XX + 

The House in the Cove + 

I got FitzstephanтАЩs car from the garage and drove Gabrielle and Mrs.┬аHerman down to the house in the cove late the following morning. The girl was in low spirits. She made a poor job of smiling when spoken to, and had nothing to say on her own account. I thought she might be depressed by the thought of returning to the house she had shared with Collinson, but when we got there she went in with no appearance of reluctance, and being there didnтАЩt seem to increase her depression. + 

After luncheonтБатАФMrs.┬аHerman turned out to be a good cookтБатАФGabrielle decided she wanted to go outdoors, so she and I walked over to the Mexican settlement to see Mary Nunez. The Mexican woman promised to come back to work the next day. She seemed fond of Gabrielle, but not of me. + 

We returned home by way of the shore, picking a path between scattered rocks. We walked slowly. The girlтАЩs forehead was puckered between her eyebrows. Neither of us said anything until we were within a quarter of a mile of the house. Then Gabrielle sat down on the rounded top of a boulder that was warm in the sun. + 

тАЬCan you remember what you told me last night?тАЭ she asked, running her words together in her hurry to get them out. She looked frightened. + 

тАЬYeah.тАЭ + 

тАЬTell me again,тАЭ she begged, moving over to one end of her boulder. тАЬSit down and tell me againтБатАФall of it.тАЭ + 

I did. According to me, it was as foolish to try to read character from the shape of ears as from the position of stars, tea-leaves, or spit in the sand; anybody who started hunting for evidence of insanity in himself would certainly find plenty, because all but stupid minds were jumbled affairs; she was, as far as I could see, too much like her father to have much Dain blood in her, or to have been softened much by what she had, even if you wanted to believe that things like that could be handed down; there was nothing to show that her influence on people was any worse than anybody elseтАЩs, it being doubtful that many people had a very good influence on those of the opposite sex, and, anyway, she was too young, inexperienced, and self-centered to judge how she varied from the normal in this respect; I would show her in a few days that there was for her difficulties a much more tangible, logical, and jailable answer than any curse; and she wouldnтАЩt have much trouble breaking away from morphine, since she was a fairly light user of the stuff and had a temperament favorable to a cure. + 

I spent three-quarters of an hour working these ideas over for her, and didnтАЩt make such a lousy job of it. The fear went out of her eyes as I talked. Toward the last she smiled to herself. When I had finished she jumped up, laughing, working her fingers together. + 

тАЬThank you. Thank you,тАЭ she babbled. тАЬPlease donтАЩt let me ever stop believing you. Make me believe you even ifтБатАФNo. It is true. Make me believe it always. Come on. LetтАЩs walk some more.тАЭ + 

She almost ran me the rest of the way to the house, chattering all the way. Mickey Linehan was on the porch. I stopped there with him while the girl went in. + 

тАЬTch, tch, tch, as Mr.┬аRolly says.тАЭ He shook his grinning face at me. тАЬI ought to tell her what happened to that poor girl up in Poisonville that got so she thought she could trust you.тАЭ + 

тАЬBring any news down from the village with you?тАЭ I asked. + 

тАЬAndrews has turned up. He was at the JeffriesