theshuttingofthefrenchwindowshadmadetheroomstuffyandtheturningofthevenetianblindshadmadeitdim.therewasanacridsmellontheairandtherewastooheavyasilence.itwasnotmorethansixteenfeetfromthedoortothecouchandididn’tneedmorethanhalfofthattoknowadeadmanlayonthatcouch.

hewasonhissidewithhisfacetothebackofthecouch,onearmcrookedunderhimandtheforearmoftheotherlyingalmostacrosshiseyes.betweenhischestandthebackofthecouchtherewasapoolofbloodandinthatpoollaythewebleyhammerless.thesideofhisfacewasasmearedmask.

ibentoverhim,peeringattheedgeofthewideopeneye,thebareandgaudyarm,attheinnercurveofwhichicouldseethepuffedandblackenedholeinhisheadfromwhichthebloodoozedstill.

ilefthimlikethat.hiswristwaswarmbuttherewasnodoubthewasquitedead.ilookedaroundforsomekindofnoteorscribble.therewasnothingbutthepileofscriptonthedesk.theydon’talwaysleavenotes.thetypewriterwasuncoveredonitsstand.therewasnothinginthat.otherwiseeverythinglookednaturalenough.suicidespreparethemselvesinallsortsofways,somewithliquor,somewithelaboratechampagnedinners.someineveningclothes,someinnoclothes.peoplehavekilledthemselvesonthetopsofwalls,inditches,inbathrooms,inthewater,overthewater,onthewater.theyhavehangedthemselvesinbarsandgassedthemselvesingarages.thisonelookedsimple.ihadn’theardtheshotbutitmusthavegoneoffwheniwasdownbythelakewatchingthesurfboardridermakehisturn.therewasplentyofnoise.whythatshouldhavematteredtorogerwadeididn’tknow.perhapsithadn’t.thefinalimpulsehadcoincidedwiththerunofthespeedboat.ididn’tlikeit,butnobodycaredwhatiliked.

thetornpiecesofthecheckwerestillonthefloorbutileftthem.thetornstripsofthatstuffhehadwrittenthatothernightwereinthewastebasket.theseididnotleave.ipickedthemoutandmadesureihadthemallandstuffedthemintomypocket.thebasketwasalmostempty,whichmadeiteasy.nousewonderingwherethegunhadbeen.thereweretoomanyplacestohideitin.itcouldhavebeeninachairorinthecouch,underoneofthecushions.itcouldhavebeenonthefloor,behindthebooks,anywhere.

iwentoutandshutthedoor.ilistened.fromthekitchen,sounds.iwentoutthere.eileenhadablueaprononandthekettlewasjustbeginningtowhistle.sheturnedtheflamedownandgavemeabriefimpersonalglance.

「howdoyoulikeyourtea,mr.marlowe?」

「justoutofthepotasitcomes.」

ileanedagainstthewallandgotacigaretteoutjusttohavesomethingtodowithmyfingers.ipinchedandsqueezeditandbrokeitinhalfandthrewonehalfonthefloor.hereyesfolloweditdown.ibentandpickeditup.isqueezedthetwohalvestogetherintoalittleball.

shemadethetea.「ialwaystakecreamandsugar,」shesaidoverhershoulder.「strange,whenidrinkmycoffeeblack.ilearnedteadrinkinginengland.theywereusingsaccharininsteadofsugar.whenthewarcametheyhadnocream,ofcourse.」

「youlivedinengland?」

「iworkedthere.istayedallthroughtheblitz.imetaman—butitoldyouaboutthat.」

「wheredidyoumeetroger?」

「innewyork.」

「marriedthere?」

sheswungaround,frowning.「no,wewerenotmarriedinnewyork.why?」

「justtalkingwhiletheteadraws.」

shelookedoutofthewindowoverthesink.shecouldseedowntothelakefromthere.sheleanedagainsttheedgeofthedrainboardandherfingersfiddledwithafoldedteatowel.

「ithastobestopped,」shesaid,「andidon’tknowhow.perhapshe’llhavetobecommittedtoaninstitution.somehowican’tquiteseemyselfdoingthat.i’dhavetosignsomething,wouldn’ti?」

sheturnedaroundwhensheaskedthat.

「hecoulddoithimself,」isaid.「thatis,hecouldhaveuptonow.」

theteatimerrangitsbell.sheturnedbacktothesinkandpouredtheteafromonepotintoanother.thensheputthefreshpotonthetrayshehadalreadyfixedupwithcups.iwentoverandgotthetrayandcarriedittothetablebetweenthetwodavenportsinthelivingroom.shesatdownoppositemeandpouredtwocups.ireachedformineandsetitdowninfrontofmeforittocool.iwatchedherfixherswithtwolumpsofsugarandthecream.shetastedit.

「whatdidyoumeanbythatlastremark?」sheaskedsuddenly.「thathecouldhaveuptonow—committedhimselftosomeinstitution,youmeant,didn’tyou?」

「iguessitwasawildpitch.didyouhidethegunitoldyouabout?youknow,themorningafterhemadethatplayupstairs.」

「hideit?」sherepeatedfrowning.「no.ineverdoanythinglikethat.idon’tbelieveinit.whyareyouasking?」

「andyouforgotyourhousekeystoday?」

「itoldyouidid.」

「butnotthegaragekey.usuallyinthiskindofhousetheoutsidekeysaremastered.」

「idon’tneedakeyforthegarage,」shesaidsharply.「itopensbyaswitch.there’sarelayswitchinsidethefrontdooryoupushupasyougoout.thenanotherswitchbesidethegarageoperatesthatdoor.oftenweleavethegarageopen.orcandygoesoutandclosesit.」