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〃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 hiding out in Bay City。〃 I told him about it。 I told him a great deal more than I intended to。 It must have been his eyes。
At the end he thought and then spoke slowly and what he said had wisps of fog clinging to it； like the beads on a mustache。 Maybe that made it seem wiser than it was； maybe not。
〃Some of it makes sense；〃 he said。 〃Some not。 Some I wouldn't know about； some I would。 If this Sonderborg was running a hideout and peddling reefers and sending boys out to heist jewels off rich ladies with a wild look in their eyes； it stands to reason that he had an in with the city government； but that don't mean they knew everything he did or that every cop on the force knew he had an in。 Could be Blane did and Hemingway； as you call him； didn't。 Blane's bad； the other guy is just tough cop； neither bad nor good； neither crooked nor honest； full of guts and just dumb enough； like me； to think being on the cops is a sensible way to make a living。 This psychic fellow doesn't figure either way。 He bought himself a line of protection in the best market； Bay City； and he used it when he had to。 You never know what a guy like that is up to and so you never know what he has on his conscience or is afraid of。 Could be he's human and fell for a customer once in a while。 Them rich dames are easier to make than paper dolls。 So my hunch about your stay in Sonderborg's place is simply that Blane knew Sonderborg would be scared when he found out who you were…and the story they told Sonderborg is probably what he told you； that they found you wandering with your head dizzy…and Sonderborg wouldn't know what to do with you and he would be afraid either to let you go or to knock you off； and after long enough Blane would drop around and raise the ante on him。 That's all there was to that。 It just happened they could use you and they did it。 Blane might know about Malloy too。 I wouldn't put it past him。〃
I listened and watched the slow sweep of the searchlight and the ing and going of the water taxi far over to the right。
〃I know how these boys figure；〃 Red said。 〃The trouble with cops is not that they're dumb or crooked or tough； but that they think just being a cop gives them a little something they didn't have before。 Maybe it did once； but not any more。 They're topped by too many smart minds。 That brings us to Brunette。 He don't run the town。 He couldn't be bothered。 He put up big money to elect a mayor so his water taxis wouldn't be bothered。 If there was anything in particular he wanted； they would give it to him。 Like a while ago one of his friends； a lawyer； was pinched for a drunk driving felony and Brunette got the charge reduced to reckless driving。 They changed the blotter to do it； and that's a felony too。 Which gives you an idea。 His racket is gambling and all rackets tie together these days。 So he might handle reefers； or touch a percentage from some one of his workers he gave the business to。 He might know Sonderborg and he might not。 But the jewel heist is out。 Figure the work these boys done for eight grand。 It's a laugh to think Brunette would have anything to do with that。〃
〃Yeah；〃 I said。 〃There was a man murdered too…remember？〃
〃He didn't do that either； nor have it done。 If Brunette had that done； you wouldn't have found any body。 You never know what might be stitched into a guy's clothes。 Why chance it？ Look what I'm doing for you for twenty…five bucks。 What would Brunette get done with the money he has to spend？〃
〃Would he have a man killed？〃
Red thought for a moment。 〃He might。 He probably has。 But he's not a tough guy。 These racketeers are a new type。 We think about them the way we think about old time yeggs or needle…up punks。 Big…mouthed police missioners on the radio yell that they're all yellow rats； that they'll kill women and babies and howl for mercy if they see a police uniform。 They ought to know better than to try to sell the public that stuff。 There's yellow cops and there's yellow torpedoes…but damn few of either。 And as for the top men； like Brunette…they didn't get there by murdering people。 They got there by guts and brains…and they don't have the group courage the cops have either。 But above all they're business men。 What they do is for money。 Just like other business men。 Sometimes a guy gets badly in the way。 Okey。 Out。 But they think plenty before they do it。 What the hell am I giving a lecture for？〃
〃A man like Brunette wouldn't hide Malloy；〃 I said。 〃After he had killed two people。〃
〃No。 Not unless there was some other reason than money。 Want to go back？〃
〃No。〃
Red moved his hands on the wheel。 The boat picked up speed。 〃Don't think I like these bastards；〃 he said。 〃I hate their guts。〃
37
The revolving searchlight was a pale mist…ridden finger that barely skimmed the waves a hundred feet or so beyond the ship。 It was probably more for show than anything else。 Especially at this time in the evening。 Anyone who had plans for hijacking the take on one of these gambling boats would need plenty of help and would pull the job about four in the morning； when the crowd was thinned down to a few bitter gamblers； and the crew were all dull with fatigue。 Even then it would be a poor way to make money。 It had been tried once。
A taxi curved to the landing stage； unloaded； went back shorewards。 Red held his speedboat idling just beyond the weep of the searchlight。 If they lifted it a few feet； just for fun…but they didn't。 It passed languidly and the dull water glowed with it and the speedboat slid across the line and closed in fast under the overhang； past the two huge scummy stern hawsers。 We sidled up to the greasy plates of the hull as coyly as a hotel dick getting set to ease a hustler out of his lobby。
Double iron doors loomed high above us； and they looked too high to reach and too heavy to open even if we could reach them。 The speedboat scuffed the Montecito's ancient sides and the swell slapped loosely at the shell under our feet。 A big shadow rose in the gloom at my side and a coiled rope slipped upwards through the air； slapped； caught； and the end ran down and splashed in water。 Red fished it out with a boathook； pulled it tight and fastened the end to something on the engine cowling。 There was just enough fog to make everything seem unreal。 The wet air was as cold as the ashes of love。
Red leaned close to me and his breath tickled my ear。 〃She rides too high。 e a good blow and she'd wave her screws in the air。 We got to climb those plates just the same。〃
〃I can hardly wait；〃 I said； shivering。
He put my hands on the wheel； turned it just as he wanted it； set the throttle； and told me to hold the boat just as she was。 There was an iron ladder bolted close to the plates； curving with the hull； its rungs probably as slippery as a greased pole。
Going up it looked as tempting as climbing over the cornice of an office building。 Red reached for it； after wiping his hands hard on his pants to get some tar on them。 He hauled himself up noiselessly； without even a grunt； and his sneakers caught the metal run