itwasthedamndest-lookinghouseieversaw.itwasasquaregrayboxthreestorieshigh,withamansardroof,steeplyslopedandbrokenbytwentyorthirtydoubledormerwindowswithalotofweddingcakedecorationaroundthemandbetweenthem.theentrancehaddoublestonepillarsoneachsidebutthecreamofthejointwasanoutsidespiralstaircasewithastonerailing,toppedbyatowerroomfromwhichtheremusthavebeenaviewthewholelengthofthelake.

themotoryardwaspavedwithstone.whattheplacereallyseemedtoneedwasahalfmileofpoplar-lineddrivewayandadeerparkandawildgardenandaterraceonthreelevelsandafewhundredrosesoutsidethelibrarywindowandalonggreenvistafromeverywindowendinginforestandsilenceandquietemptiness.whatithadwasawalloffieldstonearoundacomfortabletenorfifteenacres,whichisafairhunkofrealestateinourcrowdedlittlecountry.thedrivewaywaslinedwithacypresshedgetrimmedround.therewereallsortsofornamentaltreesinclumpshereandthereandtheydidn’tlooklikecaliforniatrees.importedstuff.whoeverbuiltthatplacewastryingtodragtheatlanticseaboardovertherockies.hewastryinghard,buthehadn’tmadeit.

amos,themiddle-agedcoloredchauffeur,stoppedthecaddygentlyinfrontofthepillaredentrance,hoppedout,andcamearoundtoholdtheopendoorformrs.loring.igotoutfirstandhelpedhimholdit.ihelpedhergetout.shehadhardlyspokentomesincewegotintothecarinfrontofmybuilding.shelookedtiredandnervous.maybethisidiotichunkofarchitecturedepressedher.itwouldhavedepressedalaughingjackassandmadeitcoolikeamourningdove.

“whobuiltthisplace?”iaskedher.“andwhowashemadat?”

shefinallysmiled.“hadn’tyouseenitbefore?”

“neverbeenthisfarintothevalley.”

shewalkedmeovertotheothersideofthedrivewayandpointedup.“themanwhobuiltitjumpedoutofthattowerroomandlandedaboutwhereyouarestanding.hewasafrenchcountnamedlatourelleandunlikemostfrenchcountshehadalotofmoney.hiswifewasramonadesborough,whowasnotexactlythreadbareherself.inthesilent-picturedaysshemadethirtythousandaweek.latourellebuiltthisplacefortheirhome.it’ssupposedtobeaminiatureofthechâteaudeblois.youknowthat,ofcourse.”

“likethebackofmyhand,”isaid.“iremembernow.itwasoneofthosesundaypaperstoriesonce.shelefthimandhekilledhimself.therewassomekindofqueerwilltoo,wasn’tthere?”

shenodded.“helefthisex-wifeafewmillionsforcarfareandtiedtherestupinatrust.theestatewastobekeptonjustasitwas.nothingwastobechanged,thediningtablewastobelaidinstyleeverynight,andnobodywastobeallowedinsidethegroundsexcepttheservantsandthelawyers.thewillwasbroken,ofcourse.eventuallytheestatewascarveduptosomeextentandwhenimarrieddr.loringmyfathergaveittomeforaweddingpresent.itmusthavecosthimafortunemerelytomakeitfittoliveinagain.iloatheit.ialwayshave.”

“youdon’thavetostayhere,doyou?”

sheshruggedinatiredsortofway.“partofthetime,atleast.oneofhisdaughtershastoshowhimsomesignofstability.dr.loringlikesithere.”

“hewould.anyguywhocouldmakethekindofscenehemadeatwade’shouseoughttowearspatswithhispajamas.”

shearchedhereyebrows.“why,thankyoufortakingsuchaninterest,mr.marlowe.butithinkenoughhasbeensaidonthatsubject.shallwegoin?myfatherdoesn’tliketobekeptwaiting.”

wecrossedthedrivewayagainandwentupthestonestepsandhalfofthebigdoubledoorsswungopennoiselesslyandanexpensiveandverysnooty-lookingcharacterstoodasideforustoenter.thehallwaywasbiggerthanallthefloorspaceinthehouseiwaslivingin.ithadatesselatedfloorandthereseemedtobestained-glasswindowsatthebackandiftherehadbeenanylightcomingthroughthemimighthavebeenabletoseewhatelsewasthere.fromthehallwaywewentthroughsomemoredoublecarveddoorsintoadimroomthatcouldn’thavebeenlessthanseventyfeetlong.amanwassittingtherewaiting,silent.hestaredatuscoldly.

“amilate,father?”mrs.loringaskedhurriedly.“thisismr.philipmarlowe.mr.harlanpotter.”

themanjustlookedatmeandmovedhischindownabouthalfaninch.

“ringfortea,”hesaid.“sitdown,mr.marlowe.”

isatdownandlookedathim.helookedatmelikeanentomologistlookingatabeetle.nobodysaidanything.therewascompletesilenceuntiltheteacame.itwasputdownonahugesilvertrayonachinesetable.lindasatatatableandpoured.

“twocups,”harlanpottersaid.“youcanhaveyourteainanotherroom,linda.”

“yes,father.howdoyoulikeyourtea,mr.marlowe?”

