ed for the telephone； touched it and came away again。 He lit a cigarette and shook the match violently； then strode to the window and stared out at me some more。
This was interesting； if at all； only because he was a doctor。 Doctors； as a rule； are the least curious of men。 While they are still internes they hear enough secrets to last them a lifetime。 Dr。 Almore seemed interested in me。 More than interested； bothered。
I reached down to turn the ignition key； then Lavery's front door opened and I took my hand away and leaned back again。 Lavery came briskly up the walk of his house； shot a glance down the street and turned to go into his garage。 He was dressed as I had seen him。 He had a rough towel 'and a steamer rug over his arm。 I heard the garage door lift up； then the car door open and shut； then the grind and cough of the starting car。 It backed up the steep incline to the street； white steamy exhaust pouring from its rear end。 It was a cute little blue convertible； with the top folded down and Lavery's sleek dark head just rising above it。 He was now wearing a natty pair of sun…goggles with very wide white sidebows。 The convertible swooped off down the block and danced around the corner。
There was nothing in that for me。 Mr。 Christopher Lavery was bound for the edge of the broad Pacific； to lie in the sun and let the girls see what they didn't necessarily have to go on missing。
I gave my attention back to Dr。 Almore。 He was on the telephone now； not talking； holding it to his ear； smoking and waiting。 Then he leaned forward as you do when the voice es back； listened； hung up and wrote something on a pad in front of him。 Then a heavy book with yellow sides appeared on his desk and he opened it just about in the middle。 While he was doing this he gave one quick look out of the window； straight at the Chrysler。
He found his place in the book； leaned down over it and quick puffs of smoke appeared in the air over the pages。 He wrote something else； put the book away； and grabbed the telephone again。 He dialed； waited； began to speak quickly pushing his head down and making gestures in the air with his cigarette。 He finished his call and hung up。 He leaned back and sat there brooding； staring down at his desk； but not f orgetting to look out of the window every half minute。 He was waiting； and I waited with him； for no reason at all。 Doctors make many phone calls； talk to many people。 Doctors look out of their front windows； doctors frown； doctors show nervousness； doctors have things on their mind and show the strain。 Doctors are just people； born to sorrow； fighting the long grim fight like the rest of us。
But there was something about the way this one behaved that intrigued me。 I looked at my watch； decided it was time to get something to eat； lit another cigarette and didn't move。
It took about five minutes。 Then a green sedan whisked around the corner and bore down the block。 It coasted to a stop in front of Dr。 Almore's house and its tall buggywhip aerial quivered。 A big man with dusty blond hair got out and went up to Dr。 Almore's front door。 He rang the bell and leaned down to strike a match on the step。 His head came around and he stared across the street exactly at where I was sitting。
The door opened and he went into the house。 An invisible hand gathered the curtains at Dr。 Almore's study window and blanked the room。 I sat there and stared at the sundarkened lining of the curtains。 More time trickled by。
The front door opened again and the big man loafed casually down the steps and through the gate。 He snapped his cigarette end off into the distance and rumpled his hair。 He shrugged once； pinched the end of his chin； and walked diagonally across the street。 His steps in the quiet were leisurely and distinct。 Dr。 Almore's cUrtains moved apart again behind him。 Dr。 Almore stood in his window and watched。
A large freckled hand appeared on the sill of the car door at my elbow。 A large face； deeply…lined； hung above it。
The man had eyes of metallic blue。 He looked at me solidly and spoke in a deep harsh voice。
〃Waiting for somebody？〃 he asked。
〃I don't know；〃 I said。 〃Am I？〃
〃I'll ask the questions。〃
〃Well； I'll be damned；〃 I said。 〃So that's the answer to the pantomime。〃
〃What pantomime？〃 He gave me a hard level unfriendly stare from his very blue eyes。
I pointed across the street with my cigarette。 〃Nervous Nellie and the telephone。 Calling the cops； after first getting my name from the Auto Club； probably； then looking it up in the city directory。 What goes on？〃
