〃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 much；〃 he said without emotion。
〃You saw a tall blond woman e out of there yesterday。〃
He studied me。 〃Not yesterday。 Wasa two three days ago I tell the coppers yesterday。〃 He snapped his long dark fingers。 〃The coppers； bah！〃
〃Did you see any strangers yesterday； Mr。 Palermo？〃
〃Is back way in and out；〃 he said。 〃Is stair from second floor also。〃 He looked at his wrist watch。
〃Nothing there then；〃 I said。 〃This morning you saw Hench。〃
He lifted his eyes and ran them lazily over my face。 〃The coppers tell you that； huh？〃
〃They told me you got Hench to confess。 They said he was a friend of yours。 How good a friend they didn't know； of course。〃
〃Hench make the confess； huh？〃 He smiled； a sudden brilliant smile。
〃Only Hench didn't do the killing；〃 I said。
〃No？〃
〃No。〃
〃That'sa interesting。 Go on； Meester Marlowe。〃
〃The confession is a lot of baloney。 You got him to make it for some reason of your own。〃
He stood up and went to the door and called out： 〃Tony。〃 He sat down again。 A short tough…looking wop came into the room； looked at me and sat down against the wall in a straight chair。
〃Tony； thees man a Meester Marlowe。 Look； take the card。〃 Tony came to get the card and sat down with it。 〃You look at thees man very good； Tony。 Not forget him； huh？〃
Tony said： 〃Leave it to me； Mr。 Palermo。〃
Palermo said： 〃Was a friend to you； huh？ A good friend； huh？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃That'sa bad。 Yeah。 That'sa bad。 I tell you something。 A man's friend is a man's friend。 So I tell you。 But you don' tell anybody else。 Not the damn coppers； huh？〃
〃No。〃
〃That'sa promise； Meester Marlowe。 That'sa something not to forget。 You not forget？〃
〃I won't forget。〃
〃Tony； he not forget you。 Get the idea？〃
〃I gave you my word。 What you tell me is between us here。〃
〃That'sa fine。 Okay。 I e of large family。 Many sisters and brothers。 One brother very bad。 Almost so bad as Tony。〃
Tony grinned。
〃Okay； thees brother live very quiet。 Across the street。 Gotta move。 Okay； the coppers fill the joint up。 Not so good。 Ask too many questions。 Not good for business； not good for thees bad brother。 You get the idea？〃
〃Yes；〃 I said。 〃I get the idea。〃
〃Okay； thees Hench no good； but poor guy； drunk； no job。 Pay no rent； but I got lotsa money。 So I say； Look； Hench； you make the confess。 You sick man。 Two three weeks sick。 You go into court。 I have a lawyer for you。 You say to hell with the confess。 I was drunk。 The damn coppers are stuck。 The judge he turn you loose and you e back to me and I take care of you。 Okay？ So Hench say okay； make the confess。 That'sa all。〃
I said： 〃And after two or three weeks the bad brother is a long way from here and the trail is cold and the cops will likely just write the Phillips killing off as unsolved。 Is that it？〃
〃Si。〃 He smiled again。 A brilliant warm smile； like the kiss of death。
〃That takes care of Hench； Mr。 Palermo；〃 I said。 〃But it doesn't help me much about my friend。〃
He shook his head and looked at his watch again。 I stood up。 Tony stood up。 He wasn't going to do anything； but it's better to be standing up。 You move faster。
〃The trouble with you birds；〃 I said； 〃is you make mystery of nothing。 You have to give the password before you bite a piece of bread。 If I went down to headquarters and told the boys everything you have told me； they would laugh in my face。 And I would be laughing with them。〃
〃Tony don't laugh much；〃 Palermo said。
〃The earth is full of people who don't laugh much； Mr。 Palermo；〃 I said。 〃You ought to know。 You put a lot of them where they are。〃
〃Is my business；〃 he said； shrugging enormously。
〃I'll keep my promise；〃 I said。 〃But in case you should get to doubting that； don't try to make any business for yourself out of me。 Because in my part of town I'm a pretty good man and if the business got made out of Tony instead； it would be strictly on the house。 No profit。〃
