inthemorningishavedagainanddressedanddrovedowntownintheusualwayandparkedintheusualplaceandiftheparkinglotattendanthappenedtoknowthatiwasanimportantpubliccharacterhedidatopjobinhidingit.iwentupstairsandalongthecorridorandgotkeysouttounlockmydoor.adarksmooth-lookingguywatchedme.

“youmarlowe?”

“so?”

“stickaround,”hesaid.“aguywantstoseeyou.”heunplasteredhisbackfromthewallandstrolledofflanguidly.

isteppedinsidetheofficeandpickedupthemail.therewasmoreofitonthedeskwherethenightcleaningwomanhadputit.islittheenvelopesafteriopenedwindows,andthrewawaywhatididn’twant,whichwaspracticallyallofit.iswitchedonthebuzzertotheotherdoorandfilledapipeandlititandthenjustsattherewaitingforsomebodytoscreamforhelp.

ithoughtaboutterrylennoxinadetachedsortofway.hewasalreadyrecedingintothedistance,whitehairandscarredfaceandweakcharmandhispeculiarbrandofpride.ididn’tjudgehimoranalyzehim,justasihadneveraskedhimquestionsabouthowhegotwoundedorhowheeverhappenedtogethimselfmarriedtoanyonelikesylvia.hewaslikesomebodyyoumeetonboardshipandgettoknowverywellandneverreallyknowatall.hewasgonelikethesamefellowwhenhesaysgoodbyeatthepierandlet’skeepintouch,oldman,andyouknowyouwon’tandhewon’t.likelyenoughyou’llneverevenseetheguyagain.ifyoudohewillbeanentirelydifferentperson,justanotherrotarianinaclubcar.how’sbusiness?oh,nottoobad.youlookgood.sodoyou.i’veputontoomuchweight.don’tweall?rememberthattripinthefranconia(orwhateveritwas)?ohsure,swelltrip,wasn’tit?

thehellitwasaswelltrip.youwereboredstiff.youonlytalkedtotheguybecausetherewasn’tanybodyaroundthatinterestedyou.maybeitwaslikethatwithterrylennoxandme.no,notquite.iownedapieceofhim.ihadinvestedtimeandmoneyinhim,andthreedaysintheicehouse,nottomentionaslugonthejawandapunchintheneckthatifelteverytimeiswallowed.nowhewasdeadandicouldn’tevengivehimbackhisfivehundredbucks.thatmademesore.itisalwaysthelittlethingsthatmakeyousore.

thedoorbuzzerandthetelephonerangatthesametime.iansweredthephonefirstbecausethebuzzermeantonlythatsomebodyhadwalkedintomypint-sizewaitingroom.

“isthismr.marlowe?mr.endicottiscallingyou.onemomentplease.”

hecameontheline.“thisissewellendicott,”hesaid,asifhedidn’tknowhisgoddamsecretaryhadalreadyfedmehisname.

“goodmorning,mr.endicott.”

“gladtoheartheyturnedyouloose.ithinkpossiblyyouhadtherightideanottobuildanyresistance.”

“itwasn’tanidea.itwasjustmulishness.”

“idoubtifyou’llhearanymoreaboutit.butifyoudoandneedhelp,letmehearfromyou.”

“whywouldi?themanisdead.they’dhaveahellofatimeprovingheevercamenearme.thenthey’dhavetoproveihadguiltyknowledge.andthenthey’dhavetoprovehehadcommittedacrimeorwasafugitive.”

heclearedhisthroat.“perhaps,”hesaidcarefully,“youhaven’tbeentoldheleftafullconfession.”

“iwastold,mr.endicott.i’mtalkingtoalawyer.wouldibeoutoflineinsuggestingthattheconfessionwouldhavetobeprovedtoo,bothastogenuinenessandastoveracity?”

“i’mafraidihavenotimeforalegaldiscussion,”hesaidsharply.“i’mflyingtomexicowitharathermelancholydutytoperform.youcanprobablyguesswhatitis?”

“uh-huh.dependswhoyou’rerepresenting.youdidn’ttellme,remember.”

“irememberverywell.well,goodbye,marlowe.myofferofhelpisstillgood.butletmealsoofferyoualittleadvice.don’tbetoocertainyou’reintheclear.you’reinaprettyvulnerablebusiness.”

hehungup.iputthephonebackinitscradlecarefully.isatforamomentwithmyhandonit,scowling.theniwipedthescowloffmyfaceandgotuptoopenthecommunicatingdoorintomywaitingroom.

amanwassittingbythewindowrufflingamagazine.heworeabluish-graysuitwithanalmostinvisiblepalebluecheck.onhiscrossedfeetwereblackmoccasin-typeties,thekindwithtwoeyeletsthatarealmostascomfortableasstrollersanddon’twearyoursocksouteverytimeyouwalkablock.hiswhitehandkerchiefwasfoldedsquareandtheendofapairofsunglassesshowedbehindit.hehadthickdarkwavyhair.hewastannedverydark.helookedupwithbird-brighteyesandsmiledunderahairlinemustache.histiewasadarkmaroontiedinapointedbowoverasparklingwhiteshirt.

hethrewthemagazineaside.“thecraptheseragsgofor,”hesaid.“ibeenreadingapieceaboutcostello.yeah,theyknowallaboutcostello.likeiknowallabouthelenoftroy.”

