theyhadcandyinahardchairagainstthewallofthesheriff’santeroom.hehatedmewithhiseyesasiwentbyhimintothebigsquareroomwheresheriffpetersenheldcourtinthemiddleofacollectionoftestimonialsfromagratefulpublictohistwentyyearsoffaithfulpublicservice.thewallswereloadedwithphotographsofhorsesandsheriffpetersenmadeapersonalappearanceineveryphotograph.thecornersofhiscarveddeskwerehorses’heads.hisinkwellwasamountedpolishedhorse’shoofandhispenswereplantedinthematetoitfilledwithwhitesand.agoldplateoneachofthesesaidsomethingorotheraboutadate.inthemiddleofaspotlessdeskblotterlayabagofbulldurhamandapackofbrowncigarettepapers.petersenrolledhisown.hecouldrollonewithonehandonhorsebackandoftendid,especiallywhenleadingaparadeonabigwhitehorsewithamexicansaddleloadedwithbeautifulmexicansilverwork.onhorsebackheworeaflat-crownedmexicansombrero.herodebeautifullyandhishorsealwaysknewexactlywhentobequiet,whentoactupsothatthesheriffwithhiscalminscrutablesmilecouldbringthehorsebackundercontrolwithonehand.thesheriffhadagoodact.hehadahandsomehawklikeprofile,gettingalittlesaggyunderthechinbynow,butheknewhowtoholdhisheadsoitwouldn’tshowtoomuch.heputalotofhardworkintohavinghispicturetaken.hewasinhismiddlefiftiesandhisfather,adane,hadlefthimalotofmoney.thesheriffdidn’tlooklikeadane,becausehishairwasdarkandhisskinwasbrownandhehadtheimpassivepoiseofacigarstoreindianandaboutthesamekindofbrains.butnobodyhadevercalledhimacrook.therehadbeencrooksinhisdepartmentandtheyhadfooledhimaswellastheyhadfooledthepublic,butnoneofthecrookednessrubbedoffonsheriffpetersen.hejustwentrightongettingelectedwithouteventrying,ridingwhitehorsesattheheadofparades,andquestioningsuspectsinfrontofcameras.that’swhatthecaptionssaid.asamatteroffactheneverquestionedanybody.hewouldn’thaveknownhow.hejustsatathisdesklookingsternlyatthesuspect,showinghisprofiletothecamera.theflashbulbswouldgooff,thecameramenwouldthankthesheriffdeferentially,thesuspectwouldberemovednothavingopenedhismouth,andthesheriffwouldgohometohisranchinthesanfernandovalley.therehecouldalwaysbereached.ifyoucouldn’treachhiminperson,youcouldtalktooneofhishorses.

onceinawhile,comeelectiontime,somemisguidedpoliticianwouldtrytogetsheriffpetersen’sjob,andwouldbeapttocallhimthingsliketheguywiththebuilt-inprofileorthehamthatsmokesitself,butitdidn’tgethimanywhere.sheriffpetersenjustwentrightongettingre-elected,alivingtestimonialtothefactthatyoucanholdanimportantpublicofficeforeverinourcountrywithnoqualificationsforitbutacleannose,aphotogenicface,andaclosemouth.ifontopofthatyoulookgoodonahorse,youareunbeatable.

asohlsandiwentin,sheriffpetersenwasstandingbehindhisdeskandthecameraboyswerefilingoutbyanotherdoor.thesheriffhadhiswhitestetsonon.hewasrollingacigarette.hewasallsettogohome.helookedatmesternly.

「who’sthis?」heaskedinarichbaritonevoice.

「name’sphilipmarlowe,chief,」ohlssaid.「onlypersoninthehousewhenwadeshothimself.youwantapicture?」

thesheriffstudiedme.「idon’tthinkso,」hesaid,andturnedtoabigtired-lookingmanwithiron-grayhair.「ifyouneedme,i’llbeattheranch,captainhernandez.」

「yes,sir.」

petersenlithiscigarettewithakitchenmatch.helititonhisthumbnail.nolightersforsheriffpetersen.hewasstrictlyaroll-yourown-and-light-’em-with-one-handtype.

hesaidgoodnightandwentout.adeadpancharacterwithhardblackeyeswentwithhim,hispersonalbodyguard.thedoorclosed.whenhewasgonecaptainhernandezmovedtothedeskandsatinthesheriff’senormouschairandastenotypeoperatorinthecornermovedhisstandoutfromthewalltogetelbowroom.ohlssatattheendofthedeskandlookedamused.

