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〃That's all；〃 he said。 〃And keep your nose clean。〃
I went out。
The fog had cleared off outside and the stars were as bright as artificial stars of chromium on a sky of black velvet。 I drove fast。 I needed a drink badly and the bars were closed。
13
I got up at nine； drank three cups of black coffee； bathed the back of my head with ice…water and read the two morning papers that had been thrown against the apartment door。 There was a paragraph and a bit about Moose Malloy； in Part II； but Nulty didn't get his name mentioned。 There was nothing about Lindsay Marriott； unless it was on the society page。
I dressed and ate two soft boiled eggs and drank a fourth cup of coffee and looked myself over in the mirror。 I still looked a little shadowy under the eyes。 I had the door open to leave when the phone rang。
It was Nulty。 He sounded mean。
〃Marlowe？〃
〃Yeah。 Did you get him？〃
〃Oh sure。 We got him。〃 He stopped to snarl。 〃On the Ventura line； like I said。 Boy； did we have fun！ Six foot six； built like a coffer dam； on his way to Frisco to see the Fair。 He had five quarts of hooch in the front seat of the rent car； and he was drinking out of another one as he rode along； doing a quiet seventy。 All we had to go up against him with was two county cops with guns and blackjacks。〃
He paused and I turned over a few witty sayings in my mind； but none of them seemed amusing at the moment。 Nulty went on：
〃So he done exercises with the cops and when they was tired enough to go to sleep； he pulled one side off their car； threw the radio into the ditch； opened a fresh bottle of hooch； and went to sleep hisself。 After a while the boys snapped out of it and bounced blackjacks off his head for about ten minutes before he noticed it。 When he began to get sore they got handcuffs on him。 It was easy。 We got him in the icebox now； drunk driving； drunk in auto； assaulting police officer in performance of duty； two counts； malicious damage to official property； attempted escape from custody； assault less than mayhem； disturbing the peace； and parking on a state highway。 Fun； ain't it？〃
〃What's the gag？〃 I asked。 〃You didn't tell me all that just to gloat。〃
〃It was the wrong guy；〃 Nulty said savagely。 〃This bird is named Stoyanoffsky and he lives in Hemet and he just got through working as a sandhog on the San Jack tunnel。 Got a wife and four kids。 Boy； is she sore。 What you doing on Malloy？〃
〃Nothing。 I have a headache。〃
〃Any time you get a little free time…〃
〃I don't think so；〃 I said。 〃Thanks just the same。 When is the inquest on the nigger ing up？〃
〃Why bother？〃 Nulty sneered； and hung up。
I drove down to Hollywood Boulevard and put my car in the parking space beside the building and rode up to my floor。 I opened the door of the little reception room which I always left unlocked； in case I had a client and the client wanted to wait。
Miss Anne Riordan looked up from a magazine and smiled at me。
She was wearing a tobacco brown suit with a high…necked white sweater inside it。 Her hair by daylight was pure auburn and on it she wore a hat with a crown the size of a whiskey glass and a brim you could have wrapped the week's laundry in。 She wore it at an angle of approximately forty…five degrees； so that the edge of the brim just missed her shoulder。 In spite of that it looked smart。 Perhaps because of that。
She was about twenty…eight years old。 She had a rather narrow forehead of more height than is considered elegant。 Her nose was small and inquisitive； her upper lip a shade too long and her mouth more than a shade too wide。 Her eyes were gray…blue with flecks of gold in them。 She had a nice smile。 She looked as if she had slept well。 It was a nice face； a face you get to like。 Pretty； but not so pretty that you would have to wear brass knuckles every time you took it out。
〃I didn't know just what your office hours were；〃 she said。 〃So I waited。 I gather that your secretary is not here today。〃
〃I don't have a secretary。〃
I went across and unlocked the inner door； then switched on the buzzer that rang on the outer door。 〃Let's go into my private thinking parlor。〃
She passed in front of me with a vague scent of very dry sandalwood and stood looking at the five green filing cases； the shabby rust…red rug； the half…dusted furniture； and the not too clean net curtains。
〃I should think you would want somebody to answer the phone；〃 she said。 〃And once in a while to send your curtains to the cleaners。〃
〃I'll send them out e St。 Swithin's Day。 Have a chair。 I might miss a few unimportant jobs。 And a lot of leg art。 I save money。〃
〃I see；〃 she said demurely； and placed a large suede bag carefully on the corner of the glass…topped desk。 She leaned back and took one of my cigarettes。 I burned my finger with a paper match lighting it for her。
She blew a fan of smoke and smiled though it。 Nice teeth； rather large。
〃You probably didn't expect to see me again so soon。 How is your head？〃
〃Poorly。 No； I didn't。〃
〃Were the police nice to you？〃
〃About the way they always are。〃
〃I'm not keeping you from anything important； am I？〃
〃No。〃
〃All the same I don't think you're very pleased to see me。〃
I filled a pipe and reached for the packet of paper matches。 I lit the pipe carefully。 She watched that with approval。 Pipe smokers were solid men。 She was going to be disappointed in me。
〃I tried to leave you out of it；〃 I said。 〃I don't know why exactly。 It's no business of mine any more anyhow。 I ate my dirt last night and banged myself to sleep with a bottle and now it's a police case： I've been warned to leave it alone。〃
〃The reason you left me out of it；〃 she said calmly； 〃was that you didn't think the police would believe just mere idle curiosity took me down into that hollow last night。 They would suspect some guilty reason and hammer at me until I was a wreck。〃
〃How do you know I didn't think the same thing？〃
〃Cops are just people；〃 she said irrelevantly。
〃They start out that way； I've heard。〃
〃Oh…cynical this morning。〃 She looked around the office with an idle but raking glance。 〃Do you do pretty well in here？ I mean financially？ I mean； do you make a lot of money…with this kind of furniture？〃
I grunted。
〃Or should I try minding my own business and not asking impertinent questions？〃
〃Would it work； if you tried it？〃
〃Now we're both doing it。 Tell me； why did you cover up for me last night？ Was it on account of I have reddish hair and a beautiful figure？〃
I didn't say anything。
〃Let's try this one；〃 she said cheerfully。 〃Would you like to know who that jade necklace belonged to？〃
I could feel my face getting stiff。 I thought hard but I couldn't remember for sure。 And then suddenly I could。 I hadn't said a word to her about a jade necklace。
I reached for the matches and relit my pipe。 〃Not very much；〃 I said。 〃Why？〃
〃Because I know。〃
〃Uh…huh。〃
〃What do you do when you get real talkative…wiggle your toes？〃
〃All right；〃 I growled。 〃You came here to tell me。 Go ahead and tell me。〃
Her blue eyes widened and for a moment I thought they looked a little moist。 She took her lower lip between her teeth and held it that way while she stared down at the desk。 Then she shr