menendezstoppedtalkingandgavemethebrightsteadyglareofhisdarkeyes.

“thanksfortellingme,”isaid.

“youtakeagoodribbing,marlowe.you’reokay.randyandmetalkedthingsoverandwedecidedthatwhathappenedtoterrylennoxwasenoughtoscrewupanyguy’sbrains.foralongtimewefiguredhewasdeadbuthewasn’t.thekrautsgothim.theyworkedhimoverforaboutayearandahalf.theydidagoodjobbuttheyhurthimtoomuch.itcostusmoneytofindout,anditcostusmoneytofindhim.butwemadeplentyintheblackmarketafterthewar.wecouldaffordit.allterrygetsoutofsavingourlivesishalfofanewface,whitehair,andabadcaseofnerves.backeasthehitsthebottle,getspickeduphereandthere,kindofgoestopieces.there’ssomethingonhismindbutweneverknowwhat.thenextthingweknowhe’smarriedtothisrichdameandridinghigh.heunmarriesher,hitsbottomagain,marriesheragain,andshegetsdead.randyandmecan’tdoathingforhim.hewon’tletusexceptforthatshortjobinvegas.andwhenhegetsinarealjamhedon’tcometous,hegoestoacheapielikeyou,aguythatcopscanpusharound.sothenhegetsdead,andwithouttellingusgoodbye,andwithoutgivingusachancetopayoff.icouldhavegothimoutofthecountryfasterthanacardsharpcanstackadeck.buthegoescryingtoyou.itmakesmesore.acheapie,aguycopscanpusharound.”

“thecopscanpushanybodyaround.whatdoyouwantmetodoaboutit?”

“justlayoff,”menendezsaidtightly.

“layoffwhat?”

“tryingtomakeyourselfdoughorpublicityoutofthelennoxcase.it’sfinished,wrappedup.terry’sdeadandwedon’twanthimbotheredanymore.theguysufferedtoomuch.”

“ahoodlumwithsentiment,”isaid.“thatslaysme.”

“watchyourlip,cheapie.watchyourlip.mendymenendezdon’targuewithguys.hetellsthem.findyourselfanotherwaytogrababuck.getme?”

hestoodup.theinterviewwasfinished.hepickeduphisgloves.theyweresnow-whitepigskin.theydidn’tlookasifheeverhadthemon.adressytype,mr.menendez.butverytoughbehinditall.

“i’mnotlookingforpublicity,”isaid.“andnobody’sofferedmeanydough.whywouldtheyandforwhat?”

“don’tkidme,marlowe.youdidn’tspendthreedaysinthefreezerjustbecauseyou’reasweetheart.yougotpaidoff.iain’tsayingwhobybutigotanotion.andthepartyi’mthinkingabouthasplentymoreofthestuff.thelennoxcaseisclosedanditstaysclosedevenif—”hestoppeddeadandflippedhisglovesatthedeskedge.

“evenifterrydidn’tkillher,”isaid.

hissurprisewasasthinasthegoldonaweekendweddingring.

“i’dliketogoalongwithyouonthat,cheapie.butitdon’tmakeanysense.butifitdidmakesense—andterrywanteditthewayitis—thenthat’showitstays.”

ididn’tsayanything.afteramomenthegrinnedslowly.

“tarzanonabigredscooter,”hedrawled.“atoughguy.letsmecomeinhereandwalkalloverhim.aguythatgetshiredfornickelsanddimesandgetspushedaroundbyanybody.nodough,nofamily,noprospects,nonothing.seeyouaround,cheapie.”

isatstillwithmyjawsclamped,staringattheglitterofhisgoldcigarettecaseonthedeskcorner.ifeltoldandtired.igotupslowlyandreachedforthecase.

“youforgotthis,”isaid,goingaroundthedesk.

“igothalfadozenofthem,”hesneered.

wheniwasnearenoughtohimihelditout.hishandreachedforitcasually.“howabouthalfadozenofthese?”iaskedhimandhithimashardasicouldinthemiddleofhisbelly.

hedoubledupmewling.thecigarettecasefelltothefloor.hebackedagainstthewallandhishandsjerkedbackandforthconvulsively.hisbreathfoughttogetintohislungs.hewassweating.veryslowlyandwithanintenseefforthestraightenedupandwewereeyetoeyeagain.ireachedoutandranafingeralongtheboneofhisjaw.heheldstillforit.

finallyheworkedasmileontohisbrownface.

“ididn’tthinkyouhaditinyou,”hesaid.

“nexttimebringagun—ordon’tcallmecheapie.”

“igotaguytocarrythegun.”

“bringhimwithyou.you’llneedhim.”

“you’reahardguytogetsore,marlowe.”

imovedthegoldcigarettecasetoonesidewithmyfootandbentandpickeditupandhandedittohim.hetookitanddroppeditintohispocket.

“icouldn’tfigureyou,”isaid.“whyitwasworthyourtimetocomeuphereandrideme.thenitgotmonotonous.alltoughguysaremonotonous.likeplayingcardswithadeckthat’sallaces.you’vegoteverythingandyou’vegotnothing.you’rejustsittingtherelookingatyourself.nowonderterrydidn’tcometoyouforhelp.itwouldbelikeborrowingmoneyfromawhore.”

hepresseddelicatelyonhisstomachwithtwofingers.“i’msorryyousaidthat,cheapie.youcouldcrackwiseoncetoooften.”

hewalkedtothedoorandopenedit.outsidethebodyguardstraightenedfromtheoppositewallandturned.menendezjerkedhishead.thebodyguardcameintotheofficeandstoodtherelookingmeoverwithoutexpression.

