“don’tworryaboutthat,mr.marlowe.wehaveways.howaboutyourterms?”

“ijusttoldyou.”

“oh.youdon’texpecttobepaid?”

“notwithmoney.”

“well,youknowyourownbusiness,isuppose.mayihavemorganagain?”

igavethephonebacktolonniemorgan.

hespokebrieflyandhungup.“heagrees,”hesaid.“itakethatphotostatandhechecksit.he’lldowhatyousay.reducedtohalfsizeitwilltakeabouthalfofpage1a.”

igavehimbackthephotostat.hehelditandpulledatthetipofhislongnose.“mindmysayingithinkyou’readamnfool?”

“iagreewithyou.”

“youcanstillchangeyourmind.”

“nope.rememberthatnightyoudrovemehomefromthecitybastille?yousaidihadafriendtosaygoodbyeto.i’veneverreallysaidgoodbyetohim.ifyoupublishthisphotostat,thatwillbeit.it’sbeenalongtime—along,longtime.”

“okay,chum.”hegrinnedcrookedly.“butistillthinkyou’readamnfool.doihavetotellyouwhy?”

“tellmeanyway.”

“iknowmoreaboutyouthanyouthink.that’sthefrustratingpartofnewspaperwork.youalwaysknowsomanythingsyoucan’tuse.yougetcynical.ifthisconfessionisprintedinthejournal,alotofpeoplewillbesore.the,thecoroner,thesheriff’scrowd,aninfluentialandpowerfulprivatecitizennamedpotter,andacoupleoftoughiescalledmenendezandstarr.you’llprobablyendupinthehospitalorinjailagain,”

“idon’tthinkso.”

“thinkwhatyoulike,pal.i’mtellingyouwhatithink.thewillbesorebecausehedroppedablanketonthelennoxcase.evenifthesuicideandconfessionoflennoxmadehimlookjustified,alotofpeoplewillwanttoknowhowlennox,aninnocentman,cametomakeaconfession,howhegotdead,didhereallycommitsuicideorwashehelped,whywastherenoinvestigationintothecircumstances,andhowcomethewholethingdiedsofast.also,ifhehastheoriginalofthisphotostathewillthinkhehasbeendouble-crossedbythesheriff’speople.”

“youdon’thavetoprinttheidentifyingstampontheback.”

“wewon’t.we’repalswiththesheriff.wethinkhe’sastraightguy.wedon’tblamehimbecausehecan’tstopguyslikemenendez.nobodycanstopgamblingaslongasit’slegalinallformsinsomeplacesandlegalinsomeformsinallplaces.youstolethisfromthesheriff’soffice.idon’tknowhowyougotawaywithit.wanttotellme?”

“no.”

“okay.thecoronerwillbesorebecausehebuggeredupthewadesuicide.thehelpedhimwiththattoo.harlanpotterwillbesorebecausesomethingisreopenedthatheusedalotofpowertocloseup.menendezandstarrwillbesoreforreasonsi’mnotsureof,butiknowyougotwarnedoff.andwhenthoseboysgetsoreatsomebodyhegetshurt.you’reapttogetthetreatmentbigwilliemagoongot.”

“magoonwasprobablygettingtooheavyforhisjob.”

“why?”morgandrawled.“becausethoseboyshavetomakeitstick.iftheytakethetroubletotellyoutolayoff,youlayoff.ifyoudon’tandtheyletyougetawaywithittheylookweak.thehardboysthatrunthebusiness,thebigwheels,theboardofdirectors,don’thaveanyuseforweakpeople.they’redangerous.andthenthere’schrismady.”

“hejustaboutrunsnevada,iheard.”

“youheardright,chum.madyisaniceguybutheknowswhat’srightfornevada.therichhoodlumsthatoperateinrenoandvegasareverycarefulnottoannoymr.mady.iftheydid,theirtaxeswouldgoupfastandtheirpoliceco-operationwouldgodownthesameway.thenthetopguysbackeastwoulddecidesomechangeswerenecessary.anoperatorwhocan’tgetalongwithchrismadyain’toperatingcorrectly.gethimthehelloutofthereandputsomebodyelsein.gettinghimoutoftheremeansonlyonethingtothem.outinawoodenbox.”

“theyneverheardofme,”isaid.

morganfrownedandwhippedanarmupanddowninameaninglessgesture.“theydon’thaveto.mady’sestateonthenevadasideoftahoeisrightnexttoharlanpotter’sestate.couldbetheysayhelloonceinawhile.couldbesomecharacterthatisonmady’spayrollhearsfromanotherguyonpotter’spayrollthatapunknamedmarloweisbuzzingtooloudaboutthingsthatarenotanyofhisbusiness.couldbethatthispassingremarkgetspassedondowntowherethephoneringsinsomeapartmentinandaguywithlargemusclesgetsahinttogooutandexercisehimselfandtwoorthreeofhisfriends.ifsomebodywantsyouknockedofforsmashed,themusclemendon’thavetohaveitexplainedwhy.it’smereroutinetothem.nohardfeelingsatall.justsitstillwhilewebreakyourarm.youwantthisback?”

heheldoutthephotostat.

“youknowwhatiwant,”isaid.

morganstoodupslowlyandputthephotostatinhisinsidepocket.“icouldbewrong,”hesaid.“youmayknowmoreaboutitthanido.iwouldn’tknowhowamanlikeharlanpotterlooksatthings.”

“withascowl,”isaid.“i’vemethim.buthewouldn’toperatewithagoonsquad.hecouldn’treconcileitwithhisopinionofhowhewantstolive.”

“formymoney,”morgansaidsharply,“stoppingamurderinvestigationwithaphonecallandstoppingitbyknockingoffthewitnessisjustaquestionofmethod.seeyouaround—ihope.”

hedriftedoutoftheofficelikesomethingblownbythewind.