「don’tworryaboutthat,mr.marlowe.wehaveways.howaboutyourterms?」

「ijusttoldyou.」

「oh.youdon’texpecttobepaid?」

「notwithmoney.」

「well,youknowyourownbusiness,isuppose.mayihavemorganagain?」

igavethephonebacktolonniemorgan.

hespokebrieflyandhungup.「heagrees,」hesaid.「itakethatphotostatandhechecksit.he’lldowhatyousay.reducedtohalfsizeitwilltakeabouthalfofpage1a.」

igavehimbackthephotostat.hehelditandpulledatthetipofhislongnose.「mindmysayingithinkyou’readamnfool?」

「iagreewithyou.」

「youcanstillchangeyourmind.」

「nope.rememberthatnightyoudrovemehomefromthecitybastille?yousaidihadafriendtosaygoodbyeto.i’veneverreallysaidgoodbyetohim.ifyoupublishthisphotostat,thatwillbeit.it’sbeenalongtime—along,longtime.」

「okay,chum.」hegrinnedcrookedly.「butistillthinkyou’readamnfool.doihavetotellyouwhy?」

「tellmeanyway.」

「iknowmoreaboutyouthanyouthink.that’sthefrustratingpartofnewspaperwork.youalwaysknowsomanythingsyoucan’tuse.yougetcynical.ifthisconfessionisprintedinthejournal,alotofpeoplewillbesore.the,thecoroner,thesheriff’scrowd,aninfluentialandpowerfulprivatecitizennamedpotter,andacoupleoftoughiescalledmenendezandstarr.you’llprobablyendupinthehospitalorinjailagain,」

「idon’tthinkso.」

「thinkwhatyoulike,pal.i’mtellingyouwhatithink.thewillbesorebecausehedroppedablanketonthelennoxcase.evenifthesuicideandconfessionoflennoxmadehimlookjustified,alotofpeoplewillwanttoknowhowlennox,aninnocentman,cametomakeaconfession,howhegotdead,didhereallycommitsuicideorwashehelped,whywastherenoinvestigationintothecircumstances,andhowcomethewholethingdiedsofast.also,ifhehastheoriginalofthisphotostathewillthinkhehasbeendouble-crossedbythesheriff’speople.」

「youdon’thavetoprinttheidentifyingstampontheback.」

「wewon’t.we’repalswiththesheriff.wethinkhe’sastraightguy.wedon’tblamehimbecausehecan’tstopguyslikemenendez.nobodycanstopgamblingaslongasit’slegalinallformsinsomeplacesandlegalinsomeformsinallplaces.youstolethisfromthesheriff’soffice.idon’tknowhowyougotawaywithit.wanttotellme?」

「no.」

「okay.thecoronerwillbesorebecausehebuggeredupthewadesuicide.thehelpedhimwiththattoo.harlanpotterwillbesorebecausesomethingisreopenedthatheusedalotofpowertocloseup.menendezandstarrwillbesoreforreasonsi’mnotsureof,butiknowyougotwarnedoff.andwhenthoseboysgetsoreatsomebodyhegetshurt.you’reapttogetthetreatmentbigwilliemagoongot.」

「magoonwasprobablygettingtooheavyforhisjob.」

「why?」morgandrawled.「becausethoseboyshavetomakeitstick.iftheytakethetroubletotellyoutolayoff,youlayoff.ifyoudon’tandtheyletyougetawaywithittheylookweak.thehardboysthatrunthebusiness,thebigwheels,theboardofdirectors,don’thaveanyuseforweakpeople.they’redangerous.andthenthere’schrismady.」

「hejustaboutrunsnevada,iheard.」

「youheardright,chum.madyisaniceguybutheknowswhat’srightfornevada.therichhoodlumsthatoperateinrenoandvegasareverycarefulnottoannoymr.mady.iftheydid,theirtaxeswouldgoupfastandtheirpoliceco-operationwouldgodownthesameway.thenthetopguysbackeastwoulddecidesomechangeswerenecessary.anoperatorwhocan’tgetalongwithchrismadyain’toperatingcorrectly.gethimthehelloutofthereandputsomebodyelsein.gettinghimoutoftheremeansonlyonethingtothem.outinawoodenbox.」

「theyneverheardofme,」isaid.

morganfrownedandwhippedanarmupanddowninameaninglessgesture.「theydon’thaveto.mady’sestateonthenevadasideoftahoeisrightnexttoharlanpotter’sestate.couldbetheysayhelloonceinawhile.couldbesomecharacterthatisonmady’spayrollhearsfromanotherguyonpotter’spayrollthatapunknamedmarloweisbuzzingtooloudaboutthingsthatarenotanyofhisbusiness.couldbethatthispassingremarkgetspassedondowntowherethephoneringsinsomeapartmentinandaguywithlargemusclesgetsahinttogooutandexercisehimselfandtwoorthreeofhisfriends.ifsomebodywantsyouknockedofforsmashed,themusclemendon’thavetohaveitexplainedwhy.it’smereroutinetothem.nohardfeelingsatall.justsitstillwhilewebreakyourarm.youwantthisback?」

heheldoutthephotostat.

「youknowwhatiwant,」isaid.

morganstoodupslowlyandputthephotostatinhisinsidepocket.「icouldbewrong,」hesaid.「youmayknowmoreaboutitthanido.iwouldn’tknowhowamanlikeharlanpotterlooksatthings.」

「withascowl,」isaid.「i’vemethim.buthewouldn’toperatewithagoonsquad.hecouldn’treconcileitwithhisopinionofhowhewantstolive.」

「formymoney,」morgansaidsharply,「stoppingamurderinvestigationwithaphonecallandstoppingitbyknockingoffthewitnessisjustaquestionofmethod.seeyouaround—ihope.」

hedriftedoutoftheofficelikesomethingblownbythewind.