theinquestwasaflop.thecoronersailedintoitbeforethemedicalevidencewascomplete,forfearthepublicitywoulddieonhim.heneedn’thaveworried.thedeathofawriter—evenaloudwriter—isnotnewsforlong,andthatsummertherewastoomuchtocompete.akingabdicatedandanotherwasassassinated.inoneweekthreelargepassengerplanescrashed.theheadmanofabigwireservicewasshottopiecesinchicagoinhisownautomobile.twenty-fourconvictswereburnedtodeathinaprisonfire.thecoroneroflosangelescountywasoutofluck.hewasmissingthegoodthingsinlife.

asileftthestandisawcandy.hehadabrightmaliciousgrinonhisface—ihadnoideawhy—andasusualhewasdressedjustalittletoowell,inacocoabrowngabardinesuitwithawhitenylonshirtandmidnightbluebowtie.onthewitnessstandhewasquietandmadeagoodimpression.yes,thebosshadbeenprettydrunklatelyalotoftimes.yes,hehadhelpedputhimtobedthenightthegunwentoffupstairs.yes,thebosshaddemandedwhiskeybeforehe,candy,leftonthelastday,buthehadrefusedtogetit.no,hedidn’tknowanythingaboutmr.wade’sliterarywork,butheknewthebosshadbeendiscouraged.hekeptthrowingitawayandthengettingitoutofthewastebasketagain.no,hehadneverheardmr.wadequarrelingwithanyone.andsoon.thecoronermilkedhimbutitwasthinstuff.somebodyhaddoneagoodcoachingjoboncandy.

eileenwadeworeblackandwhite.shewaspaleandspokeinalowclearvoicewhicheventheamplifiercouldnotspoil.thecoronerhandledherwithtwopairsofvelvetgloves.hetalkedtoherasifhehadtroublekeepingthesobsoutofhisvoice.whensheleftthestandhestoodupandbowedandshegavehimafaintfugitivesmilethatnearlymadehimchokeonhissalvia.

shealmostpassedmewithoutaglanceonthewayout,thenatthelastmomentturnedherheadacoupleofinchesandnoddedveryslightly,asifiwassomebodyshemusthavemetsomewherealongtimeago,butcouldn’tquiteplaceinhermemory.

outsideonthestepswhenitwasalloveriranintoohls.hewaswatchingthetrafficdownbelow,orpretendingto.

“nicejob,”hesaidwithoutturninghishead.“congratulations.”

“youdidallrightoncandy.”

“notme,kid.thedecidedthesexystuffwasirrelevant.”

“whatsexystuffwasthat?”

helookedatmethen.“ha,ha,ha,”hesaid.“andidon’tmeanyou.”thenhisexpressiongotremote.“ibeenlookingatthemfortoomanyyears.itweariesaman.thisonecameoutofthespecialbottle.oldprivatestock.strictlyforthecarriagetrade.solong,sucker.callmewhenyoustartwearingtwenty-dollarshirts.i’lldroparoundandholdyourcoatforyou.”

peopleeddiedaroundusgoingupanddownthesteps.wejuststoodthere.ohlstookacigaretteoutofhispocketandlookedatitanddroppeditontheconcreteandgroundittonothingwithhisheel.

“wasteful,”isaid.

“onlyacigarette,pal.it’snotalife.afterawhilemaybeyoumarrythegirl,huh?”

“shoveit.”

helaughedsourly.“ibeentalkingtotherightpeopleaboutthewrongthings,”hesaidacidly.“anyobjection?”

“noobjection,lieutenant,”isaid,andwentondownthesteps.hesaidsomethingbehindmebutikeptgoing.

iwentovertoacorn-beefjointonflower.itsuitedmymood.arudesignovertheentrancesaid:“menonly.dogsandwomennotadmitted.”theserviceinsidewasequallypolished.thewaiterwhotossedyourfoodatyouneededashaveanddeductedhistipwithoutbeinginvited.thefoodwassimplebutverygoodandtheyhadabrownswedishbeerwhichcouldhitashardasamartini.

whenigotbacktotheofficethephonewasringing.ohlssaid:“i’mcomingbyyourplace.i’vegotthingstosay.”

hemusthavebeenatornearthehollywoodsubstationbecausehewasintheofficeinsidetwentyminutes.heplantedhimselfinthecustomer’schairandcrossedhislegsandgrowled:

“iwasoutofline.sorry.forgetit.”

“whyforgetit?let’sopenupthewound.”

“suitsme.underthehat,though.tosomepeopleyou’reawronggee.ineverknewyoutodoanythingtoocrooked.”

“whatwasthecrackabouttwenty-dollarshirts?”

“awhell,iwasjustsore,”ohlssaid.“iwasthinkingofoldmanpotter.likehetoldasecretarytotellalawyertotelldistrictattorneyspringertotellcaptainhernandezyouwereapersonalfriendofhis.”

“hewouldn’ttakethetrouble.”

