〃No。 I never did know。〃
〃Would your son be likely to knowor Miss Davis？〃
〃I'll ask my son when he es in。 I don't think so。 You can ask Miss Davis。 I'm sure she doesn't。〃
〃I see。 You don't know of any other friends of Linda's？〃
〃No。〃
〃It's possible that your son is still in touch with her； Mrs。 Murdockwithout telling you。〃
She started to get purple again。 I held my hand up and dragged a soothing smile over my face。 〃After all he has been married to her a year；〃 I said。 〃He must know something about her。〃
〃You leave my son out of this；〃 she snarled。
I shrugged and made a disappointed sound with my lips。 〃Very well。 She took her car； I suppose。 The one you gave her？〃
〃A steel gray Mercury； 1940 model； a coupé。 Miss Davis can give you the license number； if you want that。 I don't know whether she took it。〃
〃Would you know what money and clothes and jewels she had with her？〃
〃Not much money。 She might have had a couple of hundred dollars； at most。〃 A fat sneer made deep lines around her nose and mouth。 〃Unless of course she has found a new friend。〃
〃There's that；〃 I said。 〃Jewelry？〃
〃An emerald and diamond ring of no very great value； a platinum Longines watch with rubies in the mounting； a very good cloudy amber necklace which I was foolish enough to give her myself。 It has a diamond clasp with twenty…six small diamonds in the shape of a playing card diamond。 She had other things； of course。 I never paid much attention to them。 She dressed well but not strikingly。 Thank God for a few small mercies。〃
She refilled her glass and drank and did some more of her semi…social belching。
〃That's all you can tell me； Mrs。 Murdock？〃
〃Isn't it enough？〃
〃Not nearly enough； but I'll have to be satisfied for the time being。 If I find she did not steal the coin； that ends the investigation as far as I'm concerned。 Correct？〃
〃We'll talk it over；〃 she said roughly。 〃She stole it all right。 And I don't intend to let her get away with it。 Paste that in your hat； young man。 And I hope you are even half as rough as you like to act； because these night club girls are apt to have some very nasty friends。〃
I was still holding the folded check by one corner down between my knees。 I got my wallet out and put it away and stood up； reaching my hat off the floor。
〃I like them nasty；〃 I said。 〃The nasty ones have very simple minds。 I'll report to you when there is anything to report； Mrs。 Murdock。 I think I'll tackle this coin dealer first。 He sounds like a lead。〃
She let me get to the door before she growled at my back： 〃You don't like me very well； do you？〃
I turned to grin back at her with my hand on the knob。 〃Does anybody？〃
She threw her head back and opened her mouth wide and roared with laughter。 In the middle of the laughter I opened the door and went out and shut the door on the rough mannish sound。 I went back along the hall and knocked on the secretary's half open door； then pushed it open and looked in。
She had her arms folded on her desk and her face down on the folded arms。 She was sobbing。 She screwed her head around and looked up at me with tear…stained eyes。 I shut the door and went over beside her and put an arm around her thin shoulders。
〃Cheer up；〃 I said。 〃You ought to feel sorry for her。 She thinks she's tough and she's breaking her back trying to live up to it。〃
The little girl jumped erect； away from my arm。 〃Don't touch me；〃 she said breathlessly。 〃Please。 I never let men touch me。 And don't say such awful things about Mrs。 Murdock。〃
Her face was all pink and wet from tears。 Without her glasses her eyes were very lovely。
I stuck my long…waiting cigarette into my mouth and lit it。
〃II didn't mean to be rude；〃 she snuffled。 〃But she does humiliate me so。 And I only want to do my best for her。〃 She snuffled some more and got a man's handkerchief out of her desk and shook it out and wiped her eyes with it。 I saw on the hanging down corner the initials L。M。 embroidered in purple。 I stared at it and blew cigarette smoke towards the corner of the room； away from her hair。 〃Is there something you want？〃 she asked。
〃I want the license number of Mrs。 Leslie Murdock's car。〃
〃It's 2X1111； a gray Mercury convertible； 1940 model。〃
〃She told me it was a coupé。〃
〃That's Mr。 Leslie's car。 They're the same make and year and color。 Linda didn't take the car。〃
〃Oh。 What do you know about a Miss Lois Magic？〃
〃I only saw her once。 She used to share an apartment with Linda。 She came here with a Mr。a Mr。 Vannier。〃
〃Who's he？〃
She looked down at her desk。 〃Ishe just came with him。 I don't know him。〃
〃Okay； what does Miss Lois Magic look like？〃
〃She's a tall handsome blond。 Veryvery appealing。〃
〃You mean sexy？〃
〃Well〃 she blushed furiously； 〃in a nice well…bred sort of way； if you know what I mean。〃
〃I know what you mean；〃 I said； 〃but I never got anywhere with it。〃
〃I can believe that；〃 she said tartly。
〃Know where Miss Magic lives？〃
She shook her head； no。 She folded the big handkerchief very carefully and put it in the drawer of her desk； the one where the gun was。
〃You can swipe another one when that's dirty；〃 I said。 She leaned back in her chair and put her small neat hands on her desk and looked at me levelly。
〃I wouldn't carry that tough…guy manner too far； if I were you； Mr。 Marlowe。 Not with me； at any rate。〃
〃No？〃
〃No。 And I can't answer any more questions without specific instructions。 My position here is very confidential。〃
〃I'm not tough；〃 I said。 〃Just virile。〃
She picked up a pencil and made a mark on a pad。 She smiled faintly up at me； all posure again。
〃Perhaps I don't like virile men；〃 she said。
〃You're a screwball；〃 I said； 〃if ever I met one。 Good…by。〃
I went out of her office； shut the door firmly； and walked back along the empty halls through the big silent sunken funereal living room and out of the front door。
The sun danced on the warm lawn outside。 I put my dark glasses on and went over and patted the little Negro on the head again。
〃Brother； it's even worse than I expected；〃 I told him。 The stumble…stones were hot through the soles of my shoes。 I got into the car and started it and pulled away from the curb。
A small sand…colored coupé pulled away from the curb behind me。 I didn't think anything of it。 The man driving it wore a dark porkpie type straw hat with a gay print band and dark glasses were over his eyes； as over mine。
I drove back towards the city。 A dozen blocks later at a traffic stop； the sand…colored coupé was still behind me。 I shrugged and just for the fun of it circled a few blocks。 The coupé held its position。 I swung into a street lined with immense pepper trees； dragged my heap around in a fast U…turn and stopped against the curbing。
The coupé came carefully around the corner。 The blond head under the cocoa straw hat with the tropical print band didn't even turn my way。 The coupé sailed on and I drove back to the Arroyo Seco and on towards Hollywood。 I looked carefully several times； but I didn't spot the coupé again。
3
I had an office in the Cahuenga Building； sixth floor； two small rooms at the back。 One I left open for a patient client to sit in； if I had a patient client。 There was a buzzer on the door which I could switch on and off from my private thinking parlor。
I looked into the reception room。 It was empty of everything but the smell of dust。 I threw up another window； unlocked the municating door and went into the room beyond。 Three hard chairs and a swivel chair； flat desk with a glass top； five green filing cases； three of them full of nothing； a calendar and a framed license bond on the wall； a phone； a washbowl in a stained wood cupboard； a hatrack； a carpet that was just something on the floor； and two open windows with net curtains that puckered in and out like the lips of a toothless old man sleeping。
The same stuff I had had last year； and the year before that。 Not beautiful； not gay； but better than a tent on the beach。
I hung my hat and coat on the hatrack； washed my face and hands in cold water； lit a cigarette and hoisted the phon