〃Let me see your driver's license。〃 I gave him back his stare。 〃You fellows ever flash a buzzer…or is acting tough all the identification you need？〃
〃If I have to get tough； fellow； you'll know it。〃 I leaned down and turned my ignition key and pressed the starter。 The motor caught and idled down。
〃Cut that motor；〃 he said savagely； and put his foot on the runningboard。
I cut the motor again and leaned back and looked at him。
〃God damn it；〃 he said； 〃do you want me to drag you out of there and bounce you on the pavement？〃 I got my wallet out and handed it to him。 He drew the celluloid pocket out and looked at my driver's license； then turned the pocket over and looked at the photostat of my other license on the back。 He rammed it contemptuously back into the wallet and handed me the wallet： I put it away。 His hand dipped and came up with a blue and gold police badge。
〃Degarmo； detective…lieutenant；〃 he said in his heavy brutal voice。
〃Pleased to meet you； lieutenant。〃
〃Skip it。 Now tell why you're down here casing Almore's place。〃
〃I'm not casing Almore's place； as you put it； lieutenant。 I never heard of Dr。 Almore and I don't know of any reason why I should want to case his house。〃 He turned his head to spit。 I was meeting the spitting boys today。
〃What's your grift then？ We don't like peepers down here。 We don't have one in town。〃
〃Is that so？〃
〃Yeah； that's so。 So e on； talk it up。 Unless you want to ride down to the clubhouse and sweat it out under the bright lights。〃 I didn't answer him。
〃Her folks hire you？〃 he asked suddenly。
I shook my head。
〃The last boy that tried it ended up 'on the road gang； sweetheart。〃
〃I bet it's good；〃 I said； 〃if only I could guess。 Tried what？〃
〃Tried to put the bite on him；〃 he said thinly。
〃Too bad I don't know how；〃 I said。 〃He looks like an easy man to bite。〃
〃That line of talk don't buy you anything；〃 he said。
〃All right；〃 I said。 〃Let's put it this way。 I don't know Dr。 Almore； never heard of him； and I'm not interested in him。 I'm down here visiting a friend and looking at the view。 If I'm doing anything else； it doesn't happen to be any of your business。 If you don't like that； the best thing to do is take it down to headquarters and see the day captain。〃 He moved a foot heavily on the running…board and looked doubtful。 〃Straight goods？〃 he asked slowly。
〃Straight goods。〃
〃Aw hell； the guy's screwy；〃 he said suddenly and looked back over his shoulder at the house。 〃He ought to see a doctor。〃 He laughed； without any amusement in the laugh。 He took his foot off my running…board and rumpled his wiry hair。
〃Go on…beat it；〃 he said。 〃Stay off our reservation； and you won't make any enemies。〃 I pressed the starter again。 When the motor was idling gently I said： 〃How's Al Norgaard these days？〃 He stared at me。 〃You know Al？〃
〃Yeah。 He and I worked on a case down here a couple of years ago…when Wax was chief of police。〃
〃Al's in the mifitary police。 I wish I was；〃 he said bitterly。 He started to walk away and then swung sharply on his heel。 〃Go on； beat it before I change my mind；〃 he snapped。
He walked heavily across the street and through Dr。 Almore's front gate again。
I let the clutch in and drove away。 On the way back to the city； I listened to my thoughts。 They moved fitfully in and out； like Dr。 Almore's thin nervous hands pulling at the edges of his curtains。
Back in Los Angeles I ate lunch and went up to my office in the Cahuenga Building to see what mail there was。 I called Kingsley from there。
〃I saw Lavery；〃 I told him。 〃He told me just enough dirt to sound frank。 I tried to needle him a； little； but nothing came of it。 I stifi like the idea that they quarreled and split up and that he hopes to fix it up with her yet。〃
〃Then he must know where she is；〃 Kingsley said。
〃He might； but it doesn't follow。 By the way a rather curious thing happened to me on Lavery's street。 There are only two houses。 The other belongs to a Dr。 Almore。〃 I told him briefly about the rather curious thing。
He was silent for a moment at the end and then he said： 〃Is this Dr。 Albert Almore？〃
〃Yes？〃
〃He was Crystal's doctor for a time。 He came to the house several times when she was…well； when she had been overdrinking。 I thought him a little too quick with a hypodermic needle。 His wife…let me see； there was something about his wife。 Oh yes； she mitted suicide。〃 I said； 〃When？〃
〃I don't remember。 Quite a long time ago。 I never knew them socially。 What are you going to do now？〃 I told him I was going