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ion or hatred； just mit them and walk out。 Everything I have heard indicates that she is a reckless foolish woman。 There's no sign of planning in any of the scene down there。 There's every sign of a plete lack of planning。 But even if there wasn't a thing down there to point to your wife； the cops would tie her up to Làvery。 They wifi investigate his background； his friends； his women。 Her name is bound to crop up somewhere along the line； and when it does； the fact that she has been out of sight for a month will make them sit up and rub their horny palms with glee。 And of course they'll trace the gun； and if it's her gun〃 His hand dived for' the gun in the chair beside him。
〃Nope；〃 I said。 〃They'll have to have the gun。 Marlowe may be a very smart guy and very fond of you personally； but he can't risk the suppression of such vital evidence as the gun that killed a man。 Whatever I do has to be on the basis that your wife is an obvious suspect； but that the obviousness can be wrong。〃 He groaned and put his big hand out with the gun on it。 I took it and put it away。 Then I took it out again and said： 〃Lend me your handkerchief。 I don't want to use mine。 I might be searched。〃 He handed me a stiff white handkerchief and I wiped the gun off carefully all over and dropped it into my pocket。 I handed him back the handkerchief。
〃My prints are all right；〃 I said。 〃But I don't want yours on it。 Here's the only thing I can do。 Go back down there and replace the gun and call the law。 Ride it out with them and let the chips fall where they have to。 The story will have to e out。 What I was doing down there and why。 At the worst they'll find her and prove she killed him。 At the best they'll find her a lot quicker than I can and let me use my energies proving she didn't kill him； which means； in effect； proving that somebody else did。 Are you game for that？〃 He nodded slowly。 He said： 〃Yes…and the five hundred stands。 For showing Crystal didn't kill him。〃
〃I don't expect to earn it；〃 I said。 〃You may as well understand that now。 How well did Miss Fromsett know Lavery？ Out of office hours？〃 His face tightened up like a charleyhorse。 His fists went into hard lumps on his thighs。 He said nothing。
〃She looked kind of queer when I asked her for his address yesterday morning；〃 I said。
He let a breath out slowly。
〃Like a bad taste in the mouth；〃 I said。 〃Like a ro。mance that fouled out。 Am I too blunt？〃 His nostrils quivered a little and his breath made noise in them for a moment。 Then he relaxed and said quietly： 〃She…she knew him rather well…at one time。 She's a girl who would do about what she pleased in that way。 Lavery was； I guess； a fascinating bird…to women。〃
〃I'll have to talk to her；〃 I said。
〃Why？〃 he asked shortly。 Red patches showed in his cheeks。
〃Never mind why。 It's my business to ask all sorts of questions of all sorts of people。〃
〃Talk to her then；〃 he said tightly。 〃As' a matter of fact she knew the Almores。 She knew Almore's wife； the one who killed herself。 Lavery knew her too。 Could that have any possible connection with this business？〃
〃I don't know。 You're in love with her； aren't you？〃
〃I'd marry her tomorrow； if I could〃 he said stiffly。
I nodded and stood up。 I looked back along the room。 It was almost empty now。 At the far end a couple of elderly relics were still blowing bubbles。 The rest of the soft chair boys had staggered back to whatever it was they did when they were conscious。
〃There's just one thing；〃 I said； looking down at Kingsley。 〃Cops' get very hostile when there is a delay in calling them after a murder。 There's been delay this time and there will be more。 I'd like to go down there as if it was the first visit today。 I think I can make it that way； if I leave the Fallbrook womamout。〃
〃Fallbrook？〃 He hardly knew what I was talking about。 〃Who the hell…oh yes； I remember。〃
〃Well； don't remember。 I'm almost certain they'll never hear a peep from her。 She's not the kind to have anything to do with the police of her own free wifi。〃
〃I understand；〃 he said。
〃Be sure you handle it right then。 Questions will be asked you _before_ you are told Lavery is dead； before I'm allowed to get in touch with you…so far as they know。 Don't fall into any traps。 If you do； I won't be able to find anything out。 I'll be in the' clink。〃
〃You could call me from the house down there…before you call the police；〃 he said reasonably。
〃I know。 But the fact that I don't will be in my favor。 And they'll check the phone calls one of the first things they do。 And if I call you from anywhere else； I might just as well admit that I came up here to see you。〃
〃I understand；〃 he said again。 〃You can trust me to handle it。〃 We shook hands and I left him standing there。
18
The Athletic Club was on a corner across the street and half a block down from the Treloar Building。 I crossed and walked north to the entrance。 They had finished laying rose…colored concrete where the rubber sidewalk had been。 It was fenced around； leaving a narrow gangway in and out of the building。 The space was clotted with office help going in from lunch。
The Gifierlain pany's reception room looked even emptier than the day before。 The same fluffy little blonde was tucked in behind the PBX in the corner。 She gave me a quick smile and I gave her the gunman's salute； a stiff forefinger pointing at her； the three lower fingers tucked back under it； and the thumb wiggling up and down like a western gun fighter fanning his hammer。 She laughed heartily； without making a sound。 This was more fun than she had had in a week。
I pointed to Miss Fromsett's empty desk and the little blonde nodded and pushed a plug in and spoke。 A door opened and Miss Fromsett swayed elegantly out to her desk and sat down and gave me her cool expectant eyes。
〃Yes； Mr。 Marlowe？ Mr。 Kingsley is not in； I'm afraid。〃
〃I just came from him。 Where do we talk？〃
〃Talk？〃
〃I have something to show you。〃
〃Oh； yes？〃 She looked me over thoughtfully。 A lot of guys had probably tried to show her things； including etchings。 At another time I wouldn't have been above taking a flutter at it myself。
