theinquestwasaflop.thecoronersailedintoitbeforethemedicalevidencewascomplete,forfearthepublicitywoulddieonhim.heneedn’thaveworried.thedeathofawriter—evenaloudwriter—isnotnewsforlong,andthatsummertherewastoomuchtocompete.akingabdicatedandanotherwasassassinated.inoneweekthreelargepassengerplanescrashed.theheadmanofabigwireservicewasshottopiecesinchicagoinhisownautomobile.twenty-fourconvictswereburnedtodeathinaprisonfire.thecoroneroflosangelescountywasoutofluck.hewasmissingthegoodthingsinlife.

asileftthestandisawcandy.hehadabrightmaliciousgrinonhisface—ihadnoideawhy—andasusualhewasdressedjustalittletoowell,inacocoabrowngabardinesuitwithawhitenylonshirtandmidnightbluebowtie.onthewitnessstandhewasquietandmadeagoodimpression.yes,thebosshadbeenprettydrunklatelyalotoftimes.yes,hehadhelpedputhimtobedthenightthegunwentoffupstairs.yes,thebosshaddemandedwhiskeybeforehe,candy,leftonthelastday,buthehadrefusedtogetit.no,hedidn’tknowanythingaboutmr.wade’sliterarywork,butheknewthebosshadbeendiscouraged.hekeptthrowingitawayandthengettingitoutofthewastebasketagain.no,hehadneverheardmr.wadequarrelingwithanyone.andsoon.thecoronermilkedhimbutitwasthinstuff.somebodyhaddoneagoodcoachingjoboncandy.

eileenwadeworeblackandwhite.shewaspaleandspokeinalowclearvoicewhicheventheamplifiercouldnotspoil.thecoronerhandledherwithtwopairsofvelvetgloves.hetalkedtoherasifhehadtroublekeepingthesobsoutofhisvoice.whensheleftthestandhestoodupandbowedandshegavehimafaintfugitivesmilethatnearlymadehimchokeonhissalvia.

shealmostpassedmewithoutaglanceonthewayout,thenatthelastmomentturnedherheadacoupleofinchesandnoddedveryslightly,asifiwassomebodyshemusthavemetsomewherealongtimeago,butcouldn’tquiteplaceinhermemory.

outsideonthestepswhenitwasalloveriranintoohls.hewaswatchingthetrafficdownbelow,orpretendingto.

「nicejob,」hesaidwithoutturninghishead.「congratulations.」

「youdidallrightoncandy.」

「notme,kid.thedecidedthesexystuffwasirrelevant.」

「whatsexystuffwasthat?」

helookedatmethen.「ha,ha,ha,」hesaid.「andidon’tmeanyou.」thenhisexpressiongotremote.「ibeenlookingatthemfortoomanyyears.itweariesaman.thisonecameoutofthespecialbottle.oldprivatestock.strictlyforthecarriagetrade.solong,sucker.callmewhenyoustartwearingtwenty-dollarshirts.i’lldroparoundandholdyourcoatforyou.」

peopleeddiedaroundusgoingupanddownthesteps.wejuststoodthere.ohlstookacigaretteoutofhispocketandlookedatitanddroppeditontheconcreteandgroundittonothingwithhisheel.

「wasteful,」isaid.

「onlyacigarette,pal.it’snotalife.afterawhilemaybeyoumarrythegirl,huh?」

「shoveit.」

helaughedsourly.「ibeentalkingtotherightpeopleaboutthewrongthings,」hesaidacidly.「anyobjection?」

「noobjection,lieutenant,」isaid,andwentondownthesteps.hesaidsomethingbehindmebutikeptgoing.

iwentovertoacorn-beefjointonflower.itsuitedmymood.arudesignovertheentrancesaid:「menonly.dogsandwomennotadmitted.」theserviceinsidewasequallypolished.thewaiterwhotossedyourfoodatyouneededashaveanddeductedhistipwithoutbeinginvited.thefoodwassimplebutverygoodandtheyhadabrownswedishbeerwhichcouldhitashardasamartini.

whenigotbacktotheofficethephonewasringing.ohlssaid:「i’mcomingbyyourplace.i’vegotthingstosay.」

hemusthavebeenatornearthehollywoodsubstationbecausehewasintheofficeinsidetwentyminutes.heplantedhimselfinthecustomer’schairandcrossedhislegsandgrowled:

「iwasoutofline.sorry.forgetit.」

「whyforgetit?let’sopenupthewound.」

「suitsme.underthehat,though.tosomepeopleyou’reawronggee.ineverknewyoutodoanythingtoocrooked.」

「whatwasthecrackabouttwenty-dollarshirts?」

「awhell,iwasjustsore,」ohlssaid.「iwasthinkingofoldmanpotter.likehetoldasecretarytotellalawyertotelldistrictattorneyspringertotellcaptainhernandezyouwereapersonalfriendofhis.」