“anywayatall,”isaid.myvoiceseemedtoechooffintothedistanceandgetsmallandlonely.

shegavetheoldmanacupandthengavemeacup.thenshestoodupsilentlyandwentoutoftheroom.iwatchedhergo.itookasipofteaandgotacigaretteout.

“don’tsmoke,please.iamsubjecttoasthma.”

iputthecigarettebackinthepack.istaredathim.idon’tknowhowitfeelstobeworthahundredmillionorso,buthedidn’tlookasifhewashavinganyfun.hewasanenormousman,allofsixfeetfiveandbuilttoscale.heworeagraytweedsuitwithnopadding.hisshouldersdidn’tneedany.heworeawhiteshirtandadarktieandnodisplayhandkerchief.aspectaclecaseshowedintheoutsidebreastpocket.itwasblack,likehisshoes.hishairwasblacktoo,nograyatall.itwasbrushedsidewaysacrosshisskullinamacarthursweep.andihadahunchtherewasnothingunderitbutbareskull.hiseyebrowswerethickandblack.hisvoiceseemedtocomefromalongwayoff.hedrankhisteaasifhehatedit.

“itwillsavetime,mr.marlowe,ifiputmypositionbeforeyou.ibelieveyouareinterferinginmyaffairs.ifiamcorrect,iproposetostopit.”

“idon’tknowenoughaboutyouraffairstointerfereinthem,mr.potter.”

“idisagree.”

hedranksomemoreteaandputthecupaside.heleanedbackinthebigchairhewassittinginandtookmetopieceswithhishardgrayeyes.

“iknowwhoyouare,naturally.andhowyoumakeyourliving—ifyoumakeone—andhowyoubecameinvolvedwithterrylennox.ithasbeenreportedtomethatyouhelpedterrygetoutofthecountry,thatyouhavedoubtsabouthisguilt,andthatyouhavesincemadecontactwithamanwhowasknowntomydeaddaughter.forwhatpurposehasnotbeenexplainedtome.explainit.”

“ifthemanhasaname,”isaid,“nameit.”

hesmiledveryslightly,butnotasifhewasfallingforme.“wade.rogerwade.somesortofwriter,ibelieve.awriter,theytellme,ofratherprurientbookswhichishouldnotbeinterestedtoread.ifurtherunderstandthatthismanisadangerousalcoholic.thatmayhavegivenyouastrangenotion.”

“maybeyouhadbetterletmehavemyownnotions,mr.potter.theyarenotimportant,naturally,butthey’reallihave.first,idonotbelieveterrykilledhiswife,becauseofthewayitwasdoneandbecauseidon’tthinkhewasthatkindofman.second,ididn’tmakecontactwithwade.iwasaskedtoliveinhishouseanddowhaticouldtokeephimsoberwhilehefinishedajobofwriting.third,ifheisadangerousalcoholic,ihaven’tseenanysignofit.fourth,myfirstcontactwasattherequestofhisnewyorkpublisherandididn’tatthattimehaveanyideathatrogerwadeevenknewyourdaughter.fifth,irefusedthisofferofemploymentandthenmrs.wadeaskedmetofindherhusbandwhowasawaysomewheretakingacure.ifoundhimandtookhimhome.”

“verymethodical,”hesaiddryly.

“i’mnotfinishedbeingmethodical,mr.potter.sixth,youorsomeoneonyourinstructionssentalawyernamedsewellendicotttogetmeoutofjail.hedidn’tsaywhosenthim,buttherewasn’tanyoneelseinthepicture.seventh,whenigotoutofjailahoodlumnamedmendymenendezpushedmearoundandwarnedmetokeepmynosecleanandgavemeasonganddanceabouthowterryhadsavedhislifeandthelifeofagambleratlasvegasnamedrandystarr.thestorycouldbetrueforalliknow.menendezpretendedtobesorethatterryhadn’taskedhimforhelpgettingtomexicoandhadaskedapunklikemeinstead.he,menendez,couldhavedoneittwowaysfromthejackbyliftingonefinger,anddoneitmuchbetter.”

“surely,”harlanpottersaidwithableaksmile,“youarenotundertheimpressionthatinumbermr.menendezandmr.starramongmyacquaintances.”

“iwouldn’tknow,mr.potter.amandoesn’tmakeyourkindofmoneyinanywayicanunderstand.thenextpersontowarnmeoffthecourthouselawnwasyourdaughter,mrs.loring.wemetbyaccidentatabarandwespokebecausewewerebothdrinkinggimlets,terry’sfavoritedrink,butanuncommononearoundhere.ididn’tknowwhoshewasuntilshetoldme.itoldheralittleofhowifeltaboutterryandshegavemetheideathatiwouldhaveashortunhappycareerifigotyoumad.areyoumad,mr.potter?”

“wheniam,”hesaidcoldly,“youwillnothavetoaskme.youwillbeinnouncertaintyaboutit.”

“whatithought.i’vebeenkindofexpectingthegoonsquadtodroparound,buttheyhaven’tshownsofar.ihaven’tbeenbotheredbythecopseither.icouldhavebeen.icouldhavebeengivenaroughtime.ithinkallyouwanted,mr.potter,wasquiet.justwhathaveidonetodisturbyou?”