itwasliketheothertimeexceptthatitwasdayandwewereincaptainhernandez’sofficeandthesheriffwasupinsantabarbaraopeningfiestaweek.captainhernandezwasthereandbernieohlsandamanfromthecoroner’sofficeanddr.loring,wholookedasifhehadbeencaughtperforminganabortion,andamannamedlawford,adeputyfromthe’soffice,atallgauntexpressionlessmanwhosebrotherwasvaguelyrumoredtobeabossofthenumbersracketinthecentralavenuedistrict.

hernandezhadsomehandwrittensheetsofnotepaperinfrontofhim,flesh-pinkpaper,deckle-edged,andwrittenonwithgreenink.

「thisisinformal,」hernandezsaid,wheneverybodywasascomfortableasyoucangetinhardchairs.「nostenotypeorrecordingequipment.saywhatyoulike.dr.weissrepresentsthecoronerwhowilldecidewhetheraninquestisnecessary.dr.weiss?」

hewasfat,cheerful,andlookedcompetent.「ithinknoinquest,」hesaid.「thereiseverysurfaceindicationofnarcoticpoisoning.whentheambulancearrivedthewomanwasstillbreathingveryfaintlyandshewasinadeepcomaandallthereflexeswerenegative.atthatstageyoudon’tsaveoneinahundred.herskinwascoldandrespirationwouldnotbenoticedwithoutcloseexamination.thehouseboythoughtshewasdead.shediedapproximatelyanhourafterthat.iunderstandtheladywassubjecttooccasionalviolentattacksofbronchialasthma.thedemerolwasprescribedbydr.loringasanemergencymeasure.」

「anyinformationordeductionabouttheamountofdemeroltaken,dr.weiss?」

「afataldose,」hesaid,smilingfaintly.「thereisnoquickwayofdeterminingthatwithoutknowingthemedicalhistory,theacquiredornaturaltolerance.accordingtoherconfessionshetooktwenty-threehundredmilligrams,fourorfivetimestheminimallethaldoseforanon-addict.」helookedquestioninglyatdr.loring.

「mrs.wadewasnotanaddict,」dr.loringsaidcoldly.「theprescribeddosewouldbeoneortwofifty-milligramtablets.threeorfourduringatwenty-four-hourperiodwouldbethemosti’dpermit.」

「butyougaveherfiftyatawhack,」captainhernandezsaid.「aprettydangerousdrugtohavearoundinthatquantity,don’tyouthink?howbadwasthisbronchialasthma,doctor?」

dr.loringsmiledcontemptuously.「itwasintermittent,likeallasthma.itneveramountedtowhatwetermstatusasthmaticus,anattacksoseverethatthepatientseemsindangerofsuffocating.」

「anycomment,dr.weiss?」

「well,」dr.weisssaidslowly,「assumingthenotedidn’texistandassumingwehadnootherevidenceofhowmuchofthestuffshetook,itcouldbeanaccidentaloverdose.thesafetymarginisn’tverywide.we’llknowforsuretomorrow.youdon’twanttosuppressthenote,hernandez,forpete’ssake?」

hernandezscowleddownathisdesk.「iwasjustwondering.ididn’tknownarcoticswerestandardtreatmentforasthma.guylearnssomethingeveryday.」

loringflushed.「anemergencymeasure,isaid,captain.adoctorcan’tbeeverywhereatonce.theonsetofanasthmaticflareupcanbeverysudden.」

hernandezgavehimabriefglanceandturnedtolawford.「whathappenstoyouroffice,ifigivethislettertothepress?」