〃Business；〃 I said。 〃Mr。 Kingsley's business。〃 She stood up and opened the gate in the railing。 〃We may as well go into his office then。〃 We went in。 She held the door for me。 As I passed her I sniffed。 Sandalwood。 I said： 〃Gillerlain Regal； the Champagne of Perfumes？〃 She smiled faintly； holding the door。 〃On my salary？〃
〃I didn't say anything about your salary。 You don't look like a girl who has to buy her own perfume。〃
〃Yes； that's what it is；〃 she said。 〃And if you want to know； I detest wearing perfume in the office。 He makes me。〃 We went down the long dim office and she took a chair at the end of the desk。 I sat where I hid sat the day before。 We looked at each other。 She was wearing tan today； with a ruffled jabot at her throat。 She looked a little warmer； but still no prairie fire。
I offered her one of Kingsley's cigarettes。 She took it； took a light from his lighter； and leaned back。
〃We needn't waste time being cagey；〃 I said。 〃You know by now who I am and what I am doing。 If you didn't know yesterday morning； it's only because he loves to play big shot。〃 She looked down at the hand that lay on her knee；。 then lifted her eyes and smiled almost shyly。
〃He's a great guy；〃 she said。 〃In spite of the heavy executive act he likes to put on。 He's the only guy that gets fooled by it after all。 And if you only knew what he has stood from that little tramp〃…she waved her cigarette〃well； perhaps I'd better leave that out。 What was it you wanted to see me about？〃
〃Kingsley said you knew the Almores。〃
〃I knew Mrs。 Almore。 That is； I met her a couple of times。〃
〃Where？〃
〃At a friend's house。 Why？〃
〃At Lavery's house？〃
〃You're not going to be insolent； are you； Mr。 Marlowe？〃
〃I don't know what your definition of that would be。 I'm going to talk business as if it were business； not international diplomacy。〃
〃Very well。〃 She nodded slightly。 〃At Chris Lavery's house； yes。 I used to go there…once in a while。 He had cocktail parties。〃
〃Then Lavery knew the Almores…or Mrs。 Almore。〃 She flushed very slightly。 〃Yes。 Quite well。〃
〃And a lot of other women…quite well； too。 I don't doubt that。 Did Mrs。 Kingsley know her too？〃
〃Yes； better than I did。 They called each other by their first names。 Mrs。 Almore is dead； you know。 She cornmitted suicide； about a year and a half ago。〃
〃Any doubt about that？〃 She raised her eyebrows； but the expression looked artificial to me； as if it just went with the question I asked； as a matter of form。
She said： 〃Have you any particular reason for asking that question in that particular way？ I mean； has it anything to do with…with what you are doing？〃
〃I didn't think so。 I still don't know that it has。 But yesterday Dr。 Almore called a cop just because I looked at his house。 After he had found out from my car license who I was。 The cop got pretty tough with me； just for being there。 He didn't know what I was doing and I didn't tell him I had been calling on Lavery。 But Dr。 Almore must have known that。 He had seen me in front of Lavery's house。 Now why would he think it necessary to call a cop？ And why would the cop think it smart to say that the last fellow who tried to put the bite on Almore ended up on the road gang？ And why would the cop ask me if her folks…meaning Mrs。 Almore's folks； I suppose…had hired me？ If you can answer any of those questions； I might know whether it's any of my business。〃 She thought about it for a moment； giving me one quick glance while she was thinking； and then looking away again。
〃I only met Mrs。 Almore twice；〃 she said slowly。 〃But I think I can answer your questions…all of them。 The last time I met her was at Lavery's place； as I said； and there were quite a lot of people there。 There was a lot of drinking and loud talk。 The women were not with their husbands and the men were not with their wives； if any。 There was a man there named Brownwell who was very tight。 He's in the navy now； I heard。 He was ribbing Mrs。 Almore about her husband's practice。 The idea seemed to be that he was one of those doctors who run around all night with a case of loaded hypodermic needles； keeping the local fast set from having pink elephants for breakfast。 Florence Almore said she didn't care how her husband got his money so long as he got plenty of it and she had the spending of it。 She was tight too and not a very nice person sober； I should imagine。 One of those slinky glittering females who laugh too much and sprawl all over their chairs； showing a great deal of leg。 A very light blonde with a high color and indecently large baby…blue eyes。 Well； Brownwell told her not to worry； it would always be a good racket。 In and out of the patient's house in fifteen minutes and anywhere from ten to fifty bucks a trip。 But one thing bothered him； he said； how even a doctor could get hold of so much dope without contacts。 He asked Mrs。 Almore if they had many nice gangsters to dinner at their house。 She threw a glass of liquor in his face。〃 I grinned； but Miss Fromsett didn't。 She crushed her cigarette out in Kingsley's big copper and glass tray and looked at me soberly。
〃Fair enough；〃 I said。 〃Who wouldn't； unless he had a large hard fist to throw？〃
〃Yes。 A few weeks later Florence Almore was found dead in the garage late at night。 The door of the garage was shut and the car motor was running。〃 She stopped and moistened her lips slightly。 〃It was Chris Lavery who found her。 ing home at God knows what o'clock in the morning。 She was lying on the concrete floor in pajamas； with her head under a blanket which was also over the exhaust pipe of the car。 Dr。 Almore was out。 There was nothing about the affair in the papers； except that she had died suddenly。 It was well hushed up。〃 She lifted her clasped hands a little and then let them fall slowly into her lap again。 I said： 〃Was something wrong with it； then？〃
〃People thought so； but they always do。 Some time later I heard what purported to be the lowdown。 I met this man Brownwell on Vine Street an