〃I never did。 You take some awful chances； Miss Riordan。〃
〃I think I said the same about you。 I had a gun。 I wasn't afraid。 There's no law against going down there。〃
〃Uh…huh。 Only the law of self preservation。 Here。 It's not my night to be clever。 I suppose you have a permit for the gun。〃 I held it out to her； butt first。
She took it and tucked it down into her pocket。 〃Strange how curious people can be； isn't it？ I write a little。 Feature articles。〃
〃Any money in it？〃
〃Very damned little。 What were you looking for…in his pockets？〃
〃Nothing in particular。 I'm a great guy to snoop around。 We had eight thousand dollars to buy back some stolen jewelry for a lady。 We got hijacked。 Why they killed him I don't know。 He didn't strike me as a fellow who would put up much of a fight。 And I didn't hear a fight。 I was down in the hollow when he was jumped。 He was in the car； up above。 We were supposed to drive down into the hollow but there didn't seem to be room for the car without scratching it up。 So I went down there on foot and while I was down there they must have stuck him up。 Then one of them got into the car and dry…guiched me。 I thought he was still in the car； of course。〃
〃That doesn't make you so terribly dumb；〃 she said。
〃There was something wrong with the job from the start。 I could feel it。 But I needed the money。 Now I have to go to the cops and eat dirt。 Will you drive me to Montemar Vista？ I left my car there。 He lived there。〃
〃Sure。 But shouldn't somebody stay with him？ You could take my car…or I could go call the cops。〃
I looked at the dial of my watch。 The faintly glowing hands said that it was getting towards midnight。
〃No。〃
〃Why not？〃
〃I don't know why not。 I just feel it that way。 I'll play it alone。〃
She said nothing。 We went back down the hill and got into her little car and she started it and jockeyed it around without lights and drove it back up the hill and eased it past the barrier。 A block away she sprang the lights on。
My head ached。 We didn't speak until we came level with the first house on the paved part of the street。 Then she said：
〃You need a drink。 Why not go back to my house and have one？ You can phone the law from there。 They have to e from West Los Angeles anyway。 There's nothing up here but a fire station。〃
〃Just keep on going down to the coast。 I'll play it solo。〃
〃But why？ I'm not afraid of them。 My story might help you。〃
〃I don't want any help。 I've got to think。 I want to be by myself for a while。〃
〃I…okey；〃 she said。
She made a vague sound in her throat and turned on to the boulevard。 We came to the service station at the coast highway and turned north to Montemar Vista and the sidewalk cafe there。 It was lit up like a luxury liner。 The girl pulled over on to the shoulder and I got out and stood holding the door。
I fumbled a card out of my wallet and passed it in to her。 〃Some day you may need a strong back；〃 I said。 〃Let me know。 But don't call me if it's brain work。〃
She tapped the card on the wheel and said slowly： 〃You'll find me in the Bay City phone book。 819 Twenty…fifth Street。 e around and pin a putty medal on me for minding my own business。 I think you're still woozy from that crack on the head。〃
She swung her car swiftly around on the highway and I watched its twin tail…lights fade into the dark。
I walked past the arch and the sidewalk cafe into the parking space and got into my car。 A bar was right in front of me and I was shaking again。 But it seemed smarter to walk into the West Los Angeles police station the way I did twenty minutes later； as cold as a frog and as green as the back of a new dollar bill。
12
It was an hour and a half later。 The body had been taken away； the ground gone over； and I had told my story three or four times。 We sat； four of us； in the day captain's room at the West Los Angeles station。 The building was quiet except for a drunk in a cell who kept giving the Australian bush call while he waited to go downtown for sunrise court。
A hard white light inside a glass reflector shone down on the flat topped table on which were spread the things that had e from Lindsay Marriott's pockets； things now that seemed as dead and homeless as their owner。 The man across the table from me was named Randall and he was from Central Homicide in Los Angeles。 He was a thin quiet man of fifty with smooth creamy gray hair； cold eyes； a distant manner。 He wore a dark red tie with black spots on it and the spots kept dancing in front of my eyes。 Behind him； beyond the cone of light； two beefy men lounged like bodyguards； each of them watching one of my ears。
I fumbled a cigarette around in my fingers and lit it and didn't like the taste of it。 I sat watching it burn between my fingers。 I felt about eighty years old and slipping fast。
Randall said coldly： 〃The oftener you tell this story the sillier it sounds。 This man Marriott had been negotiating for days； no doubt； about this pay…off and then just a few hours before the final meeting he calls up a perfect stranger and hires him to go with him as a bodyguard。〃
〃Not exactly as a bodyguard；〃 I said。 〃I didn't even tell him I had a gun。 Just for pany。〃
〃Where did he hear of you？〃
〃First he said a mutual friend。 Then that he just picked my name out of the book。〃
Randall poked gently among the stuff on the table and detached a white card with an air of touching something not quite clean。 He pushed it along the wood。
〃He had your card。 Your business card。〃
I glanced at the card。 It had e out of his billfold； together with a number of other cards I hadn't bothered to examine back there in the hollow of Purissima Canyon。 It was one of my cards all right。 It looked rather dirty at that； for a man like Marriott。 There was a round smear across one corner。
〃Sure；〃 I said。 〃I hand those out whenever I get a chance。 Naturally。〃
〃Marriott let you carry the money；〃 Randall said。 〃Eight thousand dollars。 He was rather a trusting soul。〃
I drew on my cigarette and blew the smoke towards the ceiling。 The light hurt my eyes。 The back of my head ached。
〃I don't have the eight thousand dollars；〃 I said。 〃Sorry。〃
〃No。 You wouldn't be here； if you had the money。 Or would you？〃 There was a cold sneer on his face now； but it looked artificial。
〃I'd do a lot for eight thousand dollars；〃 I said。 〃But if I wanted to kill a man with a sap； I'd only hit him twice at the most…on the back of the head。〃
He nodded slightly。 One of the dicks behind him spit into the wastebasket。
〃That's one of the puzzling features。 It looks like an amateur job； but of course it might be meant to look like an amateur job。 The money was not Marriott's； was it？〃
〃I don't know。 I got the impression not； but that was just an impression。 He wouldn't tell me who the lady in the case was。〃
〃We don't know anything about Marriott…yet；〃 Randall said slowly。 〃I suppose it's at least possible he meant to steal the eight thousand himself。〃
〃Huh？〃 I felt surprised。 I probably looked surprised。 Nothing changed in Randall's smooth face。
〃Did you count the money？〃
〃Of course not。 He just gave me a package。 There was money in it and it looked like a lot。 He said it was eight grand。 Why would he want to steal it from me when he already had it before I came on the scene？〃
Randall looked at a corner of the ceiling and drew his mouth down at the corners。 He shrugged。
〃Go back a bit；〃 he said。 〃Somebody had stuck up Marriott and a lady and taken this jade necklace and stuff and had later offered to sell it back for what seems like a pretty small amount； in view of its supposed value。 Marriott was to handle the payoff。 He thought of handling it alone and we don't know whether the other parties made a point of that or whether it was mentioned。 Usually in cases like that they are rather fussy。 But Marriott evidently decided it was all right to have you along。 Both of you figured you were dealing with an organized gang and that they would play ball within the limits of their trade。 Marriott was scared。 That would be natural enough。 He wanted pany。 You were the pany。 But you are a plete stranger to him； just a name on a card handed to him by some unknown party； said by him to be a