hegrinned.itwasasourkindofgrin,butitwasagrin.heputhislongyellowfingerstogetherandcrossedalegoverhiskneeandleanedbackcomfortably.

“aprettygoodpitch,mr.marlowe,andihaveletyoumakeit.nowlistentome.youareexactlyrightinthinkingalliwantisquiet.it’squitepossiblethatyourconnectionwiththewadesmaybeincidental,accidental,andcoincidental.letitremainso.iamafamilymaninanagewhenitmeansalmostnothing.oneofmydaughtersmarriedabostonianprigandtheothermadeanumberoffoolishmarriages,thelastbeingwithacomplaisantpauperwhoallowedhertoliveaworthlessandimmorallifeuntilhesuddenlyandfornogoodreasonlosthisself-controlandmurderedher.youthinkthatimpossibletoacceptbecauseofthebrutalitywithwhichitwasdone.youarewrong.heshotherwithamauserautomatic,theverygunhetookwithhimtomexico.andafterheshotherhedidwhathedidinordertocoverthebulletwound.iadmitthebrutalityofthis,butrememberthemanhadbeeninawar,hadbeenbadlywounded,hadsufferedagreatdealandseenotherssuffer.hemaynothaveintendedtokillher.theremayhavebeensomesortofscuffle,sincethegunbelongedtomydaughter.itwasasmallbutpowerfulgun,7.65mmcaliber,amodelcalledthebulletwentcompletelythroughherheadandlodgedinthewallbehindachintzcurtain.itwasnotfoundimmediatelyandthefactwasnotpublishedatall.nowletusconsiderthesituation.”hebrokeoffandstaredatme.“areyouverybadlyinneedofacigarette?”

“sorry,mr.potter.itookitoutwithoutthinking.forceofhabit.”iputthecigarettebackforthesecondtime.

“terryhadjustkilledhiswife.hehadamplemotivefromtheratherlimitedpolicepointofview.buthealsohadanexcellentdefense—thatitwasherguninherpossessionandthathetriedtotakeitawayfromherandfailedandsheshotherselfwithit.agoodtriallawyercouldhavedonealotwiththat.hewouldprobablyhavebeenacquitted.ifhehadcalledmeupthen,iwouldhavehelpedhim.butbymakingthemurderabrutalaffairtocoverthetracesofthebullet,hemadeitimpossible.hehadtorunawayandeventhathedidclumsily.”

“hecertainlydid,mr.potter.buthecalledyouupinpasadenafirst,didn’the?hetoldmehedid.”

thebigmannodded.“itoldhimtodisappearandiwouldstillseewhaticoulddo.ididn’twanttoknowwherehewas.thatwasimperative.icouldnothideacriminal.”

“soundsgood,mr.potter.”

“doidetectanoteofsarcasm?nomatter.whenilearnedthedetailstherewasnothingtobedone.icouldnotpermitthesortoftrialthatkindofkillingwouldresultin.tobefrank,iwasverygladwhenilearnedthathehadshothimselfinmexicoandleftaconfession.”

“icanunderstandthat,mr.potter.”

hebeetledhiseyebrowsatme.“becareful,youngman.idon’tlikeirony.canyouunderstandnowthaticannottolerateanyfurtherinvestigationofanysortbyanyperson?andwhyihaveusedallmyinfluencetomakewhatinvestigationtherewasasbriefaspossibleandaslittlepublicizedaspossible?”

“sure—ifyou’reconvincedhekilledher.”

“ofcoursehekilledher.withwhatintentisanothermatter.itisnolongerimportant.iamnotapubliccharacterandidonotintendtobe.ihavealwaysgonetoagreatdealoftroubletoavoidanykindofpublicity.ihaveinfluencebutidon’tabuseit.thedistrictattorneyoflosangelescountyisanambitiousmanwhohastoomuchgoodsensetowreckhiscareerforthenotorietyofthemoment.iseeaglintinyoureye,marlowe.getridofit.weliveinwhatiscalledademocracy,rulebythemajorityofthepeople.afineidealifitcouldbemadetowork.thepeopleelect,butthepartymachinesnominate,andthepartymachinestobeeffectivemustspendagreatdealofmoney.somebodyhastogiveittothem,andthatsomebody,whetheritbeaninpidual,afinancialgroup,atradeunionorwhathaveyou,expectssomeconsiderationinreturn.whatiandpeopleofmykindexpectistobeallowedtoliveourlivesindecentprivacy.iownnewspapers,butidon’tlikethem.iregardthemasaconstantmenacetowhateverprivacywehaveleft.theirconstantyelpingaboutafreepressmeans,withafewhonorableexceptions,freedomtopeddlescandal,crime,sex,sensationalism,hate,innuendo,andthepoliticalandfinancialusesofpropaganda.anewspaperisabusinessouttomakemoneythroughadvertisingrevenue.thatispredicatedonitscirculationandyouknowwhatthecirculationdependson.”

igotupandwalkedaroundmychair.heeyedmewithcoldattention.isatdownagain.ineededalittleluck.hell,ineededitincarloadlots.

