nomatterhowsmartyouthinkyouare,youhavetohaveaplacetostartfrom:aname,anaddress,aneighborhood,abackground,anatmosphere,apointofreferenceofsomesort.allihadwastypingonacrumpledyellowpagethatsaid,“idonotlikeyou,dr.v.butrightnowyou’rethemanforme.”withthaticouldpinpointthepacificocean,spendamonthwadingthroughthelistsofhalfadozencountymedicalassociations,andendupwiththebiground0.inourtownquacksbreedlikeguineapigs.thereareeightcountieswithinahundredmilesofthecityhallandineverytownineverysingleoneofthemtherearedoctors,somegenuinemedicalmen,somejustmail-ordermechanicswithalicensetocutcornsorjumpupanddownonyourspine.oftherealdoctorssomeareprosperousandsomepoor,someethical,othersnotsuretheycanaffordit.awell-heeledpatientwithincipient’scouldbemoneyfromhometoplentyofoldgeezerswhohavefallenbehindinthevitaminandantibiotictrade.butwithoutacluetherewasnoplacetostart.ididn’thavetheclueandeileenwadeeitherdidn’thaveitordidn’tknowshehadit.andevenififoundsomebodythatfittedandhadtherightinitial,hemightturnouttobeamyth,sofarasrogerwadewasconcerned.thejinglemightbesomethingthatjusthappenedtorunthroughhisheadwhilehewasgettinghimselfstewedup.justasthescottfitzgeraldallusionmightbemerelyanoff-beatwayofsayinggoodbye.

inasituationlikethatthesmallmantriestopickthebigman’sbrains.soicalledupamaniknewinthecarneorganization,aflossyagencyinbeverlyhillsthatspecializedinprotectionforthecarriagetrade—protectionmeaningalmostanythingwithonefootinsidethelaw.theman’snamewasgeorgepetersandhesaidhecouldgivemetenminutesifimadeitfast.

theyhadhalfthesecondfloorofoneofthesecandy-pinkfour-storiedbuildingswheretheelevatordoorsopenallbythemselveswithanelectriceye,wherethecorridorsarecoolandquiet,andtheparkinglothasanameoneverystall,andthedruggistoffthefrontlobbyhasasprainedwristfromfillingbottlesofsleepingpills.

thedoorwasfrenchgrayoutsidewithraisedmetallettering,ascleanandsharpasanewknife.thecarneorganization,inc.geraldc.carne,president.belowandsmaller:entrance.itmighthavebeenaninvestmenttrust.

insidewasasmallanduglyreceptionroom,buttheuglinesswasdeliberateandexpensive.thefurniturewasscarletanddarkgreen,thewallswereaflatbrunswickgreen,andthepictureshungonthemwereframedinagreenaboutthreeshadesdarkerthanthat.thepictureswereguysinredcoatsonbighorsesthatwerejustcrazytojumpoverhighfences.thereweretwoframelessmirrorstintedaslightbutdisgustingshadeofrosepink.themagazinesonthetableofpolishedprimaverawereofthelatestissueandeachonewasenclosedinaclearplasticcover.thefellowwhodecoratedthatroomwasnotamantoletcolorsscarehim.heprobablyworeapimentoshirt,mulberryslacks,zebrashoes,andvermiliondrawerswithhisinitialsontheminanicemandarinorange.

thewholethingwasjustwindow-dressing.theclientsofthecarneorganizationwerechargedaminimumofonehundredfishperdiemandtheyexpectedserviceintheirhomes.theydidn’tgositinnowaitingrooms.carnewasanex-colonelofmilitarypolice,abigpinkandwhiteguyashardasaboard.hehadofferedmeajobonce,butinevergotdesperateenoughtotakeit.thereareonehundredandninetywaysofbeingabastardandcarneknewallofthem.

arubbedglasspartitionslidopenandareceptionistlookedoutatme.shehadanironsmileandeyesthatcouldcountthemoneyinyourhipwallet.

“goodmorning.mayihelpyou?”

“georgepeters,please,mynameismarlowe.”

sheputagreenleatherbookontheledge.“isheexpectingyou,mr.marlowe?idon’tseeyournameontheappointmentlist.”

