laid it aside and went and sat down。 He put a cigarette between his lips and lit it and blew smoke contentedly。
〃We know damn well it wasn't a long 。38 anyway；〃 he said。 〃One of those things will shoot through a wall。 No chance of the slug staying inside a man's head。〃
〃Just what are you guys talking about？〃 I asked。
Breeze said： 〃The usual thing in our business。 Murder。 Have a chair。 Relax。 I thought I heard voices in here。 Maybe it was the next apartment。〃
〃Maybe；〃 I said。
〃You always have a gun lying around on your desk？〃
〃Except when it's under my pillow；〃 I said。 〃Or under my arm。 Or in the drawer of the desk。 Or somewhere I can't just remember where I happened to put it。 That help you any？〃
〃We didn't e here to get tough； Marlowe。〃
〃That's fine；〃 I said。 〃So you prowl my apartment and handle my property without asking my permission。 What do you do when you get toughknock me down and kick me in the face？〃
〃Aw hell；〃 he said and grinned。 I grinned back。 We all grinned。 Then Breeze said： 〃Use your phone？〃
I pointed to it。 He dialed a number and talked to someone named Morrison； saying： 〃Breeze at〃 He looked down at the base of the phone and read the number off 〃Anytime now。 Marlowe is the name that goes with it。 Sure。 Five or ten minutes is okay。〃
He hung up and went back to the davenport。 〃I bet you can't guess why we're here。〃
〃I'm always expecting the brothers to drop in；〃 I said。
〃Murder ain't funny； Marlowe。〃
〃Who said it was？〃
〃Don't you kind of act as if it was？〃
〃I wasn't aware of it。〃
He looked at Spangler and shrugged。 Then he looked at the floor。 Then he lifted his eyes slowly； as if they were heavy； and looked at me again。 I was sitting down by the chess table now。
〃You play a lot of chess？〃 he asked； looking at the chessmen。
〃Not a lot。 Once in a while I fool around with a game here； thinking things out。〃
〃Don't it take two guys to play chess？〃
〃I play over tournament games that have been recorded and published。 There's a whole literature about chess。 Once in a while I work out problems。 They're not chess； properly speaking。 What are we talking about chess for？ Drink？〃
〃Not right now；〃 Breeze said。 〃I talked to Randall about you。 He remembers you very well； in connection with a case down at the beach。〃 He moved his feet on the carpet； as if they were very tired。 His solid old face was lined and gray with fatigue。 〃He said you wouldn't murder anybody。 He says you are a nice guy； on the level。〃
〃That was friendly of him；〃 I said。
〃He says you make good coffee and you get up kind of late in the mornings and are apt to run to a very bright line of chatter and that we should believe anything you say； provided we can check it by five independent witnesses。〃
〃To hell with him；〃 I said。
Breeze nodded exactly as though I had said just what he wanted me to say。 He wasn't smiling and he wasn't tough； just a big solid man working at his job。 Spungler had his head back on the chair and his eyes half closed and was watching the smoke from his cigarette。
〃Randall says we should look out for you。 He says you are not as smart as you think you are； but that you are a guy things happen to； and a guy like that could be a lot more trouble than a very smart guy。 That's what he says； you understand。 You look all right to me。 I like everything in the clear。 That's why I'm telling you。〃
I said it was nice of him。
The phone rang。 I looked at Breeze； but he didn't move； so I reached for it and answered it。 It was a girl's voice。 I thought it was vaguely familiar； but I couldn't place it。
〃Is this Mr。 Philip Marlowe？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Mr。 Marlowe。 I'm in trouble； very great trouble。 I want to see you very badly。 When can I see you？〃
I said： 〃You mean tonight？ Who am I talking to？〃
〃My name is Gladys Crane。 I live at the Hotel Normandy on Rampart。 When can you〃
〃You mean you want me to e over there tonight？〃 I asked； thinking about the voice； trying to place it。
〃I〃 The phone clicked and the line was dead。 I sat there holding it； frowning at it； looking across it at Breeze。 His face was quietly empty of interest。
