rc.theladyinthelake-第39节
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〃In a strange place； in a hotel；〃 I said； thinking of the story that had been told me in the Granada。 〃Or in a much quieter place than that。〃 I looked around for the telephone。
〃It's in my bedroom；〃 Miss Fromsett said； knowing at once what I was looking for。
I went down the room and through the door at the end。 Degarmo was right behind me。 The bedroom was ivory and ashes of roses。 There was a big bed with no footboard and a pillow with the rounded hollow of a head。 Toilet articles glistened on a built…in dresser with paneled mirrors on the wall above it。 An open door showed mulberry bathroom tiles。 The phone was on a night table by the bed。
I sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the place where Miss Fromsett's head had been and lifted the phone and dialed long distance。 When the operator answered I asked for Constable Jim Patton at Puma Point； person to person； very urgent。 I put the phone back in the cradle and lit a cigarette。 Degarmo glowered down at me； standing with his legs apart； tough and tireless and ready to be nasty。 〃What now？〃 he grunted。
〃Wait and see。〃
〃Who's running this show？〃
〃Your asking me shows that。 I am…unless you want the Los Angeles police to run it。〃 He scratched a match on this thumbnail and watched it burn and tried to blow it out with a long steady breath that just bent the flame over。 He got rid of that match and put another between his teeth and chewed on it。 The phone rang in a moment。
〃Ready with your Puma Point call。〃 Patton's sleepy voice came on the line。 〃Yes？ This is Patton at Puma Point。〃
〃This is Marlowe in Los Angeles；〃 I said。 〃Remember me？〃
〃Sure I remember you； son。 I ain't only half awake though。〃
〃Do me a favor；〃 I said。 〃Although I don't know why you should。 Go or send over to Little Fawn Lake and see if Kingsley is there。 Don't let him see you。 You can spot his' car outside the cabin or maybe see lights。 And see that he stays put。 Call me back as soon as you know。 I'm ing up。 Can you do that？〃 Patton said： 〃I got no reason to stop him if he wants to leave。〃
〃I'll have a Bay City police officer with me who wants to question him about a murder。 Not your murder； another one。〃 There was a drumming silence along the wire。 Patton said： 〃You ain't just bein' tricky； are you； son？〃
〃No。 Call me back at Tunbridge 2722。〃
〃Should likely take me half an hour；〃 he said。
I hung up。 Degarmo was grinning now。 〃This babe flash you a signal I couldn't read？〃 I stood up off the bed。 〃No。 I'm just trying to read his mind。 He's no cold killer。 Whatever fire there was is all burned out of him by now。 I thought he might go to the quietest and most remote place he knows…just to get a grip of himself。 In a few hours he'll probably turn himself in。 It would look better for you if you got to him before he did that。〃
〃Unless he puts a lug in his head；〃 Degarmo said coldly。 〃Guys like him are very apt to do that。〃
〃You can't stop him until you find him。〃
〃That's right。〃 We went back into the living room。 Miss Fromsett poked her head out of her kitchenette and said she was making coffee； and did we want any。 We had some coffee and sat around looking like people seeing friends off at the railroad station。
The call from Patton came through in about twenty…five minutes。 There was light in the Kingsley cabin and a car was parked beside it。
36
We ate some breakfast at Aihambra and I had the tank filled。 We drove out Highway 70 and started moving past the trucks into the roffing ranch country。 I was driving。 Degarmo sat moodily in the corner； his hands deep in his pockets。
I watched the fat straight rows of orange trees spin by like the spokes of a wheel。 I listened to the whine of the tires on the pavement and I felt tired and stale from lack of sleep and too much emotion。
We reached the long slope south of San Dimas that goes up to a ridge and drops down into Pomona。 This is the ultimate end of the fog belt； and the beginning of that semi…desert region where the sun is as light and dry as old sherry in the morning； as hot as a blast furnace at noon； and drops like an angry brick at nightfall。
Degarmo stuck a match in the corner of his mouth and said almost sneeringly： 〃Webber gave me hell last night。 He said he was talking to you and what about。〃 I said nothing。 He looked at me and looked away again。 He waved a hand outwards。 〃I wouldn't live in this damn country if they gave it to me。 The air's stale before it gets up in the morning。〃
〃We'll be ing to Ontario in a minute。 We'll switch over to Foothifi Boulevard and you'll see five miles of the finest grevillea trees in the world。〃