「hewouldn’ttakethetrouble.」

「youmethim.hegaveyoutime.」

「imethim,period.ididn’tlikehim,butperhapsitwasonlyenvy.hesentformetogivemesomeadvice.he’sbigandhe’stoughandidon’tknowwhatelse.idon’tfigurehe’sacrook.」

「thereain’tnocleanwaytomakeahundredmillionbucks,」ohlssaid.「maybetheheadmanthinkshishandsarecleanbutsomewherealongthelineguysgotpushedtothewall,nicelittlebusinessesgotthegroundcutfromunderthemandhadtoselloutfornickels,decentpeoplelosttheirjobs,stocksgotriggedonthemarket,proxiesgotboughtuplikeapennyweightofoldgold,andthefivepercentersandthebiglawfirmsgotpaidhundred-grandfeesforbeatingsomelawthepeoplewantedbuttherichguysdidn’t,onaccountofitcutintotheirprofits.bigmoneyisbigpowerandbigpowergetsusedwrong.it’sthesystem.maybeit’sthebestwecanget,butitstillain’tanyivorysoapdeal.」

「yousoundlikeared,」isaid,justtoneedlehim.

「iwouldn’tknow,」hesaidcontemptuously.「iain’tbeeninvestigatedyet.youlikedthesuicideverdict,didn’tyou?」

「whatelsecoulditbe?」

「nothingelse,iguess.」heputhishardblunthandsonthedeskandlookedatthebigbrownfrecklesonthebacksofthem.「i’mgettingold.keratosis,theycallthosebrownspots.youdon’tgetthemuntilyou’repastfifty.i’manoldcopandanoldcopisanoldbastard.idon’tlikeafewthingsaboutthiswadedeath.」

「suchas?」ileanedbackandwatchedthetightsunwrinklesaroundhiseyes.

「yougetsoyoucansmellawrongsetup,evenwhenyouknowyoucan’tdoadamnthingaboutit.thenyoujustsitandtalklikenow.idon’tlikethatheleftnonote.」

「hewasdrunk.probablyjustasuddencrazyimpulse.」

ohlsliftedhispaleeyesanddroppedhishandsoffthedesk.「iwentthroughhisdesk.hewroteletterstohimself.hewroteandwroteandwrote.drunkorsoberhehitthattypewriter.someofitiswild,someofitiskindoffunny,andsomeofitissad.theguyhadsomethingonhismind.hewroteallarounditbutheneverquitetouchedit.thatguywouldhaveleftatwo-pageletterifheknockedhimselfoff.」

「hewasdrunk,」isaidagain.

「withhimthatdidn’tmatter,」ohlssaidwearily.「thenextthingidon’tlikeishediditthereinthatroomandlefthiswifetofindhim.okay,hewasdrunk.istilldon’tlikeit.thenextthingidon’tlikeishepulledthetriggerjustwhenthenoiseofthatspeedboatcoulddrownouttheshot.whatdifferencewoulditmaketohim?morecoincidence,huh?morecoincidencestillthatthewifeforgotherdoorkeysonthehelp’sdayoffandhadtoringthebelltogetintothehouse.」

「shecouldhavewalkedaroundtotheback,」isaid.

「yeah,iknow.whati’mtalkingaboutisasituation.nobodytoanswerthedoorbutyou,andshesaidonthestandshedidn’tknowyouwerethere.wadewouldn’thaveheardthebellifhehadbeenaliveandworkinginhisstudy.hisdoorissoundproofed.thehelpwasaway.thatwasthursday.thatsheforgot.likesheforgotherkeys.」

「you’reforgettingsomethingyourself,bernie.mycarwasinthedriveway.sosheknewiwasthere—orthatsomebodywasthere—beforesherangthebell.」

hegrinned.「iforgotthat,didn’ti?allright,here’sthepicture.youweredownatthelake,thespeedboatwasmakingallthatracket—incidentallyitwasacoupleofguysfromlakearrowheadjustvisiting,hadtheirboatonatrailer—wadewasasleepinhisstudyorpassedout,somebodytookthegunoutofhisdeskalready,andsheknewyouhadputittherebecauseyoutoldherthatothertime.nowsupposeshedidn’tforgetherkeys,thatshegoesintothehouse,looksacrossandseesyoudownatthewater,looksintothestudyandseeswadeasleep,knowswherethegunis,getsit,waitsfortherightmoment,plugshim,dropsthegunwhereitwasfound,goesbackoutsidethehouse,waitsalittlewhileforthespeedboattogoaway,andthenringsthedoorbellandwaitsforyoutoopenit.anyobjections?」

「withwhatmotive?」

「yeah,」hesaidsourly.「thatknocksit.ifshewantedtosloughtheguy,itwaseasy.shehadhimoverabarrel,habitualdrunk,recordofviolencetoher.plentyalimony,nicefatpropertysettlement.nomotiveatall.anyhowthetimingwastooneat.fiveminutesearlierandshecouldn’thavedoneitunlessyouwereinonit.」