「allright,marlowe,」hernandezsaidbriskly.「let’shaveit.」

「howcomeidon’tgetmyphototaken?」

「youheardwhatthesheriffsaid.」

「yeah,butwhy?」iwhined.

ohlslaughed.「youknowdamnwellwhy.」

「youmeanonaccountofi’mtall,dark,andhandsomeandsomebodymightlookatme?」

「cutit,」hernandezsaidcoldly.「let’sgetonwithyourstatement.startfromthebeginning.」

igaveittothemfromthebeginning:myinterviewwithhowardspencer,mymeetingwitheileenwade,heraskingmetofindroger,myfindinghim,heraskingmetothehouse,whatwadeaskedmetodoandhowifoundhimpassedoutnearthehibiscusbushesandtherestofit.thestenotypeoperatortookitdown.nobodyinterruptedme.allofitwastrue.thetruthandnothingbutthetruth.butnotquiteallthetruth.whatileftoutwasmybusiness.

「nice,」hernandezsaidattheend.「butnotquitecomplete.」thiswasacoolcompetentdangerousguy,thishernandez.somebodyinthesheriff’sofficehadtobe.「thenightwadeshotofftheguninhisbedroomyouwentintomrs.wade’sroomandwereinthereforsometimewiththedoorshut.whatwereyoudoinginthere?」

「shecalledmeinandaskedmehowhewas.」

「whyshutthedoor?」

「wadewashalfasleepandididn’twanttomakeanynoise.alsothehouseboywashangingaroundwithhisearout.alsosheaskedmetoshutthedoor.ididn’trealizeitwasgoingtobeimportant.」

「howlongwereyouinthere?」

「idon’tknow.threeminutesmaybe.」

「isuggestyouwereinthereacoupleofhours,」hernandezsaidcoldly.「doimakemyselfclear?」

ilookedatohls.ohlsdidn’tlookatanything.hewaschewingonanunlightedcigaretteasusual.

「youaremisinformed,captain.」

「we’llsee.afteryoulefttheroomyouwentdownstairstothestudyandspentthenightonthecouch.perhapsishouldsaytherestofthenight.」

「itwastenminutestoelevenwhenhecalledmeathome.itwaslongpasttwoo’clockwheniwentintothestudyforthelasttimethatnight.callittherestofthenightifyoulike.」

「getthehouseboyinhere,」hernandezsaid.

ohlswentoutandcamebackwithcandy.theyputcandyinachair.hernandezaskedhimafewquestionstoestablishwhohewasandsoon.thenhesaid:「allright,candy—we’llcallyouthatforconvenience—afteryouhelpedmarloweputrogerwadetobed,whathappened?」

iknewwhatwascomingmoreorless.candytoldhisstoryinaquietsavagevoicewithverylittleaccent.itseemedasifhecouldturnthatonandoffatwill.hisstorywasthathehadhungarounddownstairsincasehewaswantedagain,partofthetimeinthekitchenwherehegothimselfsomefood,partofthetimeinthelivingroom.whileinthelivingroomsittinginachairnearthefrontdoorhehadseeneileenwadestandinginthedoorofherroomandhehadseenhertakeherclothesoff.hehadseenherputarobeonwithnothingunderitandhehadseenmegointoherroomandishutthedoorandstayedintherealongtime,acoupleofhourshethought.hehadgoneupthestairsandlistened.hehadheardthebedspringsmakingsounds.hehadheardwhispering.hemadehismeaningveryobvious.whenhehadfinishedhegavemeacorrosivelookandhismouthwastwistedtightwithhatred.

「takehimout,」hernandezsaid.

「justaminute,」isaid.「iwanttoquestionhim.」

「iaskthequestionshere,」hernandezsaidsharply.

「youdon’tknowhow,captain.youweren’tthere.he’slyingandheknowsitandiknowit.」

hernandezleanedbackandpickeduponeofthesheriff’spens.hebentthehandleofthepen.itwaslongandpointedandmadeofstiffenedhorsehair.whenheletgoofthepointitsprangback.

「shoot,」hesaidatlast.

ifacedcandy.「wherewereyouwhenyousawmrs.wadetakeherclothesoff?」