〃Some girl says she's in trouble；〃 I said。 〃Connection broken。〃 I held the plunger down on the base of the phone waiting for it to ring again。 The two cops were pletely silent and motionless。 Too silent； too motionless。
The bell rang again and I let the plunger up and said： 〃You want to talk to Breeze； don't you？〃
〃Yeah。〃 It was a man's voice and it sounded a little surprised。
〃Go on； be tricky；〃 I said； and got up from the chair and went out to the kitchen。 I heard Breeze talking very briefly then the sound of the phone being returned to the cradle。
I got a bottle of Four Roses out of the kitchen closet and three glasses。 I got ice and ginger ale from the icebox and mixed three highballs and carried them in on a tray and sat the tray down on the cocktail table in front of the davenport where Breeze was sitting。 I took two of the glasses； handed one to Spangler； and took the other to my chair。
Spangler held the glass uncertainly； pinching his lower lip between thumb and finger； looking at Breeze to see whether he would accept the drink。
Breeze looked at me very steadily。 Then he sighed。 Then he picked the glass up and tasted it and sighed again and shook his head sideways with a half smile； the way a man does when you give him a drink and he needs it very badly and it is just right and the first swallow is like a peek into a cleaner； sunnier； brighter world。
〃I guess you catch on pretty fast； Mr。 Marlowe；〃 he said； and leaned back on the davenport pletely relaxed。 〃I guess now we can do some business together。〃
〃Not that way；〃 I said。
〃Huh？〃 He bent his eyebrows together。 Spangler leaned forward in his chair and looked bright and attentive。
〃Having stray broads call me up and give me a song and dance so you can say they said they recognized my voice somewhere sometime。〃
〃The girl's name is Gladys Crane；〃 Breeze said。
〃So she told me。 I never heard of her。〃
〃Okay；〃 Breeze said。 〃Okay。〃 He showed me the flat of his freckled hand。 〃We're not trying to pull anything that's not legitimate。 We only hope you ain't； either。〃
〃Ain't either what？〃
〃Ain't either trying to pull anything not legitimate。 Such as holding out on us。〃
〃Just why shouldn't I hold out on you； if I feel like it？〃 I asked。 〃You're not paying my salary。〃
〃Look； don't get tough； Marlowe。〃
〃I'm not tough。 I don't have any idea of being tough。 I know enough about cops not to get tough with them。 Go ahead and speak your piece and don't try to pull any more phonies like that telephone call。〃
〃We're on a murder case；〃 Breeze said。 〃We have to try to run it the best we can。 You found the body。 You had talked to the guy。 He had asked you to e to his apartment。 He gave you his key。 You said you didn't know what he wanted to see you about。 We figured that maybe with time to think back you could have remembered。〃
〃In other words I was lying the first time；〃 I said。
Breeze smiled a tired smile。 〃You been around enough to know that people always lie in murder cases。〃
〃The trouble with that is how are you going to know when I stop lying？〃
〃When what you say begins to make sense； we'll be satisfied。〃
I looked at Spangler。 He was leaning forward so far he was almost out of his chair。 He looked as if he was going to jump。 I couldn't think of any reason why he should jump； so I thought he must be excited。 I looked back at Breeze。 He was about as excited as a hole in the wall。 He had one of his cellophane…wrapped cigars between his thick fingers and he was slitting the cellophane with a penknife。 I watched him get the wrapping off and trim the cigar end with the blade and put the knife away； first wiping the blade carefully on his pants。 I watched him strike a wooden match and light the cigar carefully； turning it around in the flame； then hold the match away from the cigar； still burning； and draw on the cigar until he decided it was properly lighted。 Then he shook the match out and laid it down beside the crumpled cellophane on the glass top of the cocktail table