ididn’tanswerhim.

「damnnearmadeheryourself,didn’tyou?」

igavehimthesamenoanswer.

ohlsandhernandezbothgrinnedsourly.「usguysaren’texactlybrainless,」ohlssaid.「weknewtherewassomethinginthatstoryabouthertakingherclothesoff.yououttalkedhimandheletyou.hewashurtandconfusedandhelikedwadeandhewantedtobesure.whenhegotsurehe’dhaveusedhisknife.thiswasapersonalmatterwithhim.heneversnitchedonwade.wade’swifedid,andshedeliberatelyfouleduptheissuejusttoconfusewade.italladds.intheendiguessshewasscaredofhim.andwadeneverthrewherdownanystairs.thatwasanaccident.shetrippedandtheguytriedtocatchher.candysawthattoo.」

「noneofitexplainswhyshewantedmearound.」

「icouldthinkofreasons.oneofthemisoldstuff.everycophasrunintoitahundredtimes.youwerethelooseend,theguythathelpedlennoxescape,hisfriend,andprobablytosomeextenthisconfidant.whatdidheknowandwhatdidhetellyou?hetookthegunthathadkilledherandheknewithadbeenfired.shecouldhavethoughthediditforher.thatmadeherthinkheknewshehadusedit.whenhekilledhimselfshewassure.butwhataboutyou?youwerestillthelooseend.shewantedtomilkyou,andshehadthecharmtouse,andasituationready-madeforanexcusetogetnexttoyou.andifsheneededafallguy,youwereit.youmightsayshewascollectingfallguys.」

「you’reimputingtoomuchknowledgetoher,」isaid.

ohlsbrokeacigaretteinhalfandstartedchewingononehalf.theotherhalfhestuckbehindhisear.

「anotherreasonisshewantedaman,abig,strongguythatcouldcrushherinhisarmsandmakeherdreamagain.」

「shehatedme,」isaid.「idon’tbuythatone.」

「ofcourse,」hernandezputindryly.「youturnedherdown.butshewouldhavegotoverthat.andthenyoublewthewholethingupinherfacewithspencerlisteningin.」

「youtwocharactersbeenseeinganypsychiatristslately?」

「jesus,」ohlssaid,「hadn’tyouheard?wegottheminourhairallthetimethesedays.we’vegottwoofthemonthestaff.thisain’tpolicebusinessanymore.it’sgettingtobeabranchofthemedicalracket.they’reinandoutofjail,thecourts,theinterrogationrooms.theywritereportsfifteenpageslongonwhysomepunkofajuvenileheldupaliquorstoreorrapedaschoolgirlorpeddledteatotheseniorclass.tenyearsfromnowguyslikehernandezandmewillbedoingrorschachtestsandwordassociationsinsteadofchin-upsandtargetpractice.whenwegooutonacasewe’llcarrylittleblackbagswithportableliedetectorsandbottlesoftruthserum.toobadwedidn’tgrabthefourhardmonkeysthatpoureditonbigwilliemagoon.wemighthavebeenabletounmaladjustthemandmakethemlovetheirmothers.」

「okayformetoblow?」

「whatareyounotconvincedabout?」hernandezasked,snappingarubberband.

「i’mconvinced.thecaseisdead.she’sdead,they’realldead.anicesmoothroutineallaround.nothingtodobutgohomeandforgetiteverhappened.soi’lldothat.」

ohlsreachedthehalfcigarettefrombehindhisear,lookedatitasifwondering,howitgotthere,andtosseditoverhisshoulder.

