sewellendicottsaidhewasworkinglateandicoulddroparoundintheeveningaboutseven-thirty.

hehadacornerofficewithabluecarpet,aredmahoganydeskwithcarvedcorners,veryoldandobviouslyveryvaluable,theusualglass-frontbookshelvesofmustard-yellowlegalbooks,theusualcartoonsbyspyoffamousenglishjudges,andalargeportraitofjusticeoliverwendellholmesonthesouthwall,alone.endicott’schairwasquiltedinblackleather.nearhimwasanopenrolltopdeskjammedwithpapers.itwasanofficenodecoratorhadhadachancetopansyup.

hewasinhisshirtsleevesandhelookedtired,buthehadthatkindofface.hewassmokingoneofhistastelesscigarettes.ashesfromithadfallenonhisloosenedtie.hislimpblackhairwasallovertheplace.

hestaredatmesilentlyafterisatdown.thenhesaid:「you’reastubbornsonofabitch,ifeverimetone.don’ttellmeyou’restilldiggingintothatmess.」

「somethingworriesmealittle.woulditbeallrightnowifiassumedyouwererepresentingmr.harlanpotterwhenyoucametoseemeinthebirdcage?」

henodded.itouchedthesideofmyfacegentlywithmyfingertips.itwasallhealedupandtheswellingwasgone,butoneoftheblowsmusthavedamagedanerve.partofthecheekwasstillnumb.icouldn’tletitalone.itwouldgetallrightintime.

「andthatwhenyouwenttootatoclányouweretemporarilydeputizedasamemberofthe’sstaff?」

「yes,butdon’trubitin,marlowe.itwasavaluableconnection.perhapsigaveittoomuchweight.」

「stillis,ihope.」

heshookhishead.「no.that’sfinished.mr.potterdoeshislegalbusinessthroughsanfrancisco,newyork,andwashingtonfirms.」

「iguesshehatesmyguts—ifhethinksaboutit.」

endicottsmiled.「curiouslyenough,heputalltheblameonhissonin-law,dr.loring.amanlikeharlanpotterhastoblamesomebody.hecouldn’tpossiblybewronghimself.hefeltthatifloringhadn’tbeenfeedingthewomandangerousdrugs,noneofitwouldhavehappened.」

「he’swrong.yousawterrylennox’sbodyinotatoclán,didn’tyou?」

「ididindeed.inthebackofacabinetmaker’sshop.theyhavenopropermortuarythere.hewasmakingthecoffintoo.thebodywasice-cold.isawthewoundinthetemple.there’snoquestionofidentity,ifyouhadanyideasalongthoselines.」

「no,mr.endicott,ididn’t,becauseinhiscaseitcouldhardlybepossible.hewasdisguisedalittlethough,wasn’the?」

「faceandhandsdarkened,hairdyedblack.butthescarswerestillobvious.andthefingerprints,ofcourse,wereeasilycheckedfromthingshehadhandledathome.」

「whatkindofpoliceforcedotheyhavedownthere?」

「primitive.thejefecouldjustaboutreadandwrite.butheknewaboutfingerprints.itwashotweather,youknow.quitehot.」hefrownedandtookhiscigaretteoutofhismouthanddroppeditnegligentlyintoanenormousblackbasaltsortofreceptacle.「theyhadtogeticefromthehotel,」headded.「plentyofice.」helookedatmeagain.「noembalmingthere.thingshavetomovefast.」

「youspeakspanish,mr.endicott?」

「onlyafewwords.thehotelmanagerinterpreted.」hesmiled.「awell-dressedsmoothie,thatfellow.lookedtough,buthewasverypoliteandhelpful.itwasalloverinnotime.」

「ihadaletterfromterry.iguessmr.potterwouldknowaboutit.itoldhisdaughter,mrs.loring.ishowedittoher.therewasaportraitofmadisoninit.」

「awhat?」

「five-thousand-dollarbill.」

heraisedhiseyebrows.「really.well,hecouldcertainlyaffordit.hiswifegavehimacoolquarterofamillionthesecondtimetheyweremarried.i’veanideahemeanttogotomexicotoliveanyhow—quiteapartfromwhathappened.idon’tknowwhathappenedtothemoney.iwasn’tinonthat.」

「here’stheletter,mr.endicott,ifyoucaretoreadit.」

itookitoutandgaveittohim.hereaditcarefully,thewaylawyersreadeverything.heputitdownonthedeskandleanedbackandstaredatnothing.

「alittleliterary,isn’tit?」hesaidquietly.「iwonderwhyhedidit.」

「killedhimself,confessed,orwrotemetheletter?」

「confessedandkilledhimself,ofcourse,」endicottsaidsharply.「theletterisunderstandable.atleastyougotareasonablerecompenseforwhatyoudidforhim—andsince.