〃I wouldn't know one from a fire plug；〃 Degarmo said。
We came to the center of town and turned north on Euclid； along the splendid parkway。 Degarmo sneered at the grevillea trees。
After a while he said： 〃That was my girl that drowned in the lake up there。 I haven't been right in the head since I heard about it。 All I can see is red。 If I could get my hands on that guy Chess〃
〃You made enough trouble；〃 I said； 〃letting her get away with murdering Almore's wife。〃 I stared straight ahead through the windshield。 I knew his head moved and his eyes froze on me。 I didn't know what his hands were doing。 I didn't know what expression was on his face。 After a long time his words came。 They came through tight teeth and edgeways； and they scraped a little as they came out。
〃You a little crazy or something？〃
〃No；〃 I said。 〃Neither are you。 You know as well as anybody could know anything that Florence Almore didn't get up out of bed and walk down to that garage。 You know she was carried。 You know that was why Talley stole her slipper； the slipper that had never walked on a concrete path。 You knew that Almore gave his wife a shot in the arm at Condy's place and that it was just enough and not any too much。 He knew his shots in the arm the way you know how to rough up a bum that hasn't any money or any place to sleep。 You know that Almore didn't murder his wife with morphine and that if he wanted to murder her； morphine would be the last thing in the world he would use。 But you know that somebody else did； and that Almore carried her down to the garage and put her there…technically still alive to breathe in some monoxide； but medically just as dead as though she had stopped breathing。 You know all that。〃 Degarmo said softly： 〃Brother； how did you ever manage to live so long？〃 I said： 〃By not falling for too many gags and not getting too much afraid of professional hard guys。 Only a heel would have done what Almore did； only a heel and a badly scared man who had things on his soul that wouldn't stand daylight。 Technically he may even have been guilty of murder。 I don't think the point has ever been settled。 Certainly he would have a hell of a time proving that she was in such a deep a that she was beyond any possibility of help。 But as a practical matter of who killed her； you know the girl killed her。〃 Degarmo laughed。 It was a grating unpleasant laugh； not only mirthless； but meaningless。
We reached Foothill Boulevard and turned east again。 I thought it was still cool； but Degarmo was sweating。 He couldn't take his coat off because of the gun under his arm。
I said： 〃The girl； Mildred Haviland； was playing house with Almore and his wife knew it。 She had threatened him。 I got that from her parents。 The girl； Mildred Haviland； knew all about morphine and where to get all of it she needed and how much to use。 She was alone in the house with Florence Almore； after she put her to bed。 She was in a perfect spot to load a needle with four or five grains and shoot it into an unconscious woman through the same puncture Almore had already made。 She would die； perhaps while Almore was still out of the house； and he would e home and find her dead。 The problem would be his。 He would have to solve it。 Nobody would believe anybody else had doped his wife to death。 Nobody that didn't know all the circumstances。 But you knew。 I'd have to think you much more of a damn fool than I think you are to believe you didn't know。 You covered the girl up。 You were in love with her still。 You scared her out of town； out of danger； out of reach； but you covered up for her。 You let the murder ride。 She had you that way。 Why did you go up to the mountains looking for her？〃
〃And how did I know where to look？〃 he said harshly。 〃It wouldn't bother you to add an explanation of that； would it？〃
〃Not at all；〃 I said。 〃She got sick of Bill Chess and his boozing and his tempers and his down…at…heels living。 But she had to have money to make a break。 She thought she was safe now； that she had something on Almore that was safe to use。 So she wrote him for money。 He sent you up to talk to her。 She didn't tell Almore what her present name was or any details or where or how she was living。 A letter addressed to Mildred Haviland at Puma Point would reach her。 All she had to do was ask for it。 But no letter came and nobody connected her with Mildred Haviland。 All you had was an old photo and your usual bad manners； and they didn't get you anywhere with those people。〃 Degarmo said gratingly： 〃Who told you she tried
