heopenedthepaperagainandtoreitintolongstripsviciouslyanddumpedthestripsintohiswastebasket.

“isupposeadrunkwillwriteorsayordoanything,”hesaidslowly.“it’smeaninglesstome.candy’snotblackmailingme.helikesme.”

“maybeyou’dbettergetdrunkagain.youmightrememberwhatyoumeant.youmightrememberalotofthings.we’vebeenthroughthisbefore—thatnightwhenthegunwentoff.isupposetheseconalblankedyououttoo.yousoundedsoberenough.butnowyoupretendnottorememberwritingthatstuffijustgaveyou.nowonderyoucan’twriteyourbook,wade.it’sawonderyoucanstayalive.”

hereachedsidewaysandopenedadrawerofhisdesk.hishandfumbledinitandcameoutwithathree-deckercheckbook.heopeneditandreachedforapen.

“ioweyouathousanddollars,”hesaidquietly.hewroteinthebook.thenonthecounterfoil.hetorethecheckout,camearoundthedeskwithit,anddroppeditinfrontofme.“isthatallright?”

ileanedbackandlookedupathimanddidn’ttouchthecheckanddidn’tanswerhim.hisfacewastightanddrawn.hiseyesweredeepandempty.

“isupposeyouthinkikilledherandletlennoxtaketherap,”hesaidslowly.“shewasatrampallright.butyoudon’tbeatawoman’sheadinjustbecauseshe’satramp.candyknowsiwenttheresometimes.thefunnypartofitisidon’tthinkhewouldtell.icouldbewrong,butidon’tthinkso.”

“wouldn’tmatterifhedid,”isaid.“harlanpotter’sfriendswouldn’tlistentohim.also,shewasn’tkilledwiththatbronzething.shewasshotthroughtheheadwithherowngun.”

“shemaybehadagun,”hesaidalmostdreamily.“butididn’tknowshehadbeenshot.itwasn’tpublished.”

“didn’tknowordidn’tremember?”iaskedhim.“no,itwasn’tpublished.”

“whatareyoutryingtodotome,marlowe?”hisvoicewasstilldreamy,almostgentle.“whatdoyouwantmetodo?tellmywife?tellthepolice?whatgoodwoulditdo?”

“yousaidagoodmandiedforyou.”

“allimeantwasthatiftherehadbeenanyrealinvestigationimighthavebeenidentifiedasone—butonlyone—ofthepossiblesuspects.itwouldhavefinishedmeinseveralways.”

“ididn’tcomeheretoaccuseyouofamurder,wade.what’seatingyouisthatyou’renotsureyourself.youhavearecordofviolencetoyourwife.youblackoutwhenyou’redrunk.it’snoargumenttosayyoudon’tbeatawoman’sheadinjustbecauseshe’satramp.thatisexactlywhatsomebodydiddo.andtheguywhogotcreditforthejobseemedtomealotlesslikelythanyou.”

hewalkedtotheopenfrenchwindowsandstoodlookingoutattheshimmerofheatoverthelake.hedidn’tanswerme.hehadn’tmovedorspokenacoupleofminuteslaterwhentherewasalightknockatthedoorandcandycameinwheelingateawagon,withacrispwhitecloth,silver-covereddishes,apotofcoffee,andtwobottlesofbeer.

“openthebeer,boss?”heaskedwade’sback.

“bringmeabottleofwhiskey.”wadedidn’tturnaround.

“sorry,boss.nowhiskey.”

wadespunaroundandyelledathim,butcandydidn’tbudge.helookeddownatthechecklyingonthecocktailtableandhisheadtwistedashereadit.thenhelookedupatmeandhissedsomethingbetweenhisteeth.thenhelookedatwade.

“igonow.thismydayoff.”

heturnedandwent.wadelaughed.

“soigetitmyself,”hesaidsharply,andwent.

iliftedoneofthecoversandsawsomeneatlytrimmedthreecorneredsandwiches.itookoneandpouredsomebeerandatethesandwichstandingup.wadecamebackwithabottleandaglass.hesatdownonthecouchandpouredastiffjoltandsuckeditdown.therewasthesoundofacargoingawayfromthehouse,probablycandyleavingbytheservicedriveway.itookanothersandwich.

“sitdownandmakeyourselfcomfortable,”wadesaid.“wehaveallafternoontokill.”hehadaglowonalready.hisvoicewasvibrantandcheerful.“youdon’tlikeme,doyou,marlowe?”

“thatquestionhasalreadybeenaskedandanswered.”

“knowsomething?you’reaprettyruthlesssonofabitch.you’ddoanythingtofindwhatyouwant.you’devenmakelovetomywifewhileiwashelplessdrunkinthenextroom.”

“youbelieveeverythingthatknifethrowertellsyou?”

hepouredsomemorewhiskeyintohisglassandhelditupagainstthelight.“noteverything,no.aprettycolorwhiskeyis,isn’tit?todrowninagoldenflood—that’snotsobad.‘toceaseuponthemidnightwithnopain.’howdoesthatgoon?oh,sorry,youwouldn’tknow.tooliterary.you’resomekindofadick,aren’tyou?mindtellingmewhyyou’rehere.”

hedranksomemorewhiskeyandgrinnedatme.thenhespottedthechecklyingonthetable.hereachedforitandreaditoverhisglass.

“seemstobemadeouttosomebodynamedmarlowe.iwonderwhy,whatfor.seemsisignedit.foolishofme,i’magulliblechap.”

“stopacting,”isaidroughly.“where’syourwife?”

helookeduppolitely.“mywifewillbehomeinduecourse.nodoubtbythattimeishallbepassedoutandshecanentertainyouatherleisure.thehousewillbeyours.”

“where’sthegun?”iaskedsuddenly.

helookedblank.itoldhimihadputitinhisdesk.“nottherenow,i’msure,”hesaid.“youmaysearchifitpleasesyou.justdon’tstealanyrubberbands.”

iwenttothedeskandfriskedit.nogun.thatwassomething.probablyeileenhadhiddenit.

“look,wade,iaskedyouwhereyourwifewas.ithinksheoughttocomehome.notformybenefit,friend,foryours.somebodyhastolookoutforyou,andi’llbegoddamnedifit’sgoingtobeme.”

hestaredvaguely.hewasstillholdingthecheck.heputhisglassdownandtorethecheckacross,thenagainandagain,andletthepiecesfalltothefloor.

“evidentlytheamountwastoosmall,”hesaid.“yourservicescomeveryhigh.evenathousanddollarsandmywifefailtosatisfyyou.toobad,butican’tgoanyhigher.exceptonthis.”hepattedthebottle.

“i’mleaving,”isaid.

“butwhy?youwantedmetoremember.well—hereinthebottleismymemory.stickaround,pal.whenigetlitenoughi’lltellyouaboutallthewomenihavemurdered.”

“allright,wade.i’llstickaroundforawhile.butnotinhere.ifyouneedme,justsmashachairagainstthewall.”

iwentoutandleftthedooropen.iwalkedacrossthebiglivingroomandouttothepatioandpulledoneofthechaisesintotheshadowoftheoverhangandstretchedoutonit.acrossthelaketherewasabluehareagainstthehills.theoceanbreezehadbeguntofilterthroughthelowmountainstothewest.itwipedtheaircleananditwipedawayjustenoughoftheheat.idlevalleywashavingaperfectsummer.somebodyhadplanneditthatway.paradiseincorporated,andalsohighlyrestricted.onlythenicestpeople.absolutelynocentraleuropeans.justthecream,thetopdrawercrowd,thelovely,lovelypeople.liketheloringsandthewades.puregold.