“onwhatcharge?”iaskedhim.

“sectionthirty-two.accessoryafterthefact.afelony.itratesuptoafive-spotinquentin.”

“bettercatchlennoxfirst,”isaidcarefully.grenzhadsomethingandisenseditinhismanner.ididn’tknowhowmuch,buthehadsomethingallright.

heleanedbackinhischairandpickedupapenandtwirleditslowlybetweenhispalms.thenhesmiled.hewasenjoyinghimself.

“lennoxisahardmantohide,marlowe.withmostpeopleyouneedaphotoandagoodclearphoto.notwithaguythathasscarsalloveronesideofhisface.nottomentionwhitehair,andnotoverthirty-fiveyearsold.wegotfourwitnesses,maybemore.”

“witnessestowhat?”iwastastingsomethingbitterinmymouth,likethebileihadtastedaftercaptaingregoriussluggedme.thatremindedmethatmyneckwasstillsoreandswollen.irubbeditgently.

“don’tbeachump,marlowe.asandiegosuperiorcourtjudgeandhiswifehappenedtobeseeingtheirsonanddaughter-in-lawoffonthatplane.allfoursawlennoxandthejudge’swifesawthecarhecameinandwhocamewithhim.youdon’thaveaprayer.”

“that’snice,”isaid.“howdidyougettothem?”

“specialbulletinonradioandtv.afulldescriptionwasallittook.thejudgecalledin.”

“soundsgood,”isaidjudicially.“butittakesalittlemorethanthat,grenz.youhavetocatchhimandprovehecommittedamurder.thenyouhavetoproveiknewit.”

hesnappedafingeratthebackofthetelegram.“ithinkiwilltakethatdrink,”hesaid.“beenworkingnightstoomuch.”heopenedthedrawerandputabottleandashotglassonthedesk.hepoureditfulltothebrimandknockeditbackinalump.“better,”hesaid.“muchbetter.sorryican’tofferyouonewhileyou’reincustody.”hecorkedthebottleandpusheditawayfromhim,butnotoutofreach.“ohyeah,wegottoprovesomething,yousaid.well,itcouldbewealreadygotaconfession,chum.toobad,huh?”

asmallbutverycoldfingermovedthewholelengthofmyspine,likeanicyinsectcrawling.

“sowhydoyouneedastatementfromme?”

hegrinned.“welikeatidyrecord.lennoxwillbebroughtbackandtried.weneedeverythingwecanget.it’snotsomuchwhatwewantfromyouaswhatwemightbewillingtoletyougetawaywith—ifyoucooperate.”

istaredathim.hedidalittlepaper-fiddling.hemovedaroundinhischair,lookedathisbottle,andhadtouseupalotofwillpowernotgrabbingforit.“maybeyou’dlikethewholelibretto,”hesaidsuddenlywithanoff-keyleer.“well,smartguy,justtoshowyoui’mnotkidding,hereitis.”

ileanedacrosshisdeskandhethoughtiwasreachingforhisbottle.hegrabbeditawayandputitbackinthedrawer.ijustwantedtodropastubinhisashtray.ileanedbackagainandlitanotherpill.hespokerapidly.

“lennoxgotofftheplaneatmazatlán,anairlinejunctionpointandatownofaboutthirty-fivethousand.hedisappearedfortwoorthreehours.thenatallmanwithblackhairandadarkskinandwhatmighthavebeenalotofknifescarsbookedtotorreónunderthenameofsilvanorodriguez.hisspanishwasgoodbutnotgoodenoughforamanofhisname.hewastootallforamexicanwithsuchdarkskin.thepilotturnedinareportonhim.thecopsweretooslowattorreón.mexcopsarenoballsoffire.whattheydobestisshootpeople.bythetimetheygotgoingthemanhadcharteredaplaneandgoneontoalittlemountaintowncalledotatoclán,asmalltimesummerresortwithalake.thepilotofthecharterplanehadtrainedasacombatpilotintexas.hespokegoodenglish.lennoxpretendednottocatchwhathesaid.”

“ifitwaslennox,”iputin.

