「youdon’t?pity.bluejaysaresodiumamytal.redbirdsareseconal.yellowjacketsarenembutal.goofballsareoneofthebarbiturateslacedwithbenzedrine.demerolisasyntheticnarcoticthatisveryhabitforming.youjusthand’emout,huh?istheladysufferingfromsomethingserious?」

「adrunkenhusbandcanbeaveryseriouscomplaintindeedforasensitivewoman,」dr.loringsaid.

「youdidn’tgetaroundtohim,huh?pity.mrs.wade’supstairs,doc.thanksforthetime.」

「youareimpertinent,sir.ishallreportyou.」

「yeah,dothat,」ohlssaid.「butbeforeyoureportme,dosomethingelse.keeptheladyclearinherhead.i’vegotquestionstoask.」

「ishalldoexactlywhatithinkbestforhercondition.doyouknowwhoiam,byanychance?andjusttomakemattersclear,mr.wadewasnotmypatient.idon’ttreatalcoholics.」

「justtheirwives,huh?」ohlssnarledathim.「yeah,iknowwhoyouare,doc.i’mbleedinginternally.mynameisohls.lieutenantohls.」

dr.loringwentonupthestairs.ohlssatdownagainandgrinnedatme.

「yougottobediplomaticwiththiskindofpeople,」hesaid.

amancameoutofthestudyandcameuptoohls.athinserious-lookingmanwithglassesandabrainyforehead.

「lieutenant.」

「shoot.」

「thewoundiscontact,typicallysuicidal,withagooddealofdistentionfromgaspressure.theeyesareexophthalmicfromthesamecause.idon’tthinktherewillbeanyprintsontheoutsideofthegun.it’sbeenbledontoofreely.」

「coulditbehomicideiftheguywasasleeporpassedoutdrunk?」ohlsaskedhim.

「ofcourse,butthere’snoindicationofit.thegun’sawebleyhammerless.typically,thisguntakesaverystiffpulltocockit,butaverylightpulltodischargeit.therecoilexplainsthepositionofthegun.iseenothingagainstsuicidesofar.iexpectahighfigureonalcoholicconcentration.ifit’shighenough—」themanstoppedandshruggedmeaningly—「imightbeinclinedtodoubtsuicide.」

「thanks.somebodycallthecoroner?」

themannoddedandwentaway.ohlsyawnedandlookedathiswatch.thenhelookedatme.

「youwanttoblow?」

「sure,ifyou’llletme.ithoughtiwasasuspect.」

「wemightobligeyoulateron.stickaroundwhereyoucanbefound,that’sall.youwereadickonce,youknowhowtheygo.someyougottoworkfastbeforetheevidencegetsawayfromyou.thisoneisjusttheopposite.ifitwasahomicide,whowantedhimdead?hiswife?shewasn’there.you?fine,youhadthehousetoyourselfandknewwherethegunwas.aperfectsetup.everythingbutamotive,andwemightperhapsgivesomeweighttoyourexperience.ifigureifyouwantedtokillaguy,youcouldmaybedoitalittlelessobviously.」

「thahks,bernie.icouldatthat.」

「thehelpwasn’there.they’reout.soitmusthavebeensomebodythatjusthappenedtodropby.thatsomebodyhadtoknowwherewade’sgunwas,hadtofindhimdrunkenoughtobeasleeporpassedout,andhadtopullthetriggerwhenthatspeedboatwasmakingenoughnoisetodrowntheshot,andhadtogetawaybeforeyoucamebackintothehouse.thatidon’tbuyonanyknowledgeihavenow.theonlypersonwhohadthemeansandopportunitywastheoneguywhowouldn’thaveusedthem—forthesimplereasonhewastheoneguywhohadthem.」

istooduptogo.「okay,bernie.i’llbehomeallevening.」

「there’sjustonething,」ohlssaidmusingly.「thismanwadewasabigtimewriter.lotsofdough,lotsofreputation.idon’tgoforhissortofcrapmyself.youmightfindnicerpeoplethanhischaractersinawhorehouse.that’samatteroftasteandnoneofmybusinessasacop.withallthismoneyhehadabeautifulhomeinoneofthebestplacestoliveininthecounty.hehadabeautifulwife,lotsoffriends,andnotroublesatall.whatiwanttoknowiswhatmadeallthatsotoughthathehadtopullatrigger?sureashellsomethingdid.ifyouknow,youbettergetreadytolayitontheline.seeyou.」

iwenttothedoor.themanonthedoorlookedbackatohls,gotthesign,andletmeout.igotintomycarandhadtoedgeoveronthelawntogetaroundthevariousofficialcarsthatjammedthedriveway.atthegateanotherdeputylookedmeoverbutdidn’tsayanything.islippedmydarkglassesonanddrovebacktowardsthemainhighway.theroadwasemptyandpeaceful.theafternoonsunbeatdownonthemanicuredlawnsandthelargeroomyexpensivehousesbehindthem.

amannotunknowntotheworldhaddiedinapoolofbloodinahouseinidlevalley,butthelazyquiethadnotbeendisturbed.sofarasthenewspaperswereconcerneditmighthavehappenedintibet.

ataturnoftheroadthewallsoftwoestatescamedowntotheshoulderandadarkgreensheriff’scarwasparkedthere.adeputygotoutandhelduphishand.istopped.hecametothewindow.

「mayiseeyourdriver’slicense,please?」

itookoutmywalletandhandedittohimopen.

「justthelicense,please,i’mnotallowedtotouchyourwallet.」

itookitoutandgaveittohim.「what’sthetrouble?」

heglancedintomycarandhandedmebackmylicense.

「notrouble,」hesaid.「justaroutinecheck.sorrytohavetroubledyou.」

hewavedmeonandwentbacktotheparkedcar.justlikeacop.theynevertellyouwhytheyaredoinganything.thatwayyoudon’tfindouttheydon’tknowthemselves.

idrovehome,boughtmyselfacoupleofcolddrinks,wentouttodinner,cameback,openedthewindowsandmyshirtandwaitedforsomethingtohappen.iwaitedalongtime.itwasnineo’clockwhenbernieohlscalledupandtoldmetocomeinandnotstoponthewaytopickanyflowers.