shewasveryseriousnow.thesmilehadgone.“youaredecidingtoosoon.youcan’tjudgepeoplebywhattheydo.ifyoujudgethematall,itmustbebywhattheyare.”

inoddedvaguely.becausethatwasexactlythewayihadthoughtaboutterrylennox.onthefactshewasnobargain,exceptforthatonebriefflashofgloryinthefoxhole—ifmenendeztoldthetruthaboutthat—butthefactsdidn’ttellthewholestorybyanymeans.hehadbeenamanitwasimpossibletodislike.howmanydoyoumeetinalifetimethatyoucansaythatabout?

“andyouhavetoknowthemforthat,”sheaddedgently.“goodbye,mr.marlowe.ifyoushouldchangeyourmind—”sheopenedherbagquicklyandgavemeacard—“andthankyouforbeinghere.”

shenoddedtospencerandwalkedaway.iwatchedheroutofthebar,downtheglassed-inannextothediningroom.shecarriedherselfbeautifully.iwatchedherturnunderthearchwaythatledtothelobby.isawthelastflickerofherwhitelinenskirtassheturnedthecorner.thenieasedmyselfdownintotheboothandgrabbedtheginandorange.

spencerwaswatchingme.therewassomethinghardinhiseyes.

“nicework,”isaid,“butyououghttohavelookedatheronceinawhile.adreamlikethatdoesn’tsitacrosstheroomfromyoufortwentyminuteswithoutyourevennoticing.”

“stupidofme,wasn’tit?”hewastryingtosmile,buthedidn’treallywantto.hedidn’tlikethewayihadlookedather.“peoplehavesuchqueerideasaboutprivatedetectives.whenyouthinkofhavingoneinyourhome—”

“don’tthinkofhavingthisoneinyourhome,”isaid.“anyhow,thinkupanotherstoryfirst.youcandobetterthantryingtomakemebelieveanybody,drunkorsober,wouldthrowthatgorgeousdownstairsandbreakfiveribsforher.”

hereddened.hishandstightenedonthebriefcase.“youthinki’maliar?”

“what’sthedifference?you’vemadeyourplay.you’realittlehotfortheladyyourself,maybe.”

hestoodupsuddenly.“idon’tlikeyourtones,”hesaid.“i’mnotsureilikeyou.domeafavorandforgetthewholeidea.ithinkthisoughttopayyouforyourtime.”

hethrewatwentyonthetable,andthenaddedsomeonesforthewaiter.hestoodamomentstaringdownatme.hiseyeswerebrightandhisfacewasstillred.“i’mmarriedandhavefourchildren,”hesaidabruptly.

“congratulations.”

hemadeaswiftnoiseinhisthroatandturnedandwent.hewentprettyfast.iwatchedhimforawhileandthenididn’t.idranktherestofmydrinkandgotoutmycigarettesandshookonelooseandstuckitinmymouthandlitit.theoldwaitercameupandlookedatthemoney.

“canigetyouanythingelse,sir?”

“nope.thedoughisallyours.”

hepickeditupslowly.“thisisatwenty-dollarbill,sir.thegentlemanmadeamistake.”

“hecanread.thedoughisallyours,isaid.”

“i’msurei’mverygrateful.ifyouarequitesure,sir—”

“quitesure.”

hebobbedhisheadandwentaway,stilllookingworried.thebarwasfillingup.acoupleofstreamlineddemi-virginswentbycarolingandwaving.theyknewthetwohotshotsintheboothfartheron.theairbegantobespatteredwithdarlingsandcrimsonfingernails.

ismokedhalfofmycigarette,scowlingatnothing,andthengotuptoleave.iturnedtoreachbackformycigarettesandsomethingbumpedintomehardfrombehind.itwasjustwhatineeded.iswungaroundandiwaslookingattheprofileofabroad-beamedcrowd-pleaserinanoverdrapedoxfordflannel.hehadtheoutstretchedarmofthepopularcharacterandthetwo-by-sixgrinoftheguywhoneverlosesasale.

itookholdoftheoutstretchedarmandspunhimaround.“what’sthematter,jack?don’ttheymaketheaisleswideenoughforyourpersonality?”

heshookhisarmlooseandgottough.“don’tgetfancy,buster.imightloosenyourjawforyou.”

“ha,ha,”isaid.“youmightplaycenterfieldfortheyankeesandhitahomerunwithabreadstick.”

hedoubledameatyfist.

“darling,thinkofyourmanicure,”itoldhim.

hecontrolledhisemotions.“nutstoyou,wiseguy,”hesneered.“someothertime,whenihavelessonmymind.”

“couldtherebeless?”

“g’wan,beatit,”hesnarled.“onemorecrackandyou’llneednewbridgework.”

igrinnedathim.“callmeup,jack.butwithbetterdialogue.”

hisexpressionchanged.helaughed.“youinpictures,chum?”

“onlythekindtheypinupinthepostoffice.”