“waitawhile,chum.itwaslennoxallright.okay,hegetsoffatotatoclánandregistersatthehotelthere,thistimeasmariodecerva.hewaswearingagun,amauser7.65,whichdoesn’tmeantoomuchinmexico,ofcourse.butthecharterpilotthoughttheguydidn’tseemkosher,sohehadawordwiththelocallaw.theyputlennoxundersurveillance.theydidsomecheckingwithmexicocityandthentheymovedin.”

grenzpickeduparulerandsightedalongit,ameaninglessgesturewhichkepthimfromlookingatme.

isaid,“uh-huh.smartboy,yourcharterpilot,andnicetohiscustomers.thestorystinks.”

helookedupatmesuddenly.“whatwewant,”hesaiddryly,“isaquicktrial,apleaofseconddegreewhichwewillaccept.therearesomeangleswe’drathernotgointo.afterall,thefamilyisprettyinfluential.”

“meaningharlanpotter.”

henoddedbriefly.“formymoneythewholeideaisallwet.springercouldhaveafielddaywithit.it’sgoteverything.sex,scandal,money,beautifulunfaithfulwife,woundedwarherohusband—isupposethat’swherehegotthescars—hell,itwouldbefront-pagestuffforweeks.everyraginthecountrywouldeatitup.soweshuffleitofftoafastfade.”heshrugged.“okay,ifthechiefwantsitthatway,it’suptohim.doigetthatstatement?”heturnedtotherecordingmachinewhichhadbeenhummingawaysoftlyallthistime,withthelightshowinginfront.

“turnitoff,”isaid.

heswungaroundandgavemeaviciouslook.“youlikeitinjail?”

“it’snottoobad.youdon’tmeetthebestpeople,butwhothehellwantsto?bereasonable,grenz.you’retryingtomakeafinkoutofme.maybei’mobstinate,orevensentimental,buti’mpracticaltoo.supposeyouhadtohireaprivateeye—yeah,yeah,iknowhowyouwouldhatetheidea—butjustsupposeyouwerewhereitwasyouronlyout.wouldyouwantonethatfinkedonhisfriends?”

hestaredatmewithhate.

“acouplemorepoints.doesn’titstrikeyouthatlennox’sevasiontacticswerejustalittletootransparent?ifhewantedtobecaught,hedidn’thavetogotoallthattrouble.ifhedidn’twanttobecaught,hehadbrainsenoughnottodisguisehimselfasamexicaninmexico.”

“meaningwhat?”grenzwassnarlingatmenow.

“meaningyoucouldjustbefillingmeupwithalotofhooeyyoumadeup,thattherewasn’tanyrodriguezwithdyedhairandtherewasn’tanymariodecervaatotatoclán,andyoudon’tknowanymoreaboutwherelennoxisthanwhereblackbeardthepirateburiedhistreasure.”

hegothisbottleoutagain.hepouredhimselfashotanddrankitdownquickly,asbefore.herelaxedslowly.heturnedinhischairandswitchedofftherecordingmachine.

“i’dliketohavetriedyou,”hesaidgratingly.“you’rethekindofwiseguyiliketoworkover.thisrapwillbehangingoveryouforalonglongtime,cutie.you’llwalkwithitandeatwithitandsleepwithit.andnexttimeyoustepoutoflinewe’llmurderyouwithit.rightnowigottodosomethingthatturnsmygutsinsideout.”

hepawedonhisdeskandpulledtheface-downpapertohim,turneditoverandsignedit.youcanalwaystellwhenamaniswritinghisownname.hehasaspecialwayofmoving.thenhestoodupandmarchedaroundthedeskandthrewthedoorofhisshoeboxopenandyelledforspranklin.

thefatmancameinwithhisgrenzgavehimthepaper.

“i’vejustsignedyourreleaseorder,”hesaid.“i’mapublicservantandsometimesihaveunpleasantduties.wouldyoucaretoknowwhyisignedit?”

istoodup.“ifyouwanttotellme.”

“thelennoxcaseisclosed,mister.thereain’tanylennoxcase.hewroteoutafullconfessionthisafternooninhishotelroomandshothimself.inotatoclán,justlikeisaid.”

istoodtherelookingatnothing.outofthecornerofmyeyeisawgrenzbackawayslowlyasifhethoughtimightbegoingtoslughim.imusthavelookedprettynastyforamoment.thenhewasbehindhisdeskagainandspranklinhadgrabbedontomyarm.

“comeon,move,”hesaidinawhiningkindofvoice.“manlikestogettohomenightsonceinawhile.”

iwentoutwithhimandclosedthedoor.icloseditquietlyasifonaroomwheresomeonehadjustdied.