〃Don't give me none of that；〃 he said。
〃I'm not giving you any of anything。 If I had shot him； I wouldn't be here。 I wouldn't have called up。 You wouldn't have found the gun。 Don't work so hard on the case。 You won't be on it more than ten minutes。〃 His eyes looked hurt。 He took 'his cap off and the carnation dropped to the floor。 He bent and picked it up and twirled it between his fingers； then dropped it behind the fire screen。
〃Better not do that；〃 I told him。 〃They might think it's a clue and waste a lot of time on it。〃
〃Aw hell。〃 He bent over the screen and retrieved the carnation and put it in his pocket。 〃You know all the answers； don't you； buddy？〃 The other cop came back up the stairs； looking grave。 He stood in the middle of the floor and looked at his wrist watch and made a note in a notebook and then looked out of the front windows； holding the venetian blinds to one side to do it。
The one who had stayed with me said： 〃Can I look now？〃
〃Let it lie； Eddie。 Nothing in it for us。 You call the coroner？〃
〃I thought homicide would do that。〃
〃Yeah； that's right。 Captain Webber will be on it and he likes to do everything himself。〃 He looked at me and said： 〃You're a man named Marlowe？〃 I said I was a man named Marlowe。
〃He's a wise guy； knows all the answers；〃 Eddie said。
The older one looked at me absently； looked at Eddie absently； spotted the gun lying on the telephone table and looked at that not at all absently。
〃Yeah； that's the death gun；〃 Eddie said。 〃I ain't touched it。〃 The other nodded。 〃The boys are not so fast today。 What's your line； mister？ Friend of his？〃 He made athumb towards the floor。
〃Saw him yesterday for the first time。 I'm a private operative from L。A。〃
〃Oh。〃 He looked at me very sharply。 The other cop looked at me with deep suspicion。
〃Cripes； that means everything will be all balled up；〃 he said。
That was the first sensible remark he had made。 I grinned at him affectionately。
The older cop looked out of the front window again。 〃That's the Almore place across the street； Eddie；〃 he said。
Eddie went and looked with him。 〃Sure is；〃 he said。 〃You can read the plate。 Say； this guy downstairs might be the guy〃
〃Shut up；〃 the other one said and dropped the venetian blind。 They both turned around and stared at me woodenly。
A car came down the block and stopped and a door slammed and more steps came down the walk。 The older of the prowl car boys opened the door to two men in plain clothes； one of whom I already knew。
21
The one who came first was a small man for a cop； middle…aged； thin…faced； with a permanently tired expression。 His nose was sharp and bent a little to one side； as if somebody had given it the elbow one time when it was into something。 His blue pork pie hat was set very square on his head and chalk…white hair showed under it。 He wore a dull brown suit and his hands were in the side pockets of the jacket； with the thumbs outside the seam。
The man behind him was Degarmo； the big cop with the dusty blond hair and the metallic blue eyes and the savage； lined face who had not liked my being in front of Dr。 Almore's house。
The two uniformed men looked at the small man and touched their caps。
〃The body's in the basement； Captain Webber。 Been shot twice after a couple of misses； looks like。 Dead quite some time。 This party's name is Marlowe。 He's a' private eye from Los Angeles。 I didn't question him beyond that。〃
〃Quite right；〃 Webber said sharply。 He had a suspicious voice。 He passed a suspicious eye over my face and nodded briefly。 〃I'm Captain Webber；〃 he said。 〃This is Lieutenant Degarmo。 We'll look at the body first。〃 He went along the room。 Degarmo looked at me as if he had never seen me before and followed him。 They went downstairs； the older of the two prowl car men with them。 The cop called Eddie and I stared each other down for a while。
I said： 〃This is right across the street from Dr。 Almore's place； isn't it？〃 All the expression went out of his face。 There hadn't been much to go。 〃Yeah。 So what？〃
〃So nothing；〃 I said。
He was silent。 The voices came up from below； blurred and indistinct。 The cop cocked his ear and said in a more friendly tone： 〃You remember that one？〃
〃A little。〃 He laughed。 〃They killed that one pretty；〃 he said。 〃They wrapped it up and hid it in back of the shelf。 The top shelf in the bathroom closet。 The one you can't reach without standing on a chair。〃
〃So they did；〃 I said。 〃I wonder why。〃 The cop looked at me sternly。 〃There was good reasons； pal。 Don't think there wasn't。 You know this Lavery well？〃