“seeyouinthemugbook,”hesaid,andwalkedaway,stillgrinning.

itwasallverysilly,butitgotridofthefeeling.iwentalongtheannexandacrossthelobbyofthehoteltothemainentrance.ipausedinsidetoputonmysunglasses.itwasn’tuntiligotintomycarthatirememberedtolookatthecardeileenwadehadgivenme.itwasanengravedcard,butnotaformalcallingcard,becauseithadanaddressandatelephonenumberonit.mrs.rogerstearnswade,1247idlevalleyroad.tel.idlevalley5-6324.

iknewagooddealaboutidlevalley,andiknewithadchangedagreatdealfromthedayswhentheyhadthegatehouseattheentranceandtheprivatepoliceforce,andthegamblingcasinoonthelake,andthefifty-dollarjoygirls.quietmoneyhadtakenoverthetractafterthecasinowasclosedout.quietmoneyhadmadeitasubpider’sdream.aclubownedthelakeandthelakefrontageandiftheydidn’twantyouintheclub,youdidn’tgettoplayinthewater.itwasexclusiveintheonlyremainingsenseofthewordthatdoesn’tmeanmerelyexpensive.

ibelongedinidlevalleylikeapearloniononabananasplit.

howardspencercalledmeuplateintheafternoon.hehadgotoverhismadandwantedtosayhewassorryandhehadn’thandledthesituationverywell,andhadiperhapsanysecondthoughts.

“i’llgoseehimifheasksmeto.nototherwise.”

“isee.therewouldbeasubstantialbonus—”

“look,mr.spencer,”isaidimpatiently,“youcan’thiredestiny.ifmrs.wadeisafraidoftheguy,shecanmoveout.that’sherproblem.nobodycouldprotecthertwenty-fourhoursadayfromherownhusband.thereisn’tthatmuchprotectionintheworld.butthat’snotallyouwant.youwanttoknowwhyandhowandwhentheguyjumpedtherails,andthenfixitsothathedoesn’tdoitagain—atleastuntilhefinishesthebook.andthat’suptohim.ifhewantstowritethedamnbookbadenough,he’lllayoffthehoochuntilhedoesit.youwanttoodamnmuch.”

“theyallgotogether,”hesaid.“it’salloneproblem.butiguessiunderstand.it’salittleoversubtleforyourkindofoperation.well,goodbye.i’mflyingbacktonewyorktonight.”

“haveasmoothtrip.”

hethankedmeandhungup.iforgottotellhimihadgivenhistwentytothewaiter.ithoughtofcallingbacktotellhim,thenithoughthewasmiserableenoughalready.

iclosedtheofficeandstartedoffinthedirectionofvictor’stodrinkagimlet,asterryhadaskedmetoinhisletter.ichangedmymind.iwasn’tfeelingsentimentalenough.iwenttolowry’sandhadamartiniandsomeprimeribsandyorkshirepuddinginstead.

whenigothomeiturnedonthetvsetandlookedatthefights.theywerenogood,justabunchofdancingmasterswhooughttohavebeenworkingforarthurmurray.alltheydidwasjabandbobupanddownandfeintoneanotheroffbalance.notoneofthemcouldhithardenoughtowakehisgrandmotheroutofalightdoze.thecrowdwasbooingandtherefereekeptclappinghishandsforaction,buttheywentrightonswayingandjitteringandjabbinglonglefts.iturnedtoanotherchannelandlookedatacrimeshow.theactiontookplaceinaclothesclosetandthefacesweretiredandoverfamiliarandnotbeautiful.thedialoguewasstuffevenmonogramwouldn’thaveused.thedickhadacoloredhouseboyforcomicrelief.hedidn’tneedit,hewasplentycomicalallbyhimself.andthecommercialswouldhavesickenedagoatraisedonbarbedwireandbrokenbeerbottles.

icutitoffandsmokedalongcooltightlypackedcigarette.itwaskindtomythroat.itwasmadeoffinetobacco.iforgottonoticewhatbranditwas.iwasaboutreadytohitthehaywhendetective-sergeantgreenofhomicidecalledmeup.

“thoughtyoumightliketoknowtheyburiedyourfriendlennoxacoupleofdaysagorightinthatmexicantownwherehedied.alawyerrepresentingthefamilywentdownthereandattendedtoit.youwereprettyluckythistime,marlowe.nexttimeyouthinkofhelpingapalskipthecountry,don’t.”

“howmanybulletholesdidhehaveinhim?”

“what’sthat?”hebarked.thenhewassilentforaspace.thenhesaidrathertoocarefully:“one,ishouldsay.it’susuallyenoughwhenitblowsaguy’sheadoff.thelawyerisbringingbackasetofprintsandwhateverwasinhispockets.anythingmoreyou’dliketoknow?”

“yeah,butyoucan’ttellme.i’dliketoknowwhokilledlennox’swife.”

“cripes,didn’tgrenztellyouheleftafullconfession?itwasinthepapers,anyway.don’tyoureadthepapersanymore?”

“thanksforcallingme,sergeant.itwasrealkindofyou.”

“look,marlowe,”hesaidraspingly.“yougotanyfunnyideasaboutthiscase,youcouldbuyyourselfalotofgrieftalkingaboutthem.thecaseisclosed,finalized,andlaidawayinmothballs.damnluckyforyouitis.accessoryafterthefactisgoodforfiveyearsinthisstate.andletmetellyousomethingelse.i’vebeenacopalongtimeandonethingi’velearnedforsureisitain’talwayswhatyoudothatgetsyousentup.it’swhatitcanbemadetolooklikewhenitcomesintocourt.goodnight.”

hehungupinmyear.ireplacedthephonethinkingthatanhonestcopwithabadconsciencealwaysactstough.sodoesadishonestcop.sodoesalmostanyone,includingme.