanothersandwich.

「sitdownandmakeyourselfcomfortable,」wadesaid.「wehaveallafternoontokill.」hehadaglowonalready.hisvoicewasvibrantandcheerful.「youdon’tlikeme,doyou,marlowe?」

「thatquestionhasalreadybeenaskedandanswered.」

「knowsomething?you’reaprettyruthlesssonofabitch.you’ddoanythingtofindwhatyouwant.you’devenmakelovetomywifewhileiwashelplessdrunkinthenextroom.」

「youbelieveeverythingthatknifethrowertellsyou?」

hepouredsomemorewhiskeyintohisglassandhelditupagainstthelight.「noteverything,no.aprettycolorwhiskeyis,isn’tit?todrowninagoldenflood—that’snotsobad.‘toceaseuponthemidnightwithnopain.’howdoesthatgoon?oh,sorry,youwouldn’tknow.tooliterary.you’resomekindofadick,aren’tyou?mindtellingmewhyyou’rehere.」

hedranksomemorewhiskeyandgrinnedatme.thenhespottedthechecklyingonthetable.hereachedforitandreaditoverhisglass.

「seemstobemadeouttosomebodynamedmarlowe.iwonderwhy,whatfor.seemsisignedit.foolishofme,i’magulliblechap.」

「stopacting,」isaidroughly.「where’syourwife?」

helookeduppolitely.「mywifewillbehomeinduecourse.nodoubtbythattimeishallbepassedoutandshecanentertainyouatherleisure.thehousewillbeyours.」

「where’sthegun?」iaskedsuddenly.

helookedblank.itoldhimihadputitinhisdesk.「nottherenow,i’msure,」hesaid.「youmaysearchifitpleasesyou.justdon’tstealanyrubberbands.」

iwenttothedeskandfriskedit.nogun.thatwassomething.probablyeileenhadhiddenit.

「look,wade,iaskedyouwhereyourwifewas.ithinksheoughttocomehome.notformybenefit,friend,foryours.somebodyhastolookoutforyou,andi’llbegoddamnedifit’sgoingtobeme.」

hestaredvaguely.hewasstillholdingthecheck.heputhisglassdownandtorethecheckacross,thenagainandagain,andletthepiecesfalltothefloor.

「evidentlytheamountwastoosmall,」hesaid.「yourservicescomeveryhigh.evenathousanddollarsandmywifefailtosatisfyyou.toobad,butican’tgoanyhigher.exceptonthis.」hepattedthebottle.

「i’mleaving,」isaid.

「butwhy?youwantedmetoremember.well—hereinthebottleismymemory.stickaround,pal.whenigetlitenoughi’lltellyouaboutallthewomenihavemurdered.」

「allright,wade.i’llstickaroundforawhile.butnotinhere.ifyouneedme,justsmashachairagainstthewall.」

iwentoutandleftthedooropen.iwalkedacrossthebiglivingroomandouttothepatioandpulledoneofthechaisesintotheshadowoftheoverhangandstretchedoutonit.acrossthelaketherewasabluehareagainstthehills.theoceanbreezehadbeguntofilterthroughthelowmountainstothewest.itwipedtheaircleananditwipedawayjustenoughoftheheat.idlevalleywashavingaperfectsummer.somebodyhadplanneditthatway.paradiseincorporated,andalsohighlyrestricted.onlythenicestpeople.absolutelynocentraleuropeans.justthecream,thetopdrawercrowd,thelovely,lovelypeople.liketheloringsandthewades.puregold.