“takeagoodlookathim,chick,”menendezsaid.“makesureyouknowhimjustincase.youandhimmighthavebusinessoneofthesedays.”

“ialreadysawhim,chief,”thesmoothdarktight-lippedguysaidinthetight-lippedvoicetheyallaffect.“hewouldn’tbothermenone.”

“don’tlethimhityouintheguts,”menendezsaidwithasourgrin.“hisrighthookain’tfunny.”

thebodyguardjustsneeredatme.“hewouldn’tgetthatclose.”

“well,solong,cheapie,”menendeztoldmeandwentout.

“seeyouaround,”thebodyguardtoldmecoolly.“thename’schickagostino.iguessyou’llknowme.”

“likeadirtynewspaper,”isaid.“remindmenottosteponyourface.”

hisjawmusclesbulged.thenheturnedsuddenlyandwentoutafterhisboss.

thedoorclosedslowlyonthepneumaticgadget.ilistenedbutididn’theartheirstepsgoingdownthehall.theywalkedassoftlyascats.justtomakesure,iopenedthedooragainafteraminuteandlookedout.butthehallwasquiteempty.

iwentbacktomydeskandsatdownandspentalittletimewonderingwhyafairlyimportantlocalracketeerlikemenendezwouldthinkitworthhistimetocomeinpersontomyofficeandwarnmetokeepmynoseclean,justminutesafterihadreceivedasimiliarthoughdifferentlyexpressedwarningfromsewellendicott.

ididn’tgetanywherewiththat,soithoughtimightaswellmakeitaperfectscore.iliftedthephoneandputinacalltotheterrapinclubatlasvegas,persontoperson,philipmarlowecallingmr.randystarr.nosoap.mr.starrwasoutoftown,andwoulditalktoanyoneelse?iwouldnot.ididn’tevenwanttotalktostarrverybadly.itwasjustapassingfancy.hewastoofarawaytohitme.

afterthatnothinghappenedforthreedays.nobodysluggedmeorshotatmeorcalledmeuponthephoneandwarnedmetokeepmynoseclean.nobodyhiredmetofindthewanderingdaughter,theerringwife,thelostpearlnecklace,orthemissingwill.ijustsatthereandlookedatthewall.thelennoxcasediedalmostassuddenlyasithadbeenborn.therewasabriefinquesttowhichiwasnotsummoned.itwasheldatanoddhour,withoutpreviousannouncementandwithoutajury.thecoronerenteredhisownverdict,whichwasthatthedeathofsylviapotterwesterheymdigiorgiolennoxhadbeencausedwithhomicidalintentbyherhusband,terencewilliamlennox,sincedeceasedoutsidethejurisdictionofthecoroner’soffice.presumablyaconfessionwasreadintotherecord.presumablyitwasverifiedenoughtosatisfythecoroner.

thebodywasreleasedforburial.itwasflownnorthandburiedinthefamilyvault.thepresswasnotinvited.nobodygaveanyinterviews,leastofallmr.harlanpotter,whonevergaveinterviews.hewasaboutashardtoseeasthedalailama.guyswithahundredmilliondollarsliveapeculiarlife,behindascreenofservants,bodyguards,secretaries,lawyers,andtameexecutives.presumablytheyeat,sleep,gettheirhaircut,andwearclothes.butyouneverknowforsure.everythingyoureadorhearaboutthemhasbeenprocessedbyapublicrelationsgangofguyswhoarepaidbigmoneytocreateandmaintainausablepersonality,somethingsimpleandcleanandsharp,likeasterilizedneedle.itdoesn’thavetobetrue.itjusthastobeconsistentwiththeknownfacts,andtheknownfactsyoucouldcountonyourfingers.

lateafternoonofthethirddaythetelephonerangandiwastalkingtoamanwhosaidhisnamewashowardspencer,thathewasarepresentativeofanewyorkpublishinghouseincaliforniaonabriefbusinesstrip,thathehadaproblemhewouldliketodiscusswithmeandwouldimeethiminthebaroftheritz-beverlyhotelateleventhenextmorning.

iaskedhimwhatsortofproblem.

“ratheradelicateone,”hesaid,“butentirelyethical.ifwedon’tagree,ishallexpecttopayyouforyourtime,naturally.”

“thankyou,mr.spencer,butthatwon’tbenecessary.didsomeoneiknowrecommendmetoyou?”

“someonewhoknowsaboutyou—includingyourrecentbrushwiththelaw,mr.marlowe.imightsaythatthatwaswhatinterestedme.mybusiness,however,hasnothingtodowiththattragicaffair.it’sjustthat—well,let’sdiscussitoveradrink,ratherthanoverthetelephone.”

“yousureyouwanttomixitwithaguywhohasbeeninthecooler?”

helaughed.hislaughandhisvoicewerebothpleasant.hetalkedthewaynewyorkersusedtotalkbeforetheylearnedtotalkflatbush.

“frommypointofview,mr.marlowe,thatisarecommendation.not,letmeadd,thefactthatyouwere,asyouputit,inthecooler,butthefact,shallisay,thatyouappeartobeextremelyreticent,evenunderpressure.”

hewasaguywhotalkedwithcommas,likeaheavynovel.overthephoneanyway.

“okay,mr.spencer,i’llbethereinthemorning.”

hethankedmeandhungup.iwonderedwhocouldhavegivenmetheplug.ithoughtitmightbesewellendicottandcalledhimtofindout.buthehadbeenoutoftownallweek,andstillwas.itdidn’tmattermuch.eveninmybusinessyouoccasionallygetasatisfiedcustomer.andineededajobbecauseineededthemoney—orthoughtidid,untiligothomethatnightandfoundtheletterwithaportraitofmadisoninit.