theyhadcandyinahardchairagainstthewallofthesheriff’santeroom.hehatedmewithhiseyesasiwentbyhimintothebigsquareroomwheresheriffpetersenheldcourtinthemiddleofacollectionoftestimonialsfromagratefulpublictohistwentyyearsoffaithfulpublicservice.thewallswereloadedwithphotographsofhorsesandsheriffpetersenmadeapersonalappearanceineveryphotograph.thecornersofhiscarveddeskwerehorses’heads.hisinkwellwasamountedpolishedhorse’shoofandhispenswereplantedinthematetoitfilledwithwhitesand.agoldplateoneachofthesesaidsomethingorotheraboutadate.inthemiddleofaspotlessdeskblotterlayabagofbulldurhamandapackofbrowncigarettepapers.petersenrolledhisown.hecouldrollonewithonehandonhorsebackandoftendid,especiallywhenleadingaparadeonabigwhitehorsewithamexicansaddleloadedwithbeautifulmexicansilverwork.onhorsebackheworeaflat-crownedmexicansombrero.herodebeautifullyandhishorsealwaysknewexactlywhentobequiet,whentoactupsothatthesheriffwithhiscalminscrutablesmilecouldbringthehorsebackundercontrolwithonehand.thesheriffhadagoodact.hehadahandsomehawklikeprofile,gettingalittlesaggyunderthechinbynow,butheknewhowtoholdhisheadsoitwouldn’tshowtoomuch.heputalotofhardworkintohavinghispicturetaken.hewasinhismiddlefiftiesandhisfather,adane,hadlefthimalotofmoney.thesheriffdidn’tlooklikeadane,becausehishairwasdarkandhisskinwasbrownandhehadtheimpassivepoiseofacigarstoreindianandaboutthesamekindofbrains.butnobodyhadevercalledhimacrook.therehadbeencrooksinhisdepartmentandtheyhadfooledhimaswellastheyhadfooledthepublic,butnoneofthecrookednessrubbedoffonsheriffpetersen.hejustwentrightongettingelectedwithouteventrying,ridingwhitehorsesattheheadofparades,andquestioningsuspectsinfrontofcameras.that’swhatthecaptionssaid.asamatteroffactheneverquestionedanybody.hewouldn’thaveknownhow.hejustsatathisdesklookingsternlyatthesuspect,showinghisprofiletothecamera.theflashbulbswouldgooff,thecameramenwouldthankthesheriffdeferentially,thesuspectwouldberemovednothavingopenedhismouth,andthesheriffwouldgohometohisranchinthesanfernandovalley.therehecouldalwaysbereached.ifyoucouldn’treachhiminperson,youcouldtalktooneofhishorses.

onceinawhile,comeelectiontime,somemisguidedpoliticianwouldtrytogetsheriffpetersen’sjob,andwouldbeapttocallhimthingsliketheguywiththebuilt-inprofileorthehamthatsmokesitself,butitdidn’tgethimanywhere.sheriffpetersenjustwentrightongettingre-elected,alivingtestimonialtothefactthatyoucanholdanimportantpublicofficeforeverinourcountrywithnoqualificationsforitbutacleannose,aphotogenicface,andaclosemouth.ifontopofthatyoulookgoodonahorse,youareunbeatable.

asohlsandiwentin,sheriffpetersenwasstandingbehindhisdeskandthecameraboyswerefilingoutbyanotherdoor.thesheriffhadhiswhitestetsonon.hewasrollingacigarette.hewasallsettogohome.helookedatmesternly.

“who’sthis?”heaskedinarichbaritonevoice.

“name’sphilipmarlowe,chief,”ohlssaid.“onlypersoninthehousewhenwadeshothimself.youwantapicture?”

thesheriffstudiedme.“idon’tthinkso,”hesaid,andturnedtoabigtired-lookingmanwithiron-grayhair.“ifyouneedme,i’llbeattheranch,captainhernandez.”

“yes,sir.”

petersenlithiscigarettewithakitchenmatch.helititonhisthumbnail.nolightersforsheriffpetersen.hewasstrictlyaroll-yourown-and-light-’em-with-one-handtype.

hesaidgoodnightandwentout.adeadpancharacterwithhardblackeyeswentwithhim,hispersonalbodyguard.thedoorclosed.whenhewasgonecaptainhernandezmovedtothedeskandsatinthesheriff’senormouschairandastenotypeoperatorinthecornermovedhisstandoutfromthewalltogetelbowroom.ohlssatattheendofthedeskandlookedamused.

