A man coughed a little way down the hail and I poked my head out farther and he was looking at me。 He came towards me briskly； a small sharp man in a neatly pressed police uniform。 He had reddish hair and red…gold eyes。
I yawned and said languidly： 〃What goes on； officer？〃 He stared at me thoughtfully。 〃Little trouble next door to you。 Hear anything？〃
〃I thought I heard knocking。 I just got home a little while ago。〃
〃Little late；〃 he said。
〃That's a matter of opinion；〃 I said。 〃Trouble next door； ah？〃
〃A dame；〃 he said。 〃Know her？〃
〃I think I've seen her。〃
〃Yeah；〃 he said。 〃You ought to see her now 。 。 。 〃 He put his hands to his throat and bulged his eyes out and gulped unpleasantly。 〃Like that；〃 he said。 〃You didn't hear nothing； huh？〃
〃Nothing I noticed…except the knocking。〃
〃Yeah。 What was the name？〃
〃Talbot。〃
〃Just a minute； Mr。 Talbot。 Wait there just a minute。〃 He went along the hallway and leaned into an open doorway through which light streamed out。 〃Oh； lieutenant；〃 he said。 〃The man next door is on deck。〃 A tall man came out of the doorway and stood looking along the hall straight at me。 A tall man with rusty hair and very blue； blue eyes。 Degarmo。 That made it perfect。
〃Here's the guy lives next door；〃 the small neat cop said helpfully。 〃His name's Talbot。〃 Degarmo looked straight at me； but nothing in his acid blue eyes showed that he had ever seen me before。 He came quietly along the hall and put a hard hand against my chest and pushed me back into the room。 When he had me half a dozen feet from the door he said over his shoulder： 〃e in here and shut the door； Shorty。〃 The small cop came in and shut the door。
〃Quite a gag；〃 Deganno said lazily。 〃Put a gun on him； Shorty。〃 Shorty flicked his black belt holster open and had his 。38 in his hand like a flash。 He licked his lips。
〃Oh boy；〃 he said softly； whistling a little。 〃Oh boy。 How'd you know； lieutenant？〃
〃Know what？〃 Degarmo asked； keeping his eyes fixed on mine。 〃What were you thinking of doing； pal…going down to get a paper…to find out if she was dead？〃
〃Oh boy；〃 Shorty said。 〃A sex…killer。 He pulled the girl's clothes off and choked her with his hands； lieutenant。 How'd you know？〃 Degarmo didn't answer him。 He just stood there； rocking a little on his heels； his face empty and granite…hard。
〃Yah； he's the killer； sure；〃 Shorty said suddenly。 〃Sniff the air in here； lieutenant。 The place ain't been aired out for days。 And look at the dust on those bookshelves。 And the clock on the mantel's stopped； lieutenant。 He e in through the…lemme look a minute； can I； lieutenant？〃 He ran out of the room into the bedroom。 I heard him fumbling around。 Degarmo stood woodenly。
Shorty came back。 〃e in at the bathroom window。 There's broken glass in the tub。 And something stinks of gin in there something awful。 You remember how that apartment smelled of gin when we went in？ Here's a shirt； lieutenant。 Smells like it was washed in gin。〃 He held the shirt up。 It perfumed the air rapidly。 Degarmo looked at it vaguely and then stepped forward and yanked my coat open and looked at the shirt I was wearing。
〃I know what he done；〃 Shorty said。 〃He stole one of the guy's shirts that lives here。 You see what he done； lieutenant？〃
〃Yeah。〃 Degarmo held his hand against my chest and let it fall slowly。 They were talking about me as if I was a piece of wood。
〃Frisk him； Shorty。〃 Shorty ran around me feeling here and there for a gun。 〃Nothing on him；〃 he said。
〃Let's get him out the back way；〃 Degarmo said。 〃It's our pinch； if we make it before Webber gets here。 That lug Reed couldn't find a moth in a shoe box。〃
〃You ain't even detailed on the case；〃 Shorty said doubtfully。 〃Didn't I hear you was suspended or something？〃
〃What can I lose？〃 Degarmo asked； 〃if I'm suspended？〃
〃I can lose this here uniform；〃 Shorty said。
Degarmo looked at him wearily。 The small cop blushed and his bright red…gold eyes were anxious。
〃Okay； Shorty。 Go and tell Reed。〃 The small cop licked his lip。 〃You say the word； lieutenant； and I'm with you。 I don't have to know you got suspended。〃
〃We'll take him down ourselves； just the two of us；〃 Degarmo said。
〃Yeah； sure。〃 Degarmo put his finger against my chin。 〃A sex…killer；〃 he said quietly。 〃Well； I'll be damned。〃 He smiled at me thinly； moving only the extreme corners of his wide brutal mouth。
34
We went out of the apartment and along the hail the other way from Apartment 618。 Light streamed from the still open door。 Two men in plain clothes now stood outside it smoking cigarettes inside their cupped hands； as if a wind was blowing。 There was a sound of wrangling voices from the apartment。
