istartedtosaysomethingbutheputhishandup.“takeiteasy.i’mnotaccusinganybody,justspeculating.fiveminuteslaterandyougetthesameanswer.shehadtenminutestopullitoff.”

“tenminutes,”isaidirritably,“thatcouldn’tpossiblyhavebeenforeseen,muchlessplanned.”

heleanedbackinthechairandsighed.“iknow.you’vegotalltheanswers,i’vegotalltheanswers.andistilldon’tlikeit.whatthehellwereyoudoingwiththesepeopleanyway?theguywritesyouacheckforagrand,thentearsitup.gotmadatyou,yousay.youdidn’twantitanyway,wouldn’thavetakenit,yousay.maybe.didhethinkyouweresleepingwithhiswife?”

“layoff,bernie.”

“ididn’taskwereyou,iaskeddidhethinkyouwere.”

“sameanswer.”

“okay,trythis.whatdidthemexhaveonhim?”

“nothingthatiknowof.”

“themexhastoomuchmoney.overfifteenhundredinthebanks,allkindsofclothes,abrandnewchevvy.”

“maybehepeddlesdope,”isaid.

ohlspushedhimselfupoutofthechairandscowleddownatme.

“you’reanawfulluckyboy,marlowe.twiceyou’veslidoutfromunderaheavyone.youcouldgetoverconfident.youwereprettyhelpfultothosepeopleandyoudidn’tmakeadime.youwereprettyhelpfultoaguynamedlennoxtoo,thewayihearit.andyoudidn’tmakeadimeoutofthatoneeither.whatdoyoudoforeatingmoney,pal?yougotalotsavedsoyoudon’thavetoworkanymore?”

istoodupandwalkedaroundthedeskandfacedhim.“i’maromantic,bernie.ihearvoicescryinginthenightandigoseewhat’sthematter.youdon’tmakeadimethatway.yougotsense,youshutyourwindowsandturnupmoresoundonthetvset.oryoushovedownonthegasandgetfarawayfromthere.stayoutofotherpeople’stroubles.allitcangetyouisthesmear.thelasttimeisawterrylennoxwehadacupofcoffeetogetherthatimademyselfinmyhouse,andwesmokedacigarette.sowheniheardhewasdeadiwentouttothekitchenandmadesomecoffeeandpouredacupforhimandlitacigaretteforhimandwhenthecoffeewascoldandthecigarettewasburneddownisaidgoodnighttohim.youdon’tmakeadimethatway.youwouldn’tdoit.that’swhyyou’reagoodcopandi’maprivateeye.eileenwadeisworriedaboutherhusband,soigooutandfindhimandbringhimhome.anothertimehe’sintroubleandcallsmeupandigooutandcarryhiminoffthelawnandputhimtobedandidon’tmakeadimeoutofit.nopercentageatall.nonothing,exceptsometimesigetmyfacepushedinorgettossedinthecanorgetthreatenedbysomefastmoneyboylikemendymenendez.butnomoney,notadime.i’vegotafive-thousand-dollarbillinmysafebuti’llneverspendanickelofit.becausetherewassomethingwrongwiththewayigotit.iplayedwithitalittleatfirstandistillgetitoutonceinawhileandlookatit.butthat’sall—notadimeofspendingmoney.”

“mustbeaphony,”ohlssaiddryly,“excepttheydon’tmakethemthatbig.sowhat’syourpointwithallthisyap?”

“nopoint.itoldyouiwasaromantic.”

“iheardyou.andyoudon’tmakeadimeatit.iheardthattoo.”

“buticanalwaystellacoptogotohell.gotohell,bernie.”

“youwouldn’ttellmetogotohellifihadyouinthebackroomunderthelight,chum.”

“maybewe’llfindoutaboutthatsomeday.”

hewalkedtothedoorandyankeditopen.“youknowsomething,kid?youthinkyou’recutebutyou’rejuststupid.you’reashadowonthewall.i’vegottwentyyearsonthecopswithoutamarkagainstme.iknowwheni’mbeingkiddedandiknowwhenaguyisholdingoutonme.thewiseguyneverfoolsanybodybuthimself.takeitfromme,chum.iknow.”

hepulledhisheadbackoutofthedoorwayandletthedoorclose.hisheelshammereddownthecorridor.icouldstillhearthemwhenthephoneonmydeskstartedtosound.thevoicesaidinthatclearprofessionaltone:

“newyorkiscallingmr.philipmarlowe.”

“i’mphilipmarlowe.”

“thankyou.onemoment,please,mr.marlowe.hereisyourparty.”

thenextvoiceiknew.“howardspencer,mr.marlowe.we’veheardaboutrogerwade.itwasaprettyhardblow.wehaven’tthefulldetails,butyournameseemstobeinvolved.”

“iwastherewhenithappened.hejustgotdrunkandshothimself.mrs.wadecamehomealittlelater.theservantswereaway—thursday’sthedayoff.”

“youwerealonewithhim?”

“iwasn’twithhim.iwasoutsidethehouse,justhangingaroundwaitingforhiswifetocomehome.”

“isee.well,isupposetherewillbeaninquest.”

“it’sallover,mr.spencer.suicide.andremarkablylittlepublicity.”

“really?that’scurious.”hedidn’texactlysounddisappointed—morelikepuzzledandsurprised.“hewassowellknown.iwouldhavethought—well,nevermindwhatithought.iguessi’dbetterflyoutthere,butican’tmakeitbeforetheendofnextweek.i’llsendawiretomrs.wade.theremaybesomethingicoulddoforher—andalsoaboutthebook.imeantheremaybeenoughofitsothatwecouldgetsomeonetofinishit.iassumeyoudidtakethejobafterall.”

“no.althoughheaskedmetohimself.itoldhimrightouticouldn’tstophimfromdrinking.”

“apparentlyyoudidn’teventry.”

“look,mr.spencer,youdon’tknowthefirstdamnthingaboutthissituation.whynotwaituntilyoudobeforejumpingtoconclusions?notthatidon’tblamemyselfalittle.iguessthat’sinevitablewhensomethinglikethishappens,andyou’retheguyonthespot.”

“ofcourse,”hesaid.“i’msorryimadethatremark.mostuncalledfor.willeileenwadebeatherhomenow—orwouldn’tyouknow?”

“iwouldn’tknow,mr.spencer.whydon’tyoujustcallherup?”

“ihardlythinkshewouldwanttospeaktoanyoneyet,”hesaidslowly.

“whynot?shetalkedtothecoronerandneverbattedaneye.”

heclearedhisthroat.“youdon’tsoundexactlysympathetic.”

“rogerwadeisdead,spencer.hewasabitofabastardandmaybeabitofageniustoo.that’sovermyhead.hewasanegotisticaldrunkandhehatedhisownguts.hemademealotoftroubleandintheendalotofgrief.whythehellshouldibesympathetic?”

“iwastalkingaboutmrs.wade,”hesaidshortly.

“sowasi.”

“i’llcallyouwhenigetin,”hesaidabruptly.“goodbye.”

hehungup.ihungup.istaredatthetelephoneforacoupleofminuteswithoutmoving.thenigotthephonebookuponthedeskandlookedforanumber.