“okay,mr.potter,whatgoesfromhere?”

hewasn’tlistening.hewasfrowningathisownthoughts.“there’sapeculiarthingaboutmoney,”hewenton.“inlargequantitiesittendstohavealifeofitsown,evenaconscienceofitsown.thepowerofmoneybecomesverydifficulttocontrol.manhasalwaysbeenavenalanimal.thegrowthofpopulations,thehugecostsofwars,theincessantpressureofconfiscatorytaxation—allthesethingsmakehimmoreandmorevenal.theaveragemanistiredandscared,andatired,scaredmancan’taffordideals.hehastobuyfoodforhisfamily.inourtimewehaveseenashockingdeclineinbothpublicandprivatemorals.youcan’texpectqualityfrompeoplewhoselivesareasubjectiontoalackofquality.youcan’thavequalitywithmassproduction.youdon’twantitbecauseitlaststoolong.soyousubstitutestyling,whichisacommercialswindleintendedtoproduceartificialobsolescence.massproductioncouldn’tsellitsgoodsnextyearunlessitmadewhatitsoldthisyearlookunfashionableayearfromnow.wehavethewhitestkitchensandthemostshiningbathroomsintheworld.butinthelovelywhitekitchentheaverageamericanhousewifecan’tproduceamealfittoeat,andthelovelyshiningbathroomismostlyareceptaclefordeodorants,laxatives,sleepingpills,andtheproductsofthatconfidenceracketcalledthecosmeticindustry.wemakethefinestpackagesintheworld,mr.marlowe.thestuffinsideismostlyjunk.”

hetookoutalargewhitehandkerchiefandtouchedhistempleswithit.iwassittingtherewithmymouthopen,wonderingwhatmadetheguytick.hehatedeverything.

“it’salittletoowarmformeintheseparts,”hesaid.“i’musedtoacoolerclimate.i’mbeginningtosoundlikeaneditorialthathasforgottenthepointitwantedtomake.”

“igotyourpointallright,mr.potter.youdon’tlikethewaytheworldisgoingsoyouusewhatpoweryouhavetocloseoffaprivatecornertoliveinasnearaspossibletothewayyourememberpeoplelivedfiftyyearsagobeforetheageofmassproduction.you’vegotahundredmilliondollarsandallithasboughtyouisapainintheneck.”

hepulledthehandkerchieftautbytwooppositecorners,thencrumpleditintoaballandstuffeditinapocket.

“andthen?”heaskedshortly.

“that’sallthereis,thereisn’tanymore.youdon’tcarewhomurderedyourdaughter,mr.potter.youwroteheroffasabadjoblongago.evenifterrylennoxdidn’tkillher,andtherealmurdererisstillwalkingaroundfree,youdon’tcare.youwouldn’twanthimcaught,becausethatwouldrevivethescandalandtherewouldhavetobeatrialandhisdefensewouldblowyourprivacyashighastheempirestatebuilding.unless,ofcourse,hewasobligingenoughtocommitsuicide,beforetherewasanytrial.preferablyintahitiorguatemalaorthemiddleofthesaharadesert.anywherewherethecountywouldhatetheexpenseofsendingamantoverifywhathadhappened.”

hesmiledsuddenly,abigruggedsmilewithareasonableamountoffriendlinessinit.

“whatdoyouwantfromme,marlowe?”

“ifyoumeanhowmuchmoney,nothing.ididn’taskmyselfhere.iwasbrought.itoldthetruthabouthowimetrogerwade.buthedidknowyourdaughterandhedoeshavearecordofviolence,althoughihaven’tseenanyofit.lastnighttheguytriedtoshoothimself.he’sahauntedman.hehasamassiveguiltcomplex.ifihappenedtobelookingforagoodsuspect,hemightdo.irealizehe’sonlyoneofmany,buthehappenstobetheonlyonei’vemet.”

hestoodupandstandinguphewasreallybig.toughtoo.hecameoverandstoodinfrontofme.

“atelephonecall,mr.marlowe,woulddepriveyouofyourlicense.don’tfencewithme.iwon’tputupwithit.”

“twotelephonecallsandi’dwakeupkissingthegutter—withthebackofmyheadmissing.”

helaughedharshly.“idon’toperatethatway.isupposeinyourquaintlineofbusinessitisnaturalforyoutothinkso.i’vegivenyoutoomuchofmytime.i’llringforthebutlertoshowyouout.”

“notnecessary,”isaid,andstoodupmyself.“icamehereandgottold.thanksforthetime.”

heheldhishandout.“thankyouforcoming.ithinkyou’reaprettyhonestsortoffellow.don’tbeahero,youngman.there’snopercentageinit.”

ishookhandswithhim.hehadagriplikeapipewrench.hesmiledatmebenignantlynow.hewasmr.big,thewinner,everythingundercontrol.

“oneofthesedaysimightbeabletothrowsomebusinessyourway,”hesaid.“anddon’tgoawaythinkingthatibuypoliticiansorlawenforcementofficers.idon’thaveto.goodbye,mr.marlowe.andthankyouagainforcoming.”

hestoodthereandwatchedmeoutoftheroom.ihadmyhandonthefrontdoorwhenlindaloringpoppedoutofashadowsomewhere.

“well?”sheaskedmequietly.“howdidyougetonwithfather?”

“fine.heexplainedcivilizationtome.imeanhowitlookstohim.he’sgoingtoletitgoonforalittlewhilelonger.butitbetterbecarefulandnotinterferewithhisprivatelife.ifitdoes,he’sapttomakeaphonecalltogodandcanceltheorder.”

“you’rehopeless,”shesaid.

“me?i’mhopeless?lady,takealookatyouroldman.comparedwithhimi’mablue-eyedbabywithabrandnewrattle.”

iwentonoutandamoshadthecaddytherewaiting.hedrovemebacktohollywood.iofferedhimabuckbuthewouldn’ttakeit.iofferedtobuyhimthepoemsoft.s.eliot.hesaidhealreadyhadthem.