「whatareyoucryingabout?」hernandezsaid.「ifshehadn’tbeenfreshoutofgunsshemighthavemadeitaperfectscore.」

「also,」ohlssaidgrimly,「thetelephonewasworkingyesterday.」

「ohsure,」isaid.「you’dhavecomerunningandwhatyouwouldhavefoundwouldhavebeenamixedupstorythatadmittednothingbutafewsillylies.thismorningyouhavewhatisupposeisafullconfession.youhaven’tletmereadit,butyouwouldn’thavecalledintheifitwasjustalovenote.ifanyrealsolidworkhadbeendoneonthelennoxcaseatthetime,somebodywouldhaveduguphiswarrecordandwherehegotwoundedandalltherestofit.somewherealongthelineaconnectionwiththewadeswouldhaveturnedup.rogerwadeknewwhopaulmarstonwas.sodidanotherihappenedtogetintouchwith.」

「it’spossible,」hernandezadmitted,「butthatisn’thowpoliceinvestigationswork.youdon’tfoolaroundwithanopen-shutcase,evenifthere’snoheatontogetitfinalizedandforgotten.i’veinvestigatedhundredsofhomicides.someareallofapiece,neat,tidy,andaccordingtothebook.mostofthemmakesensehere,don’tmakesensethere.butwhenyougetmotive,means,opportunity,flight,awrittenconfession,andasuicideimmediatelyafterwards,youleaveitlay.nopolicedepartmentintheworldhasthemenorthetimetoquestiontheobvious.theonlythingagainstlennoxbeingakillerwasthatsomebodythoughthewasaniceguywhowouldn’thavedoneitandthattherewereotherswhocouldequallywellhavedoneit.buttheothersdidn’ttakeitonthelam,didn’tconfess,didn’tblowtheirbrainsout.hedid.andasforbeinganiceguyifiguresixtytoseventypercentofallthekillersthatendupinthegaschamberorthehotseatorontheendofaropearepeopletheneighborsthoughtwerejustasharmlessasafullerbrushsalesman.justasharmlessandquietandwellbredasmrs.rogerwade.youwanttoreadwhatshewroteinthatletter?okay,readit.i’vegottogodownthehall.」

hestoodupandpulledadraweropenandputafolderonthetopofthedesk.「therearefivephotostatsinhere,marlowe.don’tletmecatchyoulookingatthem.」

hestartedforthedoorandthenturnedhisheadandsaidtoohls:「youwanttotalktopeshorekwithme?」

ohlsnoddedandfollowedhimout.wheniwasaloneintheofficeiliftedthecoverofthefilefolderandlookedatthewhite-on-blackphotostats.thentouchingonlytheedgesicountedthem.thereweresix,eachofseveralpagesclippedtogether.itookoneandrolleditupandslippeditintomypocket.thenireadoverthenextoneinthepile.whenihadfinishedisatdownandwaited.inabouttenminuteshernandezcamebackalone.hesatdownbehindhisdeskagain,talliedthephotostatsinthefilefolder,andputthefilebackinhisdesk.

heraisedhiseyesandlookedatmewithoutanyexpression.「satisfied?」

「lawfordknowyouhavethose?」

「notfromme.notfrombernie.berniemadethemhimself.why?」

「whatwouldhappenifonegotloose?」

hesmiledunpleasantly.「itwon’t.butifitdid,itwouldn’tbeanybodyinthesheriff’soffice.thehasphotostatequipmenttoo.」

「youdon’tlikedistrictattorneyspringertoowell,doyou,captain?」

helookedsurprised.「me?ilikeeverybody,evenyou.getthehelloutofhere.i’vegotworktodo.」

istooduptogo.hesaidsuddenly:「youcarryagunthesedays?」

「partofthetime.」

「bigwilliemagooncarriedtwo.iwonderwhyhedidn’tusethem.」

「iguesshefiguredhehadeverybodyscared.」

「thatcouldbeit,」hernandezsaidcasually.hepickeduparubberbandandstretcheditbetweenhisthumbs.hestretcheditfartherandfarther.finallywithasnapitbroke.herubbedhisthumbwherethelooseendhadsnappedbackagainstit.「anybodycanbestretchedtoofar,」hesaid.「nomatterhowtoughhelooks.seeyouaround.」

iwentoutofthedoorandgotoutofthebuildingfast.onceapatsy,alwaysapatsy.