“it’sapersonalmatter.ijusttalkedtohimonthephone.”

“isee.howdoyouspellyourname,mr.marlowe?andyourfirstname,please?”

itoldher.shewroteitdownonalongnarrowform,thenslippedtheedgeunderaclockpunch.

“who’sthatsupposedtoimpress?”iaskedher.

“weareveryparticularaboutdetailshere,”shesaidcoldly.“colonelcarnesaysyouneverknowwhenthemosttrivialfactmayturnouttobevital.”

“ortheotherwayaround,”isaid,butshedidn’tgetit.whenshehadfinishedherbookworkshelookedupandsaid:

“iwillannounceyoutomr.peters.”

itoldherthatmademeveryhappy.aminutelateradoorinthepanelingopenedandpetersbeckonedmeintoabattleship-graycorridorlinedwithlittleofficesthatlookedlikecells.hisofficehadsoundproofingontheceiling,agraysteeldeskwithtwomatchingchairs,agraydictatingmachineonagraystand,atelephoneandpensetofthesamecolorasthewallsandfloor.therewereacoupleofframedphotographsonthewalls,oneofcarneinuniform,withhissnowdrophelmeton,andoneofcarneasacivilianseatedbehindadeskandlookinginscrutable.alsoframedonthewallwasasmallinspirationallegendinsteelylettersonagraybackground.itread:

acarneoperativedresses,speaksandbehaveslikeagentlemanatalltimesandinallplacestherearenoexceptionstothisrule.

peterscrossedtheroomintwolongstepsandpushedoneofthepicturesaside.setintothegraywallbehinditwasagraymicrophonepickup.hepulleditout,unclippedawire,andpusheditbackinplace.hemovedthepictureinfrontofitagain.

“rightnowi’dbeoutofajob,”hesaid,“exceptthatthesonofabitchisoutfixingadrunk-drivingrapforsomeactor.allthemikeswitchesareinhisoffice.hehasthewholejointwired.theothermorningisuggestedtohimthathehaveamicrofilmcamerainstalledwithinfraredlightbehindadiaphanousmirrorinthereceptionroom.hedidn’tliketheideatoowell.maybebecausesomebodyelsehadit.”

hesatdowninoneofthehardgraychairs.istaredathim.hewasagawkylong-leggedmanwithabonyfaceandrecedinghair.hisskinhadthewornweatheredlookofamanwhohasbeenoutofdoorsagreatdeal,inallkindsofweather.hehaddeep-seteyesandanupperlipalmostaslongashisnose.whenhegrinnedthebottomhalfofhisfacedisappearedintotwoenormousditchesthatranfromhisnostrilstotheendsofhiswidemouth.

“howcanyoutakeit?”iaskedhim.

“sitdown,pal.breathequietly,keepyourvoicedown,andrememberthatacarneoperativeistoacheapshamuslikeyouwhattoscaniniistoanorgangrinder’smonkey.”hepausedandgrinned.“itakeitbecauseidon’tgiveadamn.it’sgoodmoneyandanytimecarnestartsactinglikehethoughtiwasdoingtimeinthatmaximum-securityprisonheraninenglandduringthewar,i’llpickupmycheckandblow.what’syourtrouble?ihearyouhaditroughawhileback.”

“nocomplaintsaboutthat.i’dliketolookatyourfileonthebarred-windowboys.iknowyouhaveone.eddiedowsttoldmeafterhequithere.”

henodded.“eddiewasjustamitetoosensitiveforthecarneorganization.thefileyoumentionistopsecret.innocircumstancesmustanyconfidentialinformationbedisclosedtooutsiders.i’llgetitatonce.”

hewentoutandistaredatthegraywastebasketandthegraylinoleumandthegrayleathercornersofthedeskblotter.peterscamebackwithagraycardboardfileinhishand.heputitdownandopenedit.

“forchrissake,haven’tyougotanythinginthisplacethatisn’tgray?”

“theschoolcolors,mylad.thespiritoftheorganization.yeah,ihavesomethingthatisn’tgray.”