y is pale but peaceful。 We go see him。 How you doing； kid？ Anything you need？ Any little thing at all？ Be glad to get it for you。 They treating you nice in here？ You know the line。〃
〃I do；〃 I said。 〃I know the line。〃
Spangler licked his lips in a nasty way。
〃So after a while he opens his trap just enough to say 'Palermo'。 Palermo is the name of the wop across the street that owns the funeral home and the apartment house and stuff。 You remember？ Yeah； you remember。 On account of he said something about a tall blond。 All hooey。 Them wops got tall blonds on the brain。 In sets of twelve。 But this Palermo is important。 I asked around。 He gets the vote out up there。 He's a guy that can't be pushed around。 Well； I don't aim to push him around。 I say to Hench； 'You mean Palermo's a friend of yours？' He says； 'Get Palermo。' So we e back here to the hutch and phone Palermo and Palermo says he will be right down。 Okay。 He is here very soon。 We talk like this： Hench wants to see you； Mr。 Palermo。 I wouldn't know why。 He's a poor guy； Palermo says。 A nice guy。 I think he's okay。 He wanta see me； that'sa fine。 I see him。 I see him alone。 Without any coppers。 I say； Okay； Mr。 Palermo； and we go over to the hospital ward and Palermo talks to Hench and nobody listens。 After a while Palermo es out and he says； Okay； copper。 He make the confess。 I pay the lawyer； maybe。 I like the poor guy。 Just like that。 He goes away。〃
I didn't say anything。 There was a pause。 The loudspeaker on the wall put out a bulletin and Breeze cocked his head and listened to ten or twelve words and then ignored it。
〃So we go in with a steno and Hench gives us the dope。 Phillips made a pass at Hench's girl。 That was day before yesterday； out in the hall。 Hench was in the room and he saw it； but Phillips got into his apartment and shut the door before Hench could get out。 But Hench was sore。 He socked the girl in the eye。 But that didn't satisfy him。 He got to brooding； the way a drunk will brood。 He says to himself； that guy can't make a pass at my girl。 I'm the boy that will give him something to remember me by。 So he keeps an eye open for Phillips。 Yesterday afternoon he sees Phillips go into his apartment。 He tells the girl to go for a walk。 She don't want to go for a walk； so Hench socks her in the other eye。 She goes for a walk。 Hench knocks on Phillips' door and Phillips opens it。 Hench is a little surprised at that； but I told him Phillips was expecting you。 Anyway the door opens and Hench goes in and tells Phillips how he feels and what he is going to do and Phillips is scared and pulls a gun。 Hench hits him with a sap。 Phillips falls down and Hench ain't satisfied。 You hit a guy with a sap and he falls down and what have you？ No satisfaction； no revenge。 Hench picks the gun off the floor and he is very drunk there being dissatisfied and Phillips grabs for his ankle。 Hench doesn't know why he did what he did then。 He's all fuzzy in the head。 He drags Phillips into the bathroom and gives him the business with his own gun。 You like it？〃
〃I love it；〃 I said。 〃But what is the satisfaction in it for Hench？〃
〃Well； you know how a drunk is。 Anyway he gives him the business。 Well it ain't Hench's gun； you see； but he can't make a suicide out of it。 There wouldn't be any satisfaction for him in that。 So Hench takes the gun away and puts it under his pillow and takes his own gun out and ditches it。 He won't tell us where。 Probably passes it to some tough guy in the neighborhood。 Then he finds the girl and they eat。〃
〃That was a lovely touch；〃 I said。 〃Putting the gun under his pillow。 I'd never in the world have thought of that。〃
Breeze leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling。 Spangler； the big part of the entertainment over； swung around in his chair and picked up a couple of bank pens and threw one at the cushion。
