「howwouldi?」

「theytieagoattoastakeandthenhideoutinablind.it’sapttoberoughonthegoat.ilikeyou.i’msureidon’tknowwhy,butido.ihatetheideaofyourbeingthegoat.youtriedsohardtodotherightthing—asyousawit.」

「niceofyou,」isaid.「ifistickmyneckoutanditgetschopped,it’sstillmyneck.」

「don’tbeahero,youfool,」shesaidsharply.「justbecausesomeoneweknewchosetobeafallguy,youdon’thavetoimitatehim.」

「i’llbuyyouadrinkifyou’regoingtobearoundlongenough.」

「buymeoneinparis.parisislovelyinthefall.」

「i’dliketodothattoo.ihearitwasevenbetterinthespring.neverhavingbeenthereiwouldn’tknow.」

「thewayyou’regoingyouneverwill.」

「goodbye,linda.ihopeyoufindwhatyouwant.」

「goodbye,」shesaidcoldly.「ialwaysfindwhatiwant.butwhenifindit,idon’twantitanymore.」

shehungup.therestofthedaywasablank.iatedinnerandlefttheoldsatanall-nightgaragetohavethebrakeliningschecked.itookacabhome.thestreetwasasemptyasusual.inthewoodenmailboxwasafreesoapcoupon.iwentupthestepsslowly.itwasasoftnightwithalittlehazeintheair.thetreesonthehillhardlymoved.nobreeze.iunlockedthedoorandpusheditpartwayopenandthenstopped.thedoorwasaboutteninchesopenfromtheframe.itwasdarkinside,therewasnosound.butihadthefeelingthattheroombeyondwasnotempty.perhapsaspringsqueakedfaintlyoricaughtthegleamofawhitejacketacrosstheroom.perhapsonawarmstillnightlikethisonetheroombeyondthedoorwasnotwarmenough,notstillenough.perhapstherewasadriftingsmellofmanontheair.andperhapsiwasjustonedge.

isteppedsidewaysofftheporchontothegroundandleaneddownagainsttheshrubbery.nothinghappened.nolightwentoninside,therewasnomovementanywherethatiheard,ihadaguninabeltholsterontheleftside,buttforward,ashort-barreledpolice38.ijerkeditoutanditgotmenowhere.thesilencecontinued.idecidediwasadamnfool.istraightenedupandliftedafoottogobacktothefrontdoor,andthenacarturnedthecornerandcamefastupthehillandstoppedalmostwithoutsoundatthefootofmysteps.itwasabig-blacksedanwiththelinesofacadillac.itcouldhavebeenlindaloring’scar,exceptfortwothings.nobodyopenedadoorandthewindowsonmysidewereallshuttight.iwaitedandlistened,crouchedagainstthebush,andtherewasnothingtolistentoandnothingtowaitfor.justadarkcarmotionlessatthefootofmyredwoodsteps,withthewindowsclosed.ifitsmotorwasstillrunningicouldn’thearit.thenabigredspotlightclickedonandthebeamstrucktwentyfeetbeyondthecornerofthehouse.andthenveryslowlythebigcarbackeduntilthespotlightcouldswingacrossthefrontofthehouse,acrossthehoodandup.

policemendon’tdrivecadillacs.cadillacswithredspotlightsbelongtothebigboys,mayorsandpolicecommissioners,perhapsdistrictattorneys.perhapshoodlums.thespotlighttraversed.iwentdownflat,butitfoundmejustthesame.itheldonme.nothingelse.stillthecardoordidn’topen,stillthehousewassilentandwithoutlight.

thenasirengrowledinlowpitchjustforasecondortwoandstopped.andthenatlastthehousewasfulloflightsandamaninawhitedinnerjacketcameouttotheheadofthestepsandlookedsidewaysalongthewallandtheshrubbery.

「comeonin,cheapie,」menendezsaidwithachuckle.「you’vegotcompany.」

icouldhaveshothimwithnotroubleatall.thenhesteppedbackanditwastoolate—evenificouldhavedoneit.thenawindowwentdownatthebackofthecarandicouldhearthethudasitopened.thenamachinepistolwentoffandfiredashortburstintotheslopeofthebankthirtyfeetawayfromme.

「comeonin,cheapie,」menendezsaidagainfromthedoorway.「therejustain’tanywhereelsetogo.」

soistraightenedupandwentandthespotlightfollowedmeaccurately.iputthegunbackintheholsteronmybelt.isteppedupontothesmallredwoodlandingandwentinthroughthedoorandstoppedjustinside.amanwassittingacrosstheroomwithhislegscrossedandagunrestingsidewaysonhisthigh.helookedrangyandtoughandhisskinhadthatdried-outlookofpeoplewholiveinsun-bleachedclimates.hewaswearingadarkbrowngabardine-typewindbreakerandthezipperwasopenalmosttohiswaist.hewaslookingatmeandneitherhiseyesnorthegunmoved.hewasascalmasanadobewallinthemoonlight.