“allright,marlowe,”hernandezsaidbriskly.“let’shaveit.”

“howcomeidon’tgetmyphototaken?”

“youheardwhatthesheriffsaid.”

“yeah,butwhy?”iwhined.

ohlslaughed.“youknowdamnwellwhy.”

“youmeanonaccountofi’mtall,dark,andhandsomeandsomebodymightlookatme?”

“cutit,”hernandezsaidcoldly.“let’sgetonwithyourstatement.startfromthebeginning.”

igaveittothemfromthebeginning:myinterviewwithhowardspencer,mymeetingwitheileenwade,heraskingmetofindroger,myfindinghim,heraskingmetothehouse,whatwadeaskedmetodoandhowifoundhimpassedoutnearthehibiscusbushesandtherestofit.thestenotypeoperatortookitdown.nobodyinterruptedme.allofitwastrue.thetruthandnothingbutthetruth.butnotquiteallthetruth.whatileftoutwasmybusiness.

“nice,”hernandezsaidattheend.“butnotquitecomplete.”thiswasacoolcompetentdangerousguy,thishernandez.somebodyinthesheriff’sofficehadtobe.“thenightwadeshotofftheguninhisbedroomyouwentintomrs.wade’sroomandwereinthereforsometimewiththedoorshut.whatwereyoudoinginthere?”

“shecalledmeinandaskedmehowhewas.”

“whyshutthedoor?”

“wadewashalfasleepandididn’twanttomakeanynoise.alsothehouseboywashangingaroundwithhisearout.alsosheaskedmetoshutthedoor.ididn’trealizeitwasgoingtobeimportant.”

“howlongwereyouinthere?”

“idon’tknow.threeminutesmaybe.”

“isuggestyouwereinthereacoupleofhours,”hernandezsaidcoldly.“doimakemyselfclear?”

ilookedatohls.ohlsdidn’tlookatanything.hewaschewingonanunlightedcigaretteasusual.

“youaremisinformed,captain.”

“we’llsee.afteryoulefttheroomyouwentdownstairstothestudyandspentthenightonthecouch.perhapsishouldsaytherestofthenight.”

“itwastenminutestoelevenwhenhecalledmeathome.itwaslongpasttwoo’clockwheniwentintothestudyforthelasttimethatnight.callittherestofthenightifyoulike.”

“getthehouseboyinhere,”hernandezsaid.

ohlswentoutandcamebackwithcandy.theyputcandyinachair.hernandezaskedhimafewquestionstoestablishwhohewasandsoon.thenhesaid:“allright,candy—we’llcallyouthatforconvenience—afteryouhelpedmarloweputrogerwadetobed,whathappened?”

iknewwhatwascomingmoreorless.candytoldhisstoryinaquietsavagevoicewithverylittleaccent.itseemedasifhecouldturnthatonandoffatwill.hisstorywasthathehadhungarounddownstairsincasehewaswantedagain,partofthetimeinthekitchenwherehegothimselfsomefood,partofthetimeinthelivingroom.whileinthelivingroomsittinginachairnearthefrontdoorhehadseeneileenwadestandinginthedoorofherroomandhehadseenhertakeherclothesoff.hehadseenherputarobeonwithnothingunderitandhehadseenmegointoherroomandishutthedoorandstayedintherealongtime,acoupleofhourshethought.hehadgoneupthestairsandlistened.hehadheardthebedspringsmakingsounds.hehadheardwhispering.hemadehismeaningveryobvious.whenhehadfinishedhegavemeacorrosivelookandhismouthwastwistedtightwithhatred.

“takehimout,”hernandezsaid.

“justaminute,”isaid.“iwanttoquestionhim.”

“iaskthequestionshere,”hernandezsaidsharply.

“youdon’tknowhow,captain.youweren’tthere.he’slyingandheknowsitandiknowit.”

hernandezleanedbackandpickeduponeofthesheriff’spens.hebentthehandleofthepen.itwaslongandpointedandmadeofstiffenedhorsehair.whenheletgoofthepointitsprangback.

“shoot,”hesaidatlast.

ifacedcandy.“wherewereyouwhenyousawmrs.wadetakeherclothesoff?”