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the gentle voice asked in my ear。
I looked at him again。 He had the eyes you never see； that you only read about。 Violet eyes。 Almost purple。 Eyes like a girl； a lovely girl。 His skin was as soft as silk。 Lightly reddened； but it would never tan。 It was too delicate。 He was bigger than Hemingway and younger； by many years。 He was not as big as Moose Malloy； but he looked very fast on his feet。 His hair was that shade of red that glints with gold。 But except for the eyes he had a plain farmer face； with no stagy kind of handsomeness。
〃What's your racket？〃 he asked。 〃Private eye？〃
〃Why do I have to tell you？〃 I snarled。
〃I kind of thought that was it；〃 he said。 〃Twenty…five too high？ No expense account？〃
〃No。〃
He sighed。 〃It was a bum idea I had anyway；〃 he said。 〃They'll tear you to pieces out there。〃
〃I wouldn't be surprised。 What's your racket？〃
〃A dollar here； a dollar there。 I was on the cops once。 They broke me。〃
〃Why tell me？〃
He looked surprised。 〃It's true。〃
〃You must have been leveling。〃
He smiled faintly。
〃Know a man named Brunette？〃
The faint smile stayed on his face。 Three bingoes were made in a row。 They worked fast in there。 A tall beak…faced man with sallow sunken cheeks and a wrinkled suit stepped close to us and leaned against the wall and didn't look at us。 Red leaned gently towards him and asked： 〃Is there something we could tell you； pardner？〃
The tall beak…faced man grinned and moved away。 Red grinned and shook the building leaning against the wall again。
〃I've met a man who could take you；〃 I said。
〃I wish there was more；〃 he said gravely。 〃A big guy costs money。 Things ain't scaled for him。 He costs to feed； to put clothes on； and he can't sleep with his feet in the bed。 Here's how it works。 You might not think this is a good place to talk； but it is。 Any finks drift along I'll know them and the rest of the crowd is watching those numbers and nothing else。 I got a boat with an under…water by…pass。 That is； I can borrow one。 There's a pier down the line without lights。 I know a loading port on the Monty I can open。 I take a load out there once in a while。 There ain't many guys below decks。〃
〃They have a searchlight and lookouts；〃 I said。
〃We can make it。〃
I got my wallet out and slipped a twenty and a five against my stomach and folded them small。 The purple eyes watched me without seeming to。
〃One way？〃
〃Fifteen was the word。〃
〃The market took a spurt。〃
A tarry hand swallowed the bills。 He moved silently away。 He faded into the hot darkness outside the doors。 The beak…nosed man materialized at my left side and said quietly：
〃I think I know that fellow in sailor clothes。 Friend of yours？ I think I seen him before。〃
I straightened away from the wall and walked away from him without speaking； out of the doors； then left； watching a high head that moved along from electrolier to electrolier a hundred feet ahead of me。 After a couple of minutes I turned into a space between two concession shacks。 The beak…nosed man appeared； strolling with his eyes on the ground。 I stepped out to his side。
〃Good evening；〃 I said。 〃May I guess your weight for a quarter？〃 I leaned against him。 There was a gun under the wrinkled coat。
His eyes looked at me without emotion。 〃Am I goin' to have to pinch you； son？ I'm posted along this stretch to maintain law and order。〃
〃Who's dismaintaining it right now？〃
〃Your friend had a familiar look to me。〃
〃He ought to。 He's a cop。〃
〃Aw hell；〃 the beak…nosed man said patiently。 〃That's where I seen him。 Good night to you。〃
He turned and strolled back the way he had e。 The tall head was out of sight now。 It didn't worry me。 Nothing about that lad would ever worry me。
I walked on slowly。
36
Beyond the electroliers； beyond the beat and toot of the small sidewalk cars； beyond the smell of hot fat and popcorn and the shrill children and the barkers in the peep shows； beyond everything but the smell of the ocean and the suddenly clear line of the shore and the creaming fall of the waves into the pebbled spume。 I walked almost alone now。 The noises died behind me； the hot dishonest light became a fumbling glare。 Then the lightless finger of a black pier jutted seaward into the dark。 This would be the one。 I turned to go out on it。
Red stood up from a box against the beginning of the piles and spoke upwards to me。 〃Right；〃 he said。 〃You go on out to the seasteps。 I gotta go and get her and warm her up。〃
〃Waterfront cop followed me。 That guy in the bingo parlor。 I had to stop and speak to him。〃
〃Olson。 Pickpocket detail。 He's good too。 Except once in a while he will lift a leather and plant it； to keep up his arrest record。 That's being a shade too good； or isn't it？〃
〃For Bay City I'd say just about right。 Let's get going。 I'm getting the wind up。 I don't want to blow this fog away。 It doesn't look much but it would help a lot。〃
〃It'll last enough to fool a searchlight；〃 Red said。 〃They got Tommy…guns on that boat deck。 You go on out the pier。 I'll be along。〃
He melted into the dark and I went out the dark boards； slipping on fish…slimed planking。 There was a low dirty railing at the far end。 A couple leaned in a corner。 They went away； the man swearing。
For ten minutes I listened to the water slapping the piles。 A night bird whirred in the dark； the faint grayness of a wing cut across my vision and disappeared。 A plane droned high in the ceiling。 Then far off a motor barked and roared and kept on roaring like half a dozen truck engines。 After a while the sound eased and dropped； then suddenly there was no sound at all。
More minutes passed。 I went back to the seasteps and moved down them as cautiously as a cat on a wet floor。 A dark shape slid out of the night and something thudded。 A voice said： 〃All set。 Get in。〃
I got into the boat and sat beside him under the screen。 The boat slid out over the water。 There was no sound from its exhaust now but an angry bubbling along both sides of the shell。 Once more the lights of Bay City became something distantly luminous beyond the rise and fall of alien waves。 Once more the garish lights of the Royal Crown slid off to one side； the ship seeming to preen itself like a fashion model on a revolving platform。 And once again the ports of the good ship Montecito grew out of the black Pacific and the slow steady sweep of the searchlight turned around it like the beam of a lighthouse。
〃I'm scared；〃 I said suddenly。 〃I'm scared stiff。〃
Red throttled down the boat and let it slide up and down the swell as though the water moved underneath and the boat stayed in the same place。 He turned his face and stared at me。
〃I'm afraid of death and despair；〃 I said。 〃Of dark water and drowned men's faces and skulls with empty eyesockets。 i'm afraid of dying； of being nothing； of not finding a man named Brunette。〃
He chuckled。 〃You had me going for a minute。 You sure give yourself a pep talk。 Brunette might be any place。 On either of the boats； at the club he owns； back east； Reno； in his slippers at home。 That all you want？〃
〃I want a man named Malloy； a huge brute who got out of the Oregon State pen a while back after an eight…year stretch for bank robbery。 He was hidi