“whatcanidoforyou?”

helookedmeoverunhurriedly.“tarzanonabigredscooter,”hesaid.

“what?”

“you.marlowe.tarzanonabigredscooter.theyroughyouupmuch?”

“hereandthere.whatmakesityourbusiness?”

“afterallbrighttalkedtogregorius?”

“no.notafterthat.”

henoddedshortly.“yougotacrustaskingallbrighttouseammunitiononthatslob.”

“iaskedyouwhatmadeityourbusiness.incidentallyidon’tknowcommissionerallbrightandididn’taskhimtodoanything.whywouldhedoanythingforme?”

hestaredatmemorosely.hestoodupslowly,gracefulasapanther.hewalkedacrosstheroomandlookedintomyoffice.hejerkedhisheadatmeandwentin.hewasaguywhoownedtheplacewherehehappenedtobe.iwentinafterhimandshutthedoor.hestoodbythedesklookingaround,amused.

“you’resmalltime,”hesaid.“verysmalltime.”

iwentbehindmydeskandwaited.

“howmuchyoumakeinamonth,marlowe?”

iletitride,andlitmypipe.

“seven-fiftywouldbetops,”hesaid.

idroppedaburntmatchintoatrayandpuffedtobaccosmoke.

“you’reapiker,marlowe.you’reapeanutgrifter.you’resolittleittakesamagnifyingglasstoseeyou.”ididn’tsayanythingatall.“yougotcheapemotions.you’recheapallover.youpalaroundwithaguy,eatafewdrinks,talkafewgags,sliphimalittledoughwhenhe’sstrapped,andyou’resoldouttohim.justlikesomeschoolkidthatreadfrankmerriwell.yougotnoguts,nobrains,noconnections,nosavvy,soyouthrowoutaphonyattitudeandexpectpeopletocryoveryou.tarzanonabigredscooter.”hesmiledasmallwearysmile.“inmybookyou’reanickel’sworthofnothing.”

heleanedacrossthedeskandflickedmeacrossthefacebackhanded,casuallyandcontemptuously,notmeaningtohurtme,andthesmallsmilestayedonhisface.thenwhenididn’tevenmoveforthathesatdownslowlyandleanedanelbowonthedeskandcuppedhisbrownchininhisbrownhand.thebird-brighteyesstaredatmewithoutanythinginthembutbrightness.

“knowwhoiam,cheapie?”

“yourname’smenendez.theboyscallyoumendy.youoperateonthestrip.”

“yeah?howdidigetsobig?”

“iwouldn’tknow.youprobablystartedoutasapimpinamexicanwhorehouse.”

hetookagoldcigarettecaseoutofhispocketandlitabrowncigarettewithagoldlighter.heblewacridsmokeandnodded.heputthegoldcigarettecaseonthedeskandcaresseditwithhisfingertips.

“i’mabigbadman,marlowe.imakelotsofdough.igottomakelotsofdoughtojuicetheguysigottojuiceinordertomakelotsofdoughtojuicetheguysigottojuice.igotaplaceinbel-airthatcostninetygrandandialreadyspentmorethanthattofixitup.igotalovelyplatinum-blondwifeandtwokidsinprivateschoolsbackeast.mywife’sgotahundredandfiftygrandinrocksandanotherseventy-fiveinfursandclothes.igotabutler,twomaids,acook,achauffeur,notcountingthemonkeythatwalksbehindme.everywhereigoi’madarling.thebestofeverything,thebestfood,thebestdrinks,thebesthotelsuites.igotaplaceinfloridaandaseagoingyachtwithacrewoffivemen.igotabentley,twocadillacs,achryslerstationwagon,andanmgformyboy.coupleofyearsmygirlgetsonetoo.whatyougot?”

“notmuch,”isaid.“thisyearihaveahousetolivein—alltomyself.”

“nowoman?”

“justme.inadditiontothatihavewhatyouseehereandtwelvehundreddollarsinthebankandafewthousandinbonds.thatansweryourquestion?”

“what’sthemostyouevermadeonasinglejob?”

“eight-fifty.”

“jesus,howcheapcanaguyget?”

“stophammingandtellmewhatyouwant.”

hekilledhiscigarettehalfsmokedandimmediatelylitanother.heleanedbackinhischair.hislipcurledatme.

“wewerethreeguysinafoxholeeating,”hesaid.“itwascoldashell,snowallaround.weeatoutofcans.coldfood.alittleshelling,moremortarfire.wearebluewiththecold,andimeanblue,randystarrandmeandthisterrylennox.amortarshellplopsrightinthemiddleofusandforsomereasonitdon’tgooff.thosejerrieshavealotoftricks.theygotatwistedsenseofhumor.sometimesyouthinkit’sadudandthreesecondslateritain’tadud.terrygrabsitandhe’soutofthefoxholebeforerandyandmecanevenstarttogetunstuck.butimeanquick,brother.likeagoodballhandler.hethrowshimselffacedownandthrowsthethingawayfromhimanditgoesoffintheair.mostofitgoesoverhisheadbutahunkgetsthesideofhisface.rightthenthekrautsmountanattackandthenextthingweknowweain’tthereanymore.”