the’sdeputyglancedatmeemptily.「what’sthisguydoinghere,hernandez?」

「iinvitedhim.」

「howdoiknowhewon’trepeateverythingsaidinheretosomereporter?」

「yeah,he’sagreattalker.youfoundthatout.thetimeyouhadhimpinched.」

lawfordgrinned,thenclearedhisthroat.「i’vereadthatpurportedconfession,」hesaidcarefully.「andidon’tbelieveawordofit.you’vegotabackgroundofemotionalexhaustion,bereavement,someuseofdrugs,thestrainofwartimelifeinenglandunderbombing,thisclandestinemarriage,themancomingbackhere,andsoon.undoubtedlyshedevelopedafeelingofguiltandtriedtopurgeherselfofitbyasortoftransference.」

hestoppedandlookedaround,butallhesawwasfaceswithnoexpression.「ican’tspeakforthebutmyownfeelingisthatyourconfessionwouldbenogroundstoseekanindictmentevenifthewomanhadlived.」

「andhavingalreadybelievedoneconfessionyouwouldn’tcaretobelieveanotherthatcontradictedthefirstone,」hernandezsaidcaustically.

「takeiteasy,hernandez.anylawenforcementagencyhastoconsiderpublicrelations.ifthepapersprintedthatconfessionwe’dbeintrouble.that’sforsure.we’vegotenougheagerbeaverreformergroupsaroundjustwaitingforthatkindofchancetostickaknifeintous.we’vegotagrandjurythat’salreadyjitteryabouttheworking-overyourvicesquadlieutenantgotlastweek—it’sabouttendays.」

hernandezsaid:「okay,it’syourbaby.signthereceiptforme.」

heshuffledthepinkdeckle-edgedpagestogetherandlawfordleaneddowntosignaform.hepickedupthepinkpages,foldedthem,puttheminhisbreastpocketandwalkedout.

dr.weissstoodup.hewastough,good-natured,unimpressed.「wehadthelastinquestonthewadefamilytooquick,」hesaid.「iguesswewon’tbothertohavethisoneatall.」

henoddedtoohlsandhernandez,shookhandsformallywithloring,andwentout.loringstooduptogo,thenhesitated.

「itakeitthatimayinformacertaininterestedpartythattherewillbenofurtherinvestigationofthismatter?」hesaidstiffly.

「sorrytohavekeptyouawayfromyourpatientssolong,doctor.」

「youhaven’tansweredmyquestion,」loringsaidsharply.「i’dbetterwarnyou—」

「getlost,jack,」hernandezsaid.

dr.loringalmoststaggeredwithshock.thenheturnedandfumbledhiswayrapidlyoutoftheroom.thedoorclosedanditwasahalfminutebeforeanybodysaidanything.hernandezshookhimselfandlitacigarette.thenhelookedatme.

「well?」hesaid.

「wellwhat?」

「whatareyouwaitingfor?」

「thisistheend,then?finished?kaput.」

「tellhim,bernie.」

「yeah,sureit’stheend,」ohlssaid.「iwasallsettopullherinforquestioning.wadedidn’tshoothimself.toomuchalcoholinhisbrain.butlikeitoldyou,wherewasthemotive?herconfessioncouldbewrongindetails,butitprovesshespiedonhim.sheknewthelayoutoftheguesthouseinencino.thelennoxfrailhadtakenbothhermenfromher.whathappenedintheguesthouseisjustwhatyouwanttoimagine.onequestionyouforgottoaskspencer.didwadeownamauser?yeah,heownedasmallmauserautomatic.wetalkedtospenceralreadytodayonthephone.wadewasablackoutdrunk.thepoorunfortunatebastardeitherthoughthehadkilledsylvialennoxorheactuallyhadkilledherorelsehehadsomereasontoknowhiswifehad.eitherwayhewasgoingtolayitonthelineeventually.sure,he’dbeenhittingthehoochlongbefore,buthewasaguymarriedtoabeautifulnothing.themexknowsallaboutit.thelittlebastardknowsdamnneareverything.thatwasadreamgirl.someofherwashereandnow,butalotofherwasthereandthen.ifsheevergothotpants,itwasn’tforherhusband.getwhati’mtalkingabout?」