「iwassittingdowninachairnearthefrontdoor,」hesaidinasurlytone.

「betweenthefrontdoorandthetwofacingdavenports?」

「whatisaid.」

「wherewasmrs.wade?」

「justinsidethedoorofherroom.thedoorwasopen.」

「whatlightwasthereinthelivingroom?」

「onelamp.talllampwhattheycallabridgelamp.」

「whatlightwasonthebalcony?」

「nolight.lightinherbedroom.」

「whatkindoflightinherbedroom?」

「notmuchlight.nighttablelamp,maybe.」

「notaceilinglight?」

「no.」

「aftershetookherclothesoff—standingjustinsidethedoorofherroom,yousaid—sheputonarobe.whatkindofrobe?」

「bluerobe.longthinglikeahousecoat.shetieitwithasash.」

「soifyouhadn’tactuallyseenhertakeherclothesoffyouwouldn’tknowwhatshehadonundertherobe?」

heshrugged.helookedvaguelyworried.「sí.that’sright.butiseehertakeherclothesoff.」

「you’realiar.thereisn’tanyplaceinthelivingroomfromwhichyoucouldseehertakeherclothesoffrightbanginherdoorway,muchlessinsideherroom.shewouldhavetocomeouttotheedgeofthebalcony.ifshehaddonethatshewouldhaveseenyou.」

hejustglaredatme.iturnedtoohls.「you’veseenthehouse.captainhernandezhasn’t—orhashe?」

ohlsshookhisheadslightly.hernandezfrownedandsaidnothing.

「thereisnospotinthatlivingroom,captainhernandez,fromwhichhecouldseeeventhetopofmrs.wade’shead—evenifhewasstandingup—andhesayshewassittingdown—providedshewasasfarbackasherowndoorwayorinsideit.i’mfourinchestallerthanheisandicouldonlyseethetopfootofanopendoorwheniwasstandingjustinsidethefrontdoorofthehouse.shewouldhavetocomeouttotheedgeofthebalconyforhimtoseewhathesayshesaw.whywouldshedothat?whywouldsheundressinherdoorwayeven?there’snosensetoit.」

hernandezjustlookedatme.thenhelookedatcandy.「howaboutthetimeelement?」heaskedsoftly,speakingtome.

「that’shiswordagainstmine.i’mtalkingaboutwhatcanbeproved.」

hernandezspitspanishatcandytoofastformetounderstand.candyjuststaredathimsulkily.

「takehimout,」hernandezsaid.

ohlsjerkedathumbandopenedthedoor.candywentout.hernandezbroughtoutaboxofcigarettes,stuckoneonhislip,andlititwithagoldlighte.

ohlscamebackintotheroom,hernandezsaidcalmly:「ijusttoldhimthatiftherewasaninquestandhetoldthatstoryonthestand,he’dfindhimselfdoingaone-to-threeupinqforperjury.didn’tseemtoimpresshimmuch.it’sobviouswhat’seatinghim.anold-fashionedcaseofhotpants.ifhe’dbeenaroundandwehadanyreasontosuspectmurder,he’dmakeaprettygoodpigeon—exceptthathewouldhaveusedaknife.igottheimpressionearlierthathefeltprettybadaboutwade’sdeath.anyquestionsyouwanttoask,ohls?」

ohlsshookhishead.hernandezlookedatmeandsaid:「comebackinthemorningandsignyourstatement.we’llhaveittypedoutbythen.weoughttohaveareportbyteno’clock,preliminaryanyway.anythingyoudon’tlikeaboutthissetup,marlowe?」

「wouldyoumindrephrasingthequestion?thewayyouputitsuggeststheremightbesomethingidolikeaboutit.」

「okay,」hesaidwearily.「takeoff.i’mgoinghome.」

istoodup.

「ofcourseineverdidbelievethatstuffcandypulledonus,」hesaid.「justuseditforacorkscrew.nohardfeelings,ihope.」

「nofeelingsatall,captain.nofeelingsatall.」

theywatchedmegooutanddidn’tsaygoodnight.iwalkeddownthelongcorridortothehillstreetentranceandgotintomycaranddrovehome.

nofeelingsatallwasexactlyright.iwasashollowandemptyasthespacesbetweenthestars.whenigothomeimixedastiffoneandstoodbytheopenwindowinthelivingroomandsippeditandlistenedtothegroundswellofthetrafficonlaurelcanyonboulevardandlookedattheglareofthebigangrycityhangingovertheshoulderofthehillsthroughwhichtheboulevardhadbeencut.faroffthebansheewailofpoliceorfiresirensroseandfell,neverforverylongcompletelysilenttwenty-fourhoursadaysomebodyisrunning,somebodyelseistryingtocatchhim.outthereinthenightofathousandcrimespeopleweredying,beingmaimed,cutbyflyingglass,crushedagainststeeringwheelsorunderheavytires.peoplewerebeingbeaten,robbed,strangled,raped,andmurdered.peoplewerehungry,sick;bored,desperatewithlonelinessorremorseorfear,angry,cruel,feverish,shakenbysobs.acitynoworsethanothers,acityrichandvigorousandfullofpride,acitylostandbeatenandfullofemptiness.

italldependsonwhereyousitandwhatyourownprivatescoreis.ididn’thaveone.ididn’tcare.

ifinishedthedrinkandwenttobed.