hetwistedhismouthsardonically.“couldjustbelennoxhadsomehelpcommittingsuicide.resistingarrestalittle.mexicancopshaveveryitchytriggerfingers.ifyouwanttolayalittlebet,i’llgiveyouniceoddsthatnobodygetstocountthebulletholes.”

“ithinkyou’rewrong,”isaid.“iknewterrylennoxprettywell.hewrotehimselfoffalongtimeago.iftheybroughthimbackalive,hewouldhaveletthemhaveittheirway.he’dhavecoppedamanslaughterplea.”

lonniemorganshookhishead.iknewwhathewasgoingtosayandhesaidit.“notachance.ifhehadshotherorcrackedherskull,maybeyes.buttherewastoomuchbrutality.herfacewasbeatentoapulp.seconddegreemurderwouldbethebesthecouldget,andeventhatwouldraiseastink.”

isaid:“youcouldberight.”

helookedatmeagain.“yousayyouknewtheguy.doyougoforthesetup?”

“i’mtired.i’mnotinathinkingmoodtonight.”

therewasalongpause.thenlonniemorgansaidquietly:“ifiwasarealbrightguyinsteadofahacknewspaperman,i’dthinkmaybehedidn’tkillheratall.”

“it’sathought.”

hestuckacigaretteinhismouthandlititbyscratchingamatchonthedashboard.hesmokedsilentlywithafixedfrownonhisthinface.wereachedlaurelcanyonanditoldhimwheretoturnofftheboulevardandwheretoturnintomystreet.hiscarchurnedupthehillandstoppedatthefootofmyredwoodsteps.

igotout.“thanksfortheride,morgan.careforadrink?”

“i’lltakearaincheck.ifigureyou’dratherbealone.”

“i’vegotlotsoftimetobealone.toodamnmuch.”

“you’vegotafriendtosaygoodbyeto,”hesaid.“hemusthavebeenthatifyouletthemtossyouintothecanonhisaccount.”

“whosaidididthat?”

hesmiledfaintly.“justbecauseican’tprintitdon’tmeanididn’tknowit,chum.solong.seeyouaround.”

ishutthecardoorandheturnedanddroveoffdownthehill.whenhistaillightsvanishedaroundthecornericlimbedthesteps,pickedupnewspapers,andletmyselfintotheemptyhouse.iputallthelampsonandopenedallthewindows.theplacewasstuffy.

imadesomecoffeeanddrankitandtookthefivecnotesoutofthecoffeecan.theywererolledtightandpusheddownintothecoffeeattheside.iwalkedupanddownwithacupofcoffeeinmyhand,turnedthetvon,turneditoff,sat,stood,andsatagain.ireadthroughthepapersthathadpileduponthefrontsteps.thelennoxcasestartedoutbig,butbythatmorningitwasaparttwoitem.therewasaphotoofsylvia,butnoneofterry.therewasasnapofmethatididn’tknowexisted.“privatedetectiveheldforquestioning.”therewasalargephotoofthelennoxhomeinencino.itwaspseudoenglishwithalotofpeakedroofanditwouldhavecostahundredbuckstowashthewindows.itstoodonaknollinabigtwoacres,whichisalotofrealestateforthelosangelesarea.therewasaphotooftheguesthouse,whichwasaminiatureofthemainbuilding.itwashedgedinwithtrees.bothphotoshadobviouslybeentakenfromsomedistanceoffandthenblownupandtrimmed.therewasnophotoofwhatthepaperscalledthe“deathroom.”

ihadseenallthisstuffbefore,injail,butireaditandlookedatitagainwithdifferenteyes.ittoldmenothingexceptthatarichandbeautifulgirlhadbeenmurderedandthepresshadbeenprettythoroughlyexcluded.sotheinfluencehadstartedtoworkveryearly.thecrimebeatboysmusthavegnashedtheirteethandgnashedtheminvain.itfigured.ifterrytalkedtohisfather-in-lawinpasadenatheverynightshewaskilled,therewouldhavebeenadozenguardsontheestatebeforethepolicewereevennotified.

buttherewassomethingthatdidn’tfigureatall—thewayshehadbeenbeatenup.nobodycouldsellmethatterryhaddonethat.

iputthelampsoutandsatbyanopenwindow.outsideinabushamockingbirdranthroughafewtrillsandadmiredhimselfbeforesettlingdownforthenight.myneckitched,soishavedandshoweredandwenttobedandlayonmybacklistening,asiffaroffinthedarkimighthearavoice,thekindofcalmandpatientvoicethatmakeseverythingclear.ididn’thearitandiknewiwasn’tgoingto.nobodywasgoingtoexplainthelennoxcasetome.noexplanationwasnecessary.themurdererhadconfessedandhewasdead.therewouldn’tevenbeaninquest.

aslonniemorganofthejournalhadremarked—veryconvenient.ifterrylennoxhadkilledhiswife,thatwasfine.therewasnoneedtotryhimandbringoutalltheunpleasantdetails.ifhehadn’tkilledher,thatwasfinetoo.adeadmanisthebestfallguyintheworld.henevertalksback.