〃Not well。〃
〃On to him for something？〃
〃Working on him a little；〃 I said。 〃You knew him？〃 The cop called Eddie shook his head。 〃Nope。 I just remembered it was a guy from this house found Almore's wife in the garage that night。〃
〃Lavery may not have been here then；〃 I said。
〃How long's he been here？〃
〃I don't know；〃 I said。
〃Would be about a year and a half；〃 the cop said； musingly。 〃The L。A。 papers give it any play？〃
〃Paragraph on the Home Counties page；〃 I said； just to be moving my mouth。
He scratched his ear and listened。 Steps were ing back up the stairs。 The cop's face went blank and he moved away from me and straightened up。
Captain Webber hurried over to the telephone and dialed the number and spoke； then held the phone away from his ear and looked back over his shoulder。
〃Who's deputy coroner this week； Al？〃
〃Ed Garland；〃 the big lieutenant said woodenly。
〃Call Ed Garland；〃 Webber said into the phone。 〃Have him e over right away。 And tell the flash squad to step on it。〃 He put the phone down and barked sharply： 〃Who handled this gun？〃 I said： 〃I did。〃 He came over and teetered on his heels in front of me and pushed his small sharp chin up at me。 He held the gun delicately on a handkerchief in his hand。
〃Don't you know enough not to handle a weapon found at the scene of a crime？〃
〃Certainly；〃 I said。 〃But when I handled it I didn't know there had been a crime。 I didn't know the gun had been fired。 It was lying on the stairs and I thought it had been dropped。〃
〃A likely story；〃 Webber said bitterly。 〃You get a lot of that sort of thing in your business？〃
〃A lot of what sort of thing？〃 He kept his hard stare on me and didn't answer。
I said： 〃How would it be for me to tell you my story as it happened？〃 He bridled at me like a cockerel。 〃Suppose you answer my questions exactly as I choose to put them。〃 I didn't say anything to that。 Webber swivelled sharply and said to the two uniformed men： 〃You boys can get back to your car and check in with the dispatcher。〃 They saluted and went out； closing the door softly until； it stuck； then getting as mad at it as anybody else。 Webber listened until their car went away。 Then he put the bleak and callous eye on me once more。
〃Let me see your identification。〃 I handed him my wallet and he rooted in it。 Degarmo sat in a chair and crossed his legs and stared up blankly at the ceiling。 He got a match out of his pockt and chewed the end of it。 Webber gave me back my wallet。 I put it away。
〃People in your line make a lot of trouble；〃 he said。
〃Not necessarily；〃 I said。
He raised his voice。 It had been sharp enough before。 〃I said they made a lot of trouble； and a lot of trouble is what I meant。 But get this straight。 You're not going to make any in Bay City。〃 I didn't answer him。 He jabbed a forefinger at me。
〃You're from the big town；〃 he said。 〃You think you're tough and you think you're wise。 Don't worry。 We can handle you。 We're a small place； but we're very pact。 We don't have any political tug…of…war down here。 We work on the straight line and we work fast。 Don't worry about us； mister。〃
〃I'm not worrying；〃 I said。 〃I don't have anything to worry about。 I'm just trying to make a nice clean dollar。〃
〃And don't give me any of the ifip talk；〃 Webber said。 〃I don't like it。〃 Degarmo brought his eyes down from the ceiling and curled a forefinger to stare at the nail。 He spoke in a heavy bored voice。
〃Look； chief； the fellow downstairs is called Lavery。 He's dead。 I knew him a little。 He was a chaser。〃
〃What of it？〃 Webber snapped； not looking away from me。
〃The whole set…up indicates a dame；〃 Degarmo said。 〃You know what these private eyes work at。 Divorce stuff。 Suppose we'd let him tie into it； instead of just trying to scare him dumb。〃
〃If I'm scaring him；〃 Webber said； 〃I'd like to know it。 I don't see any signs of it。〃 He walked over to the front window and yanked the venetian blind up。 Light poured into the room almost dazzlingly； after the long dimness。 He came back bouncing on his heels and poked a thin hard finger at me and said： 〃Talk。〃 I said； 〃I'm working for a Los Angeles business man who can't take a lot of loud publicity。 That's why he hired me。 A month ago his wife ran off and later a telegram came which indicated she had gone with Lavery。 But my client met Lavery in town a couple of days ago and he denied it。 The client believed him enough to get worried。 It seems the lady is pretty reckless。 She might have taken up w