greenpattedhisthighs,upanddown,upanddown.hegrinnedatmequietly.daytonwasmotionlessinthechair.hiseyesateme.

“onaccountofyourphonenumberwaswrittenonapadinhisroomduringthepasttwenty-fourhours,”greensaid.“it’sadatepadandyesterdaywastornoffbutyoucouldseetheimpressionontoday’spage.wedon’tknowwhenhecalledyouup.wedon’tknowwherehewentorwhyorwhen.butwegottoask,natch.”

“whyintheguesthouse?”iasked,notexpectinghimtoanswer,buthedid.

heblushedalittle.“seemsshewentthereprettyoften.atnight.hadvisitors.thehelpcanseedownthroughthetreeswherethelightsshow.carscomeandgo,sometimeslate,sometimesverylate.toomuchisenough,huh?don’tkidyourself.lennoxisourboy.hewentdownthatwayaboutoneinthethebutlerhappenedtosee.hecomebackalone,maybetwentyminuteslater.afterthatnothing.thelightsstayedon.thismorningnolennox.thebutlergoesdownbytheguesthouse.thedameisasnakedasamermaidonthebedandletmetellyouhedon’trecognizeherbyherface.shepracticallyain’tgotone.beattopieceswithabronzestatuetteofamonkey.”

“terrylennoxwouldn’tdoanythinglikethat,”isaid.“sureshecheatedonhim.oldstuff.shealwayshad.they’dbeenporcedandremarried.idon’tsupposeitmadehimhappybutwhyshouldhegocrazyoveritnow?”

“nobodyknowsthatanswer,”greensaidpatiently.“ithappensallthetime.menandwomenboth.aguytakesitandtakesitandtakesit.thenhedon’t.heprobablydon’tknowwhyhimself,whyatthatparticularinstanthegoesberserk.onlyhedoes,andsomebody’sdead.sowegotbusinesstodo.soweaskyouonesimplequestion.soquithorsingaroundorwetakeyouin.”

“he’snotgoingtotellyou,sergeant,”daytonsaidacidly.“hereadthatlawbook.likealotofpeoplethatreadalawbookhethinksthelawisinit.”

“youmakethenotes,”greensaid,“andleaveyourbrainsalone.ifyou’rerealgoodwe’llletyousing‘mothermachree’atthepolicesmoker.”

“thehellwithyou,sarge,ifimaysaysowithproperrespectforyourrank.”

“let’syouandhimfight,”isaidtogreen.“i’llcatchhimwhenhedrops.”

daytonlaidhisnotepadandball-pointasideverycarefully.hestoodupwithabrightgleaminhiseyes.hewalkedoverandstoodinfrontofme.

“onyourfeet,brightboy.justbecauseiwenttocollegedon’tmakemetakeanygufffromanitlikeyou.”

istartedtogetup.iwasstilloffbalancewhenhehitme.hehookedmewithaneatleftandcrossedit.bellsrang,butnotfordinner.isatdownhardandshookmyhead.daytonwasstillthere.hewassmilingnow.

“let’stryagain,”hesaid.“youweren’tsetthattime.itwasn’treallykosher.”

ilookedatgreen.hewaslookingathisthumbasifstudyingahangnail.ididn’tmoveorspeak,waitingforhimtolookup.ifistoodupagain,daytonwouldslugmeagain.hemightslugmeagainanyhow.butifistoodupandhesluggedme,iwouldtakehimtopieces,becausetheblowsprovedhewasstrictlyaboxer.heputthemintherightplacebutitwouldtakealotofthemtowearmedown.

greensaidalmostabsently:“smartwork,billyboy.yougavethemanexactlywhathewanted.clamjuice.”

thenhelookedupandsaidmildly:“oncemore,fortherecord,marlowe.lasttimeyousawterrylennox,whereandhowandwhatwastalkedabout,andwheredidyoucomefromjustnow.yes—orno?”

daytonwasstandingloosely,nicelybalanced.therewasasoftsweetsheeninhiseyes.

“howabouttheotherguy?”iasked,ignoringhim.

“whatotherguywasthat?”

“inthehay,intheguesthouse.noclotheson.you’renotsayingshehadtogodowntheretoplaysolitaire,”

“thatcomeslater—whenwegetthehusband.”

“fine.ifit’snottoomuchtroublewhenyoualreadyhaveapatsy.”

“youdon’ttalk,wetakeyouin,marlowe.”

“asamaterialwitness?”

“asamaterialmyfoot.asasuspect.suspicionofaccessoryafterthefactofmurder.helpingasuspectescape.myguessisyoutooktheguysomewhere.andrightnowaguessisallineed.theskipperistoughthesedays.heknowstherulebookbuthegetsabsent-minded.thiscouldbeamiseryforyou.onewayoranotherwegetastatementfromyou.theharderitistoget,thesurerweareweneedit.”

“that’salotofcraptohim,”daytonsaid.“heknowsthebook.”

“it’salotofcraptoeverybody,”greensaidcalmly.“butitstillworks.comeon,marlowe.i’mblowingthewhistleonyou.”

“okay,”isaid.“blowit.terrylennoxwasmyfriend.i’vegotareasonableamountofsentimentinvestedinhim.enoughnottospoilitjustbecauseacopsayscomethrough.you’vegotacaseagainsthim,maybefarmorethanihearfromyou.motive,opportunity,andthefactthatheskippedout.themotiveisoldstuff,longneutralized,almostpartofthedeal.idon’tadmirethatkindofdeal,butthat’sthekindofguyheis—alittleweakandverygentle.therestofitmeansnothingexceptthatifheknewshewasdeadheknewhewasasittingduckforyou.attheinquestiftheyhaveoneandiftheycallme,i’llhavetoanswerquestions.idon’thavetoansweryours.icanseeyou’reaniceguy,green.justasicanseeyourpartnerisjustanothergoddambadgeflasherwithapowercomplex.ifyouwanttogetmeinarealjam,lethimhitmeagain.i’llbreakhisgoddampencilforhim.”

greenstoodupandlookedatmesadly.daytonhadn’tmoved.hewasaone-shottoughguy.hehadtohavetimeouttopathisback.

“i’llusethephone,”greensaid.“butiknowwhatansweri’llget.you’reasickchicken,marlowe.averysickchicken.getthehelloutamyway.”thislasttodayton.daytonturnedandwentbackandpickeduphispad.

greencrossedtothephoneandlifteditslowly,hisplainfacecreasedwiththelongslowthanklessgrind.that’sthetroublewithcops.you’reallsettohatetheirgutsandthenyoumeetonethatgoeshumanonyou.

thecaptainsaidtobringmein,andrough.

theyputhandcuffsonme.theydidn’tsearchthehouse,whichseemedcarelessofthem.possiblytheyfigurediwouldbetooexperiencedtohaveanythingtherethatcouldbedangeroustome.inwhichtheywerewrong.becauseiftheyhadmadeanykindofjobofittheywouldhavefoundterrylennox’scarkeys.andwhenthecarwasfound,asitwouldbesoonerorlater,theywouldfitthekeystoitandknowhehadbeeninmycompany.

actually,asitturnedout,thatmeantnothing.thecarwasneverfoundbyanypolice.itwasstolensometimeinthenight,drivenmostprobablytoelpaso,fittedwithnewkeysandforgedpapers,andputonthemarketeventuallyinmexicocity.theprocedureisroutine.mostlythemoneycomesbackintheformofheroin.partofthegood-neighborpolicy,asthehoodlumsseeit.