the match out and laid it down beside the crumpled cellophane on the glass top of the cocktail table。 Then he leaned back and pulled up one leg of his pants and smoked peacefully。 Every motion had been exactly as it had been when he lit a cigar in Hench's apartment； and exactly as it always would be whenever he lit a cigar。 He was that kind of man； and that made him dangerous。 Not as dangerous as a brilliant man； but much more dangerous than a quick excitable one like Spangler。
〃I never saw Phillips before today；〃 I said。 〃I don't count that he said he saw me up in Ventura once； because I don't remember him。 I met him just the way I told you。 He tailed me around and I braced him。 He wanted to talk to me； he gave me his key； I went to his apartment； used the key to let myself in when he didn't answeras he had told me to do。 He was dead。 The police were called and through a set of events or incidents that had nothing to do with me； a gun was found under Hench's pillow。 A gun that had been fired。 I told you this and it's true。〃
Breeze said： 〃When you found him you went down to the apartment manager； guy named Passmore； and got him to go up with you without telling him anybody was dead。 You gave Passmore a phony card and talked about jewelry。〃
I nodded。 〃With people like Passmore and apartment houses like that one； it pays to be a little on the cagey side。 I was interested in Phillips。 I thought Passmore might tell me something about him； if he didn't know he was dead； that he wouldn't be likely to tell me； if he knew the cops were going to bounce in on him in a brief space of time。 That's all there was to that。〃
Breeze drank a little of his drink and smoked a little of his cigar and said： 〃What i'd like to get in the clear is this。 Everything you just told us might be strictly the truth； and yet you might not be telling us the truth。 If you get what I mean。〃
〃Like what？〃 I asked； getting perfectly well what he meant。
He tapped on his knee and watched me with a quiet up from under look。 Not hostile； not even suspicious。 Just a quiet man doing his job。
〃Like this。 You're on a job。 We don't know what it is。 Phillips was playing at being a private dick。 He was on a job。 He tailed you around。 How can we know； unless you tell us； that his job and your job don't tie in somewhere？ And if they do； that's our business。 Right？〃
〃That's one way to look at it；〃 I said。 〃But it's not the only way； and it's not my way。〃
〃Don't forget this is a murder case； Marlowe。〃
〃I'm not。 But don't you forget I've been around this town a long time； more than fifteen years。 I've seen a lot of murder cases e and go。 Some have been solved； some couldn't be solved； and some could have been solved that were not solved。 And one or two or three of them have been solved wrong。 Somebody was paid to take a rap； and the chances are it was known or strongly suspected。 And winked at。 But skip that。 It happens； but not often。 Consider a case like the Cassidy case。 I guess you remember it； don't you？〃
Breeze looked at his watch。 〃I'm tired；〃 he said。 〃Let's forget the Cassidy case。 Let's stick to the Phillips case。〃
I shook my head。 〃I'm going to make a point； and it's an important point。 Just look at the Cassidy case。 Cassidy was a very rich man； a multimillionaire。 He had a grown up son。 One night the cops were called to his home and young Cassidy was on his back on the floor with blood all over his face and a bullet hole in the side of his head。 His secretary was lying on his back in an adjoining bathroom； with his head against the second bathroom door； leading to a hail； and a cigarette burned out between the fingers of his left hand； just a short burned out stub that had scorched the skin between his fingers。 A gun was lying by his right hand。 He was shot in the head； not a contact wound。 A lot of drinking had been done。 Four hours had elapsed since the deaths and the family doctor had been there for three of them。 Now； what did you do with the Cassidy case？〃
Breeze sighed。 〃Murder and suicide during a drinking spree。 The secretary went haywire and shot young Cassidy。 I read it in the papers or something。 Is that what you want me to say？〃
〃You read it in the papers；〃 I said； 〃but it wasn't so。 What's more you knew it wasn't so and the D。A。 knew it wasn't so and the D。A。's investigators were pulled off the case within a matter of hours。 There was no inquest。 But every crime reporter in town and every cop on every homicide detail knew it was Cassidy that did the shooting； that it was Cassidy that was crazy drunk； that it was the secretary who tried to handle him and couldn't and at last tried to get away from him； but wasn't quick enough。 Cassidy's was a contact wound and the secretary's was not。 The secretary was left…handed and he had a cigarette in his left hand when he was shot。 Even if you are right…handed； you don't change a cigarette over to your other hand and shoot a man while casually holding the cigarette。 They might do that on Gang Busters； but rich men's secretaries don't do it。 And what were the family and the family doctor doing during the four hours they didn't call the cops？ Fixing it so there would only be a superficial investigation。 And why were no tests of the hands made for nitrates？ Because you didn't want the truth。 Cassidy was too big。 But this was a murder case too； wasn't it？〃
〃The guys were both dead；〃 Breeze said。 〃What the hell difference did it make who shot who？〃
〃Did you ever stop to think；〃 I asked； 〃that Cassidy's secretary might have had a mother or a sister or a sweetheartor all three？ That they had their pride and their faith and their love for a kid who was made out to be a drunken paranoiac because his boss's father had a hundred million dollars？〃
Breeze lifted his glass slowly and finished his drink slowly and put it down slowly and turned the glass slowly on the glass top of the cocktail table。 Spangler sat rigid； all shining eyes and lips parted in a sort of rigid half smile。
Breeze said： 〃Make your point。〃
I said： 〃Until you guys own your own souls you don't own mine。 Until you guys can be trusted every time and always； in all times and conditions； to seek the truth out and find it and let the chips fall where they mayuntil that time es； I have a right to listen to my conscience； and protect my client the best way I can。 Until I'm sure you won't do him more harm than you'll do the truth good。 Or until I'm hauled before somebody that can make me talk。〃
Breeze said： 〃You sound to me just a little like a guy who is trying to hold his conscience down。〃
〃Hell；〃 I said。 〃Let's have another drink。 And then you can tell me about that girl you had me talk to on the phone。〃
He grinned： 〃That was a dame that lives next door to Phillips。 She heard a guy talking to him at the door one evening。 She works days as an usherette。 So we thought maybe she ought to hear your voice。 Think nothing of it。〃
〃What kind of voice was it？〃
〃Kind of a mean voice。 She said she didn't like it。〃
〃I guess that's what made you think of me；〃 I said。 I picked up the three glasses and went out to the kitchen with them。
16
When I got out there I had forgotten which glass was which； so I rinsed them all out and dried them and was starting to make more drinks when Spangler strolled out and stood just behind my shoulder。
〃It's all right；〃 I said。 〃I'm not using any cyanide this evening。〃
〃Don't get too foxy with the old guy；〃 he said quietly to the back of my neck。 〃He knows more angles than you think。〃
〃Nice of you；〃 I said。
〃Say； I'd like to read up on that Cassidy case；〃 he said。 〃Sounds interesting。 Must have been before my time。〃
〃It was a long time ago；〃 I said。 〃And it never happened。 I was just kidding。〃 I put the glasses on the tray and carried them back into the living room and set them around。 I took mine over to my chair behind the chess table。
〃Another phony；〃 I said。 〃Your sidekick sneaks out to the kitchen and gives me advice behind your back about how careful I ought to keep on account of the angles you know that I don't think you know。 He has just the right face for it。 Friendly and open and an easy blusher。〃
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