Palermo laughed。 〃That'sa good；〃 he said。 〃Tony。 One funeralon the house。 Okay。〃
He stood up and held his hand out； a fine strong warm hand。
25
In the lobby of the Belfont Building； in the single elevator that had light in it； on the piece of folded burlap； the same watery…eyed relic sat motionless； giving his imitation of the forgotten man。 I got in with him and said： 〃Six。〃
The elevator lurched into motion and pounded its way upstairs。 It stopped at six； I got out； and the old man leaned out of the car to spit and said in a dull voice：
〃What's cookin'？〃
I turned around all in one piece； like a dummy on a revolving platform。 I stared at him。
He said： 〃You got a gray suit on today。〃
〃So I have；〃 I said。 〃Yes。〃
〃Looks nice；〃 he said。 〃I like the blue you was wearing yesterday too。〃
〃Go on；〃 I said。 〃Give out。〃
〃You rode up to eight；〃 he said。 〃Twice。 Second time was late。 You got back on at six。 Shortly after that the boys in blue came bustlin' in。〃
〃Any of them up there now？〃
He shook his head。 His face was like a vacant lot。 〃I ain't told them anything；〃 he said。 〃Too late to mention it now。 They'd eat my ass off。〃
I said： 〃Why？〃
〃Why I ain't told them？ The hell with them。 You talked to me civil。 Damn few people do that。 Hell； I know you didn't have nothing to do with that killing。〃
〃I played you wrong；〃 I said。 〃Very wrong。〃 I got a card out and gave it to him。 He fished a pair of metal…framed glasses out of his pocket； perched them on his nose and held the card a foot away from them。 He read it slowly； moving his lips； looked at me over the glasses； handed me back the card。
〃Better keep it；〃 he said。 〃Case I get careless and drop it。 Mighty interestin' life yours； I guess。〃
〃Yes and no。 What was the name？〃
〃Grandy。 Just call me Pop。 Who killed him？〃
〃I don't know。 Did you notice anybody going up there or ing downanybody that seemed out of place in this building； or strange to you？〃
〃I don't notice much；〃 he said。 〃I just happened to notice you。〃
〃A tall blond； for instance； or a tall slender man with sideburns； about thirty…five years old。〃
〃Nope。〃
〃Everybody going up or down about then would ride in your car。〃
He nodded his worn head。 〃Less they used the fire stairs。 They e out in the alley； bar…lock door。 Party would have to e in this way； but there's stairs back of the elevator to the second floor。 From there they can get to the fire stairs。 Nothing to it。〃
I nodded。 〃Mr。 Grandy； could you use a five dollar billnot as a bribe in any sense； but as a token of esteem from a sincere friend？〃
〃Son； I could use a five dollar bill so rough Abe Lincoln's whiskers would be all lathered up with sweat。〃
I gave him one。 I looked at it before I passed it over。 It was Lincoln on the five； all right。
He tucked it small and put it away deep in his pocket。 〃That's right nice of you；〃 he said。 〃I hope to hell you didn't think I was fishin'。〃
I shook my head and went along the corridor； reading the names again。 Dr。 E。 J。 Blaskowitz； Chiropractic Physician。 Dalton and Rees； Typewriting Service。 L。 Pridview； Public Account。 Four blank doors。 Moss Mailing pany。 Two more blank doors。 H。 R。 Teager； Dental Laboratories。 In the same relative position as the Morningstar office two floors above； but the rooms were cut up differently。 Teager had only one door and there was more wall space in between his door and the next one。
The knob didn't turn。 I knocked。 There was no answer。 I knocked harder； with the same result。 I went back to the elevator。 It was still at the sixth floor。 Pop Grandy watched me e as if he had never seen me before。
〃Know anything about H。 R。 Teager？〃 I asked him。
He thought。 〃Heavy…set； oldish； sloppy clothes； dirty fingernails； like mine。 e to think I didn't see him in today。〃
〃Do you think the super would let me into his office to look around？〃
〃Pretty nosey； the super is。 I wouldn't remend it。〃
He turned his head very slowly and looked up the side of the car。 Over his head on a big metal ring a k