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〃The Brasher Doubloon。〃
She looked up at me and nodded； rememberingletting me see her remembering。
〃Oh； the Brasher Doubloon。〃
〃I bet you pletely forgot it；〃 I said。
〃Well； no。 I've seen it a number of times；〃 she said。 〃She wants it back； you said。 Do you mean she thinks I took it？〃
〃Yeah。 Just that。〃
〃She's a dirty old liar；〃 Linda Conquest said。
〃What you think doesn't make you a liar；〃 I said。 〃It only sometimes makes you mistaken。 Is she wrong？〃
〃Why would I take her silly old coin？〃
〃Wellit's worth a lot of money。 She thinks you might need money。 I gather she was not too generous。〃
She laughed； a tight sneering little laugh。 〃No；〃 she said。 〃Mrs。 Elizabeth Bright Murdock would not rate as very generous。〃
〃Maybe you just took it for spite； kind of；〃 I said hopefully。
〃Maybe I ought to slap your face。〃 She killed her cigarette in Morny's copper goldfish bowl； speared the crushed stub absently with the letter opener and dropped it into the wastebasket。
〃Passing on from that to perhaps more important matters；〃 I said； 〃will you give him a divorce？〃
〃For twenty…five grand；〃 she said； not looking at me； 〃I should be glad to。〃
〃You're not in love with the guy； huh？〃
〃You're breaking my heart； Marlowe。〃
〃He's in love with you；〃 I said。 〃After all you did marry him。〃
She looked at me lazily。 〃Mister； don't think I didn't pay for that mistake。〃 She lit another cigarette。 〃But a girl has to live。 And it isn't always as easy as it looks。 And so a girl can make a mistake； marry the wrong guy and the wrong family； looking for something that isn't there。 Security； or whatever。〃
〃But not needing any love to do it；〃 I said。
〃I don't want to be too cynical； Marlowe。 But you'd be surprised how many girls marry to find a home； especially girls whose arm muscles are all tired out fighting off the kind of optimists that e into these gin and glitter joints。〃
〃You had a home and you gave it up。〃
〃It got to be too dear。 That port…sodden old fake made the bargain too tough。 How do you like her for a client？〃
〃I've had worse。〃
She picked a shred of tobacco off her lip。 〃You notice what she's doing to that girl？〃
〃Merle？ I noticed she bullied her。〃
〃It isn't just that。 She has her cutting out dolls。 The girl had a shock of some kind and the old brute has used the effect of it to dominate the girl pletely。 In pany she yells at her but in private she's apt to be stroking her hair and whispering in her ear。 And the kid sort of shivers。〃
〃I didn't quite get all that；〃 I said。
〃The kid's in love with Leslie； but she doesn't know it。 Emotionally she's about ten years old。 Something funny is going to happen in that family one of these days。 I'm glad I won't be there。〃
I said： 〃You're a smart girl； Linda。 And you're tough and you're wise。 I suppose when you married him you thought you could get your hands on plenty。〃
She curled her lip。 〃I thought it would at least be a vacation。 It wasn't even that。 That's a smart ruthless woman； Marlowe。 Whatever she's got you doing； it's not what she says。 She's up to something。 Watch your step。〃
〃Would she kill a couple of men？〃
She laughed。
〃No kidding；〃 I said。 〃A couple of men have been killed and one of them at least is connected with rare coins。〃
〃I don't get it；〃 she looked at me levelly。 〃Murdered； you mean？〃
I nodded。
〃You tell Morny all that？〃
〃About one of them。〃
〃You tell the cops？〃
〃About one of them。 The same one。〃
She moved her eyes over my face。 We stared at each other。 She looked a little pale； or just tired。 I thought she had grown a little paler than before。
〃You're making that up；〃 she said between her teeth。
I grinned and nodded。 She seemed to relax then。
〃About the Brasher Doubloon？〃 I said。 〃You didn't take it。 Okay。 About the divorce； what？〃
〃That's none of your affair。〃
〃I agree。 Well； thanks for talking to me。 Do you know a fellow named Vannier？〃
〃Yes。〃 Her face froze hard now。 〃Not well。 He's a friend of Lois。〃
〃A very good friend。〃
〃One of these days he's apt to turn out to be a small quiet funeral too。〃
〃Hints；〃 I said； 〃have sort of been thrown in that direction。 There's something about the guy。 Every time his name es up the party freezes。〃
She stared at me and said nothing。 I thought that an idea was stirring at the back of her eyes； but if so it didn't e out。 She said quietly：
〃Morny will sure as hell kill him； if he doesn't lay off Lois。〃
〃Go on with you。 Lois flops at the drop of a hat。 Anybody can see that。〃