〃Look at it this way；〃 Breeze said。 〃What was the effect of that stunt？ Look how Hench did it。 He was drunk； but he was smart。 He found that gun and showed it before Phillips was found dead。 First we get the idea that a gun is under Hench's pillow that killed a guybeen fired anywayand then we get the stiff。 We believed Hench's story。 It seemed reasonable。 Why would we think any man would be such a sap as to do what Hench did？ It doesn't make any sense。 So we believed somebody put the gun under Hench's pillow and took Hench's gun away and ditched it。 And suppose Hench ditched the death gun instead of his own； would he have been any better off？ Things being what they were we would be bound to suspect him。 And that way he wouldn't have started our minds thinking any particular way about him。 The way he did he got us thinking he was a harmless drunk that went out and left his door open and somebody ditched a gun on him。〃
He waited； with his mouth a little open and the cigar in front of it； held up by a hard freckled hand and his pale blue eyes full of dim satisfaction。
〃Well；〃 I said； 〃if he was going to confess anyway； it wouldn't have made very much difference。 Will he cop a plea？〃
〃Sure。 I think so。 I figure Palermo could get him off with manslaughter。 Naturally I'm not sure。〃
〃Why would Palermo want to get him off with anything？〃
〃He kind of likes Hench。 And Palermo is a guy we can't push around。〃
I said： 〃I see。〃 I stood up。 Spangler looked at me sideways along glistening eyes。 〃What about the girl？〃
〃Won't say a word。 She's smart。 We can't do anything to her。 Nice neat little job all around。 You wouldn't kick； would you？ Whatever your business is； it's still your business。 Get me？〃
〃And the girl is a tall blond；〃 I said。 〃Not of the freshest but still a tall blond。 Although only one。 Maybe Palermo doesn't mind。〃
〃Hell； I never thought of that；〃 Breeze said。 He thought about it and shook it off。 〃Nothing in that； Marlowe。 Not enough class。〃
〃Cleaned up and sober； you never can tell；〃 I said。 〃Class is a thing that has a way of dissolving rapidly in alcohol。 That all you want with me？〃
〃Guess so。〃 He slanted the cigar up and aimed it at my eye。 〃Not that I wouldn't like to hear your story。 But I don't figure I have an absolute right to insist on it the way things are。
〃That's white of you； Breeze；〃 I said。 〃And you too； Spangler。 A lot of the good things in life to both of you。〃
They watched me go out； both with their mouths a little open。
I rode down to the big marble lobby and went and got my car out of the official parking lot。
24
Mr。 Pietro Palermo was sitting in a room which； except for a mahogany roll…top desk； a sacred triptych in gilt frames and a large ebony and ivory crucifixion； looked exactly like a Victorian parlor。 It contained a horseshoe sofa and chairs with carved mahogany frames and antimacassars of fine lace。 There was an ormolu clock on the gray green marble mantel； a grandfather clock ticking lazily in the corner； and some wax flowers under a glass dome on an oval table with a marble top and curved elegant legs。 The carpet was thick and full of gentle sprays of flowers。 There was even a cabinet for bric…a…brac and there was plenty of bric…a…brac in it； little cups in fine china； little figurines in glass and porcelain odds and ends of ivory and dark rosewood； painted saucers； an early American set of swan salt cellars； stuff like that。
Long lace curtains hung across the windows； but the room faced south and there was plenty of light。 Across the street I could see the windows of the apartment where George Anson Phillips had been killed。 The street between was sunny and silent。
The tall Italian with the dark skin and the handsome head of iron gray hair read my card and said：
〃I got business in twelve minutes。 What you want； Meester Marlowe？〃
〃I'm the man that found the dead man across the street yesterday。 He was a friend of mine。〃
His cold black eyes looked me over silently。 〃That'sa not what you tell Luke。〃
〃Luke？〃
〃He manage the joint for me。〃
〃I don't talk much to strangers； Mr。 Palermo。〃
〃That'sa good。 You talk to me； huh？〃
〃You're a man of standing； an important man。 I can talk to you。 You saw me yesterday。 You described me to the police。 Very accurately。 they said。〃
〃Si。 I see