backinmydoghouseonthesixthfloorofthecahuengabuildingiwentthroughmyregulardoubleplaywiththemorningmail.mailslottodesktowastebasket,tinkertoeverstochance.iblewaclearspaceonthetopofthedeskandunrolledthephotostatonit.ihadrolleditsoasnottomakecreases.

ireaditoveragain.itwasdetailedenoughandreasonableenoughtosatisfyanyopenmind.eileenwadehadkilledterry’swifeinafitofjealousfuryandlaterwhentheopportunitywassetupshehadkilledrogerbecauseshewassureheknew.thegunfiredintotheceilingofhisroomthatnighthadbeenpartofthesetup.theunansweredandforeverunanswerablequestionwaswhyrogerwadehadstoodstillandletherputitover.hemusthaveknownhowitwouldend.sohehadwrittenhimselfoffanddidn’tcare.wordswerehisbusiness,hehadwordsforalmosteverything,butnoneforthis.

「ihaveforty-sixdemeroltabletsleftfrommylastprescription,」shewrote.「inowintendtotakethemallandliedownonthebed.thedoorislocked.inaveryshorttimeishallbebeyondsaving.this,howard,istobeunderstood.whatiwriteisinthepresenceofdeath.everywordistrue.ihavenoregrets—exceptpossiblythaticouldnothavefoundthemtogetherandkilledthemtogether.ihavenoregretsforpaulwhomyouhaveheardcalledterrylennox.hewastheemptyshellofthemanilovedandmarried.hemeantnothingtome.whenisawhimthatafternoonfortheonlytimeafterhecamebackfromthewar—atfirstididn’tknowhim.thenididandheknewmeatonce.heshouldhavediedyounginthesnowofnorway,myloverthatigavetodeath.hecamebackafriendofgamblers,thehusbandofarichwhore,aspoiledandruinedman,andprobablysomekindofcrookinhispastlife.timemakeseverythingmeanandshabbyandwrinkled.thetragedyoflife,howard,isnotthatthebeautifulthingsdieyoung,butthattheygrowoldandmean.itwillnothappentome.goodbye,howard.」

iputthephotostatinthedeskandlockeditup.itwastimeforlunchbutiwasn’tinthemood.igottheofficebottleoutofthedeepdrawerandpouredaslugandthengotthephonebookoffthehookatthedeskandlookedupthenumberofthejournal.idialeditandaskedthegirlforlonniemorgan.

「mr.morgandoesn’tcomeinuntilaroundfouro’clock.youmighttrythepressroomatthecityhall.」

icalledthat.andigothim.herememberedmewellenough.「you’vebeenaprettybusyguy,iheard.」

「i’vegotsomethingforyou,ifyouwantit.idon’tthinkyouwantit.」

「yeah?suchas?」

「aphotostatofaconfessiontotwomurders.」

「whereareyou?」

itoldhim.hewantedmoreinformation.iwouldn’tgivehimanyoverthephone.hesaidhewasn’tonacrimebeat.isaidhewasstillanewspapermanandontheonlyindependentpaperinthecity.hestillwantedtoargue.

「wheredidyougetthiswhateveritis?howdoiknowit’sworthmytime?」

「the’sofficehastheoriginal.theywon’treleaseit.itbreaksopenacoupleofthingstheyhidbehindtheicebox.」

「i’llcallyou.ihavetocheckwiththebrass.」

wehungup.iwenttothedrugstoreandateachickensaladsandwichanddranksomecoffee.thecoffeewasovertrainedandthesandwichwasasfullofrichflavorasapiecetornoffanoldshirt.americanswilleatanythingifitistoastedandheldtogetherwithacoupleoftoothpicksandhaslettucestickingoutofthesides,preferablyalittlewilted.

atthree-thirtyorsolonniemorgancameintoseeme.hewasthesamelongthinwirypieceoftiredandexpressionlesshumanityashehadbeenthenighthedrovemehomefromthejailhouse.heshookhandslistlesslyandrootedinacrumpledpackofcigarettes.

「mr.sherman—that’sthe—saidicouldlookyouupandseewhatyouhave.」

「it’sofftherecordunlessyouagreetomyterms.」iunlockedthedeskandhandedhimthephotostat.hereadthefourpagesrapidlyandthenagainmoreslowly.helookedveryexcited—aboutasexcitedasamorticianatacheapfuneral.

「gimmethephone.」

ipusheditacrossthedesk.hedialed,waited,andsaid:

「thisismorgan.letmetalktomr.sherman.」hewaitedandgotsomeotherfemaleandthengothispartyandaskedhimtoringbackonanotherline.

hehungupandsatholdingthetelephoneinhislapwiththeforefingerpressingthebuttondown.itrangagainandheliftedthereceivertohisear.

「hereitis,mr.sherman.」

hereadslowlyanddistinctly.attheendtherewasapause.then,「onemoment,sir.」heloweredthephoneandglancedacrossthedesk.「hewantstoknowhowyougotholdofthis.」

ireachedacrossthedeskandtookthephotostatawayfromhim.「tellhimit’snoneofhisgoddambusinesshowigotholdofit.whereissomethingelse.thestamponthebackofthepagesshowthat.」

「mr.sherman,it’sapparentlyanofficialdocumentofthelosangelessheriff’soffice.iguesswecouldcheckitsauthenticityeasyenough.alsothere’saprice.」

helistenedsomemoreandthensaid:「yes,sir.righthere.」hepushedthephoneacrossthedesk.「wantstotalktoyou.」

itwasabrusqueauthoritativevoice.「mr.marlowe,whatareyourterms?andrememberthejournalistheonlypaperinlosangeleswhichwouldevenconsidertouchingthismatter.」

「youdidn’tdomuchonthelennoxcase,mr.sherman.」

「irealizethat.butatthattimeitwaspurelyaquestionofscandalforscandal’ssake.therewasnoquestionofwhowasguilty.whatwehavenow,ifyourdocumentisgenuine,issomethingquitedifferent.whatareyourterms?」

「youprinttheconfessioninfullintheformofaphotographicreproduction.oryoudon’tprintitatall.」

「itwillbeverified.youunderstandthat?」

「idon’tseehow,mr.sherman.ifyouaskthehewilleitherdenyitorgiveittoeverypaperintown.he’dhaveto.ifyouaskthesheriff’sofficetheywillputituptothe」