〃Perhaps Alex is the one person who can't see it。〃
〃Vannier hasn't anything to do with my job anyway。 He has no connection with the Murdocks。〃
She lifted a corner of her lip at me and said： 〃No？ Let me tell you something。 No reason why I should。 I'm just a great big open…hearted kid。 Vannier knows Elizabeth Bright Murdock and well。 He never came to the house but once while I was there； but he called on the phone plenty of times。 I caught some of the calls。 He always asked for Merle。〃
〃Wellthat's funny；〃 I said。 〃Merle； huh？〃
She bent to crush out her cigarette and again she speared the stub and dropped it into the wastebasket。
〃I'm very tired；〃 she said suddenly。 〃Please go away。〃
I stood there for a moment； looking at her and wondering。 Then I said： 〃Good night and thanks。 Good luck。〃
I went out and left her standing there with her hands in the pockets of the white coat； her head bent and her eyes looking at the floor。
It was two o'clock when I got back to Hollywood and put the car away and went upstairs to my apartment。 The wind was all gone but the air still had that dryness and lightness of the desert。 The air in the apartment was dead and Breeze's cigar butt had made it a little worse than dead。 I opened windows and flushed the place through while I undressed and stripped the pockets of my suit。
Out of them with other things came the dental supply pany's bill。 It still looked like a bill to one H。 R。 Teager for 30 lbs。 of crystobolite and 25 lbs。 of albastone。
I dragged the phone book up on the desk in the living room and looked up Teager。 Then the confused memory clicked into place。 His address was 422 West Ninth Street。 The address of the Belfont Building was 422 West Ninth Street。
H。 R。 Teager Dental Laboratories had been one of the names on doors on the sixth floor of the Belfont Building when I did my backstairs crawl away from the office of Elisha Morningstar。
But even the Pinkertons have to sleep； and Marlowe needed far； far more sleep than the Pinkertons。 I went to bed。
20
It was just as hot in Pasadena as the day before and the big dark red brick house on Dresden Avenue looked just as cool and the little painted Negro waiting by the hitching block looked just as sad。 The same butterfly landed on the same hydrangea bushor it looked like the same onethe same heavy scent of summer lay on the morning； and the same middle…aged sourpuss with the frontier voice opened to my ring。
She led me along the same hallways to the same sunless sunroom。 In it Mrs。 Elizabeth Bright Murdock sat in the same reed chaise…longue and as I came into the room she was pouring herself a slug from what looked like the same port bottle but was more probably a grandchild。
The maid shut the door； I sat down and put my hat on the floor； just like yesterday； and Mrs。 Murdock gave me the same hard level stare and said：
〃Well？〃
〃Things are bad；〃 I said。 〃The cops are after me。〃
She looked as flustered as a side of beef。 〃Indeed。 I thought you were more petent than that。〃
I brushed it off。 〃When I left here yesterday morning a man followed me in a coupé。 I don't know what he was doing here or how he got here。 I suppose he followed me here； but I feel doubtful about that。 I shook him off； but he turned up again in the hall outside my office。 He followed me again； so I invited him to explain why and he said he knew who I was and he needed help and asked me to e to his apartment on Bunker Hill and talk to him。 I went； after I had seen Mr。 Morningstar； and found the man shot to death on the floor of his bathroom。〃
Mrs。 Murdock sipped a little port。 Her hand might have shaken a little； but the light in the room was too dim for me to be sure。 She cleared her throat。
〃Go on。〃
〃His name is George Anson Phillips。 A young； blond fellow； rather dumb。 He claimed to be a private detective。〃
〃I never heard of him；〃 Mrs。 Murdock said coldly。 〃I never saw him to my knowledge and I don't know anything about him。 Did you think I employed him to follow you？〃
〃I didn't know what to think。 He talked about pooling our resources and he gave me the impression that he was working for some member of your family。 He didn't say so in so many words。〃
〃He wasn't。 You can be quite definite on that。〃 The baritone voice was as steady as a rock。
〃I don't think you know quite as much about your family as you think you do； Mrs。 Murdock。〃
〃I know you have been questioning my soncontrary to my orders；〃 she said coldly。
〃I didn't question him。 He questioned me。 Or tried to。〃
〃We'll go into that later；〃 she said ha