“youmethim.hegaveyoutime.”

“imethim,period.ididn’tlikehim,butperhapsitwasonlyenvy.hesentformetogivemesomeadvice.he’sbigandhe’stoughandidon’tknowwhatelse.idon’tfigurehe’sacrook.”

“thereain’tnocleanwaytomakeahundredmillionbucks,”ohlssaid.“maybetheheadmanthinkshishandsarecleanbutsomewherealongthelineguysgotpushedtothewall,nicelittlebusinessesgotthegroundcutfromunderthemandhadtoselloutfornickels,decentpeoplelosttheirjobs,stocksgotriggedonthemarket,proxiesgotboughtuplikeapennyweightofoldgold,andthefivepercentersandthebiglawfirmsgotpaidhundred-grandfeesforbeatingsomelawthepeoplewantedbuttherichguysdidn’t,onaccountofitcutintotheirprofits.bigmoneyisbigpowerandbigpowergetsusedwrong.it’sthesystem.maybeit’sthebestwecanget,butitstillain’tanyivorysoapdeal.”

“yousoundlikeared,”isaid,justtoneedlehim.

“iwouldn’tknow,”hesaidcontemptuously.“iain’tbeeninvestigatedyet.youlikedthesuicideverdict,didn’tyou?”

“whatelsecoulditbe?”

“nothingelse,iguess.”heputhishardblunthandsonthedeskandlookedatthebigbrownfrecklesonthebacksofthem.“i’mgettingold.keratosis,theycallthosebrownspots.youdon’tgetthemuntilyou’repastfifty.i’manoldcopandanoldcopisanoldbastard.idon’tlikeafewthingsaboutthiswadedeath.”

“suchas?”ileanedbackandwatchedthetightsunwrinklesaroundhiseyes.

“yougetsoyoucansmellawrongsetup,evenwhenyouknowyoucan’tdoadamnthingaboutit.thenyoujustsitandtalklikenow.idon’tlikethatheleftnonote.”

“hewasdrunk.probablyjustasuddencrazyimpulse.”

ohlsliftedhispaleeyesanddroppedhishandsoffthedesk.“iwentthroughhisdesk.hewroteletterstohimself.hewroteandwroteandwrote.drunkorsoberhehitthattypewriter.someofitiswild,someofitiskindoffunny,andsomeofitissad.theguyhadsomethingonhismind.hewroteallarounditbutheneverquitetouchedit.thatguywouldhaveleftatwo-pageletterifheknockedhimselfoff.”

“hewasdrunk,”isaidagain.

“withhimthatdidn’tmatter,”ohlssaidwearily.“thenextthingidon’tlikeishediditthereinthatroomandlefthiswifetofindhim.okay,hewasdrunk.istilldon’tlikeit.thenextthingidon’tlikeishepulledthetriggerjustwhenthenoiseofthatspeedboatcoulddrownouttheshot.whatdifferencewoulditmaketohim?morecoincidence,huh?morecoincidencestillthatthewifeforgotherdoorkeysonthehelp’sdayoffandhadtoringthebelltogetintothehouse.”

“shecouldhavewalkedaroundtotheback,”isaid.

“yeah,iknow.whati’mtalkingaboutisasituation.nobodytoanswerthedoorbutyou,andshesaidonthestandshedidn’tknowyouwerethere.wadewouldn’thaveheardthebellifhehadbeenaliveandworkinginhisstudy.hisdoorissoundproofed.thehelpwasaway.thatwasthursday.thatsheforgot.likesheforgotherkeys.”

“you’reforgettingsomethingyourself,bernie.mycarwasinthedriveway.sosheknewiwasthere—orthatsomebodywasthere—beforesherangthebell.”

hegrinned.“iforgotthat,didn’ti?allright,here’sthepicture.youweredownatthelake,thespeedboatwasmakingallthatracket—incidentallyitwasacoupleofguysfromlakearrowheadjustvisiting,hadtheirboatonatrailer—wadewasasleepinhisstudyorpassedout,somebodytookthegunoutofhisdeskalready,andsheknewyouhadputittherebecauseyoutoldherthatothertime.nowsupposeshedidn’tforgetherkeys,thatshegoesintothehouse,looksacrossandseesyoudownatthewater,looksintothestudyandseeswadeasleep,knowswherethegunis,getsit,waitsfortherightmoment,plugshim,dropsthegunwhereitwasfound,goesbackoutsidethehouse,waitsalittlewhileforthespeedboattogoaway,andthenringsthedoorbellandwaitsforyoutoopenit.anyobjections?”

“withwhatmotive?”

“yeah,”hesaidsourly.“thatknocksit.ifshewantedtosloughtheguy,itwaseasy.shehadhimoverabarrel,habitualdrunk,recordofviolencetoher.plentyalimony,nicefatpropertysettlement.nomotiveatall.anyhowthetimingwastooneat.fiveminutesearlierandshecouldn’thavedoneitunlessyouwereinonit.”