“iwassittingdowninachairnearthefrontdoor,”hesaidinasurlytone.

“betweenthefrontdoorandthetwofacingdavenports?”

“whatisaid.”

“wherewasmrs.wade?”

“justinsidethedoorofherroom.thedoorwasopen.”

“whatlightwasthereinthelivingroom?”

“onelamp.talllampwhattheycallabridgelamp.”

“whatlightwasonthebalcony?”

“nolight.lightinherbedroom.”

“whatkindoflightinherbedroom?”

“notmuchlight.nighttablelamp,maybe.”

“notaceilinglight?”

“no.”

“aftershetookherclothesoff—standingjustinsidethedoorofherroom,yousaid—sheputonarobe.whatkindofrobe?”

“bluerobe.longthinglikeahousecoat.shetieitwithasash.”

“soifyouhadn’tactuallyseenhertakeherclothesoffyouwouldn’tknowwhatshehadonundertherobe?”

heshrugged.helookedvaguelyworried.“sí.that’sright.butiseehertakeherclothesoff.”

“you’realiar.thereisn’tanyplaceinthelivingroomfromwhichyoucouldseehertakeherclothesoffrightbanginherdoorway,muchlessinsideherroom.shewouldhavetocomeouttotheedgeofthebalcony.ifshehaddonethatshewouldhaveseenyou.”

hejustglaredatme.iturnedtoohls.“you’veseenthehouse.captainhernandezhasn’t—orhashe?”

ohlsshookhisheadslightly.hernandezfrownedandsaidnothing.

“thereisnospotinthatlivingroom,captainhernandez,fromwhichhecouldseeeventhetopofmrs.wade’shead—evenifhewasstandingup—andhesayshewassittingdown—providedshewasasfarbackasherowndoorwayorinsideit.i’mfourinchestallerthanheisandicouldonlyseethetopfootofanopendoorwheniwasstandingjustinsidethefrontdoorofthehouse.shewouldhavetocomeouttotheedgeofthebalconyforhimtoseewhathesayshesaw.whywouldshedothat?whywouldsheundressinherdoorwayeven?there’snosensetoit.”

hernandezjustlookedatme.thenhelookedatcandy.“howaboutthetimeelement?”heaskedsoftly,speakingtome.

“that’shiswordagainstmine.i’mtalkingaboutwhatcanbeproved.”

hernandezspitspanishatcandytoofastformetounderstand.candyjuststaredathimsulkily.

“takehimout,”hernandezsaid.

ohlsjerkedathumbandopenedthedoor.candywentout.hernandezbroughtoutaboxofcigarettes,stuckoneonhislip,andlititwithagoldlighte.

ohlscamebackintotheroom,hernandezsaidcalmly:“ijusttoldhimthatiftherewasaninquestandhetoldthatstoryonthestand,he’dfindhimselfdoingaone-to-threeupinqforperjury.didn’tseemtoimpresshimmuch.it’sobviouswhat’seatinghim.anold-fashionedcaseofhotpants.ifhe’dbeenaroundandwehadanyreasontosuspectmurder,he’dmakeaprettygoodpigeon—exceptthathewouldhaveusedaknife.igottheimpressionearlierthathefeltprettybadaboutwade’sdeath.anyquestionsyouwanttoask,ohls?”

ohlsshookhishead.hernandezlookedatmeandsaid:“comebackinthemorningandsignyourstatement.we’llhaveittypedoutbythen.weoughttohaveareportbyteno’clock,preliminaryanyway.anythingyoudon’tlikeaboutthissetup,marlowe?”

“wouldyoumindrephrasingthequestion?thewayyouputitsuggeststheremightbesomethingidolikeaboutit.”

“okay,”hesaidwearily.“takeoff.i’mgoinghome.”

istoodup.

“ofcourseineverdidbelievethatstuffcandypulledonus,”hesaid.“justuseditforacorkscrew.nohardfeelings,ihope.”

“nofeelingsatall,captain.nofeelingsatall.”

theywatchedmegooutanddidn’tsaygoodnight.iwalkeddownthelongcorridortothehillstreetentranceandgotintomycaranddrovehome.

nofeelingsatallwasexactlyright.iwasashollowandemptyasthespacesbetweenthestars.whenigothomeimixedastiffoneandstoodbytheopenwindowinthelivingroomandsippeditandlistenedtothegroundswellofthetrafficonlaurelcanyonboulevardandlookedattheglareofthebigangrycityhangingovertheshoulderofthehillsthroughwhichtheboulevardhadbeencut.faroffthebansheewailofpoliceorfiresirensroseandfell,neverforverylongcompletelysilenttwenty-fourhoursadaysomebodyisrunning,somebodyelseistryingtocatchhim.outthereinthenightofathousandcrimespeopleweredying,beingmaimed,cutbyflyingglass,crushedagainststeeringwheelsorunderheavytires.peoplewerebeingbeaten,robbed,strangled,raped,andmurdered.peoplewerehungry,sick;bored,desperatewithlonelinessorremorseorfear,angry,cruel,feverish,shakenbysobs.acitynoworsethanothers,acityrichandvigorousandfullofpride,acitylostandbeatenandfullofemptiness.

italldependsonwhereyousitandwhatyourownprivatescoreis.ididn’thaveone.ididn’tcare.

ifinishedthedrinkandwenttobed.