We went around the bend of the hail and came to the elevator。 Degarmo opened the fire door beyond the elevator shaft and we went down echoing concrete steps； floor after floor。 At the lobby floor Degarmo stopped and held his hand on the doorknob and listened。 He looked back over his shoulder。
〃You got a car？〃 he asked me。
〃In the basement garage。〃
〃That's an idea。〃 We went on down the steps and came out into the shadowy basement。 The lanky Negro came out of the little office and I gave him my car check。 He looked furtively at the police uniform on Shorty。 He said nothing。 He pointed to the Chrysler。
Degarmo climbed under the wheel of the Chrysler。 I got in beside him and Shorty got into the back seat。 We went up the ramp and out into the damp cool night air。 A big car with twin red spotlights was charging towards us from a couple of blocks away。
Degarmo spat out of the car window and yanked the Chrysler the other way。 〃That will be Webber；〃 he said。 〃Late for the funeral again。 We sure skinned his nose on that one； Shorty。〃
〃I don't like it too well； lieutenant。 I don't； honest。〃
〃Keep the chin up； kid。 You might get back on homicide。〃
〃I'd rather wear buttons and eat；〃 Shorty said。 The courage was oozing out of him fast。
Degarmo drove the car hard for ten blocks and then slowed a little。 Shorty said uneasily： 〃I guess you know what you're doing； lieutenant； but this ain't the way to the Hall。〃
〃That's right；〃 Degarmo said。 〃It never was； was it？〃 He let the car slow down to a crawl and then turned into a residential street of small exact houses squatting behind small exact lawns。 He braked the car gently and coasted over to the curb and stopped about the middle of the block。 He threw an arm over the back of the seat and turned his head to look back at Shorty。
〃You think this guy killed her； Shorty？〃
〃I'm listening；〃 Shorty said in a tight voice。
〃Got a flash？〃 I said： 〃There's one in the car pocket on the left side。〃 Shorty fumbled around and metal clicked and the white beam of the flashlight came on。 Degarmo said： 〃Take a look at the back of this guy's head。〃 The beam moved and settled。 I heard the small man's breathing behind me and I felt it on my neck。 Something felt for and touched the bump on my head。 I grunted。 The light went off and the darkness of the street rushed in again。
Shorty said： 〃I guess maybe he was sapped； lieutenant。 I don't get it。〃
〃So was the girl；〃 Degarmo said。 〃It didn't show much but it's there。 She was sapped so she could have her clothes pulled off and be clawed up before she was killed。 So the scratches would bleed。 Then she was throttled。 And none of this made any noise。 Why would it？ And there's no telephone in that apartment。 Who reported it； Shorty？〃
〃How the hell would I know？ A guy called up and said a woman had been murdered in 618 Granada Apartments on Eighth。 Reed was still looking for a cameraman when you came in。 The desk said a guy with a thick voice； likely disguised。 Didn't give any name at all。〃
〃All right then；〃 Degarmo said。 〃If you had murdered the girl； how would you get out of there？〃
〃I'd walk out；〃 Shorty said。 〃Why not？ Hey；〃 he barked at me suddenly； 〃why didn't you？〃 I didn't answer him。 Degarmo said tonelessly： 〃You wouldn't climb out of a bathroom window six floors up and then burst in another bathroom window into a strange apartment where people would likely be sleeping； would you？ You wouldn't pretend to be the guy that lived there and you wouldn't throw away a lot of your time by calling the police； would you？ Hell； that girl could have laid there for a week。 You wouldn't throw away the chance of a start like that； would you； Shorty？〃
〃I don't guess I would；〃 Shorty said cautiously。 〃I don't guess I would call up at alL But you know these sex fiends do funny things； lieutenant。 They ain't normal like us。 And this guy could have had help and the other guy could have knocked him out to put him in the middle。〃
〃Don't tell me you thought that last bit up all by yourself；〃 Degarmo grunted。 〃So here we sit； and the fellow that knows all the answers is sitting here with us and not saying a word。〃 He turned his big head and stared at me。 〃What were you doing there？〃
〃I can't remember；〃 I said。 〃The crack on the head seems to have blanked me out。〃
〃We'll help you to remember；〃 Degarmo said。 〃We'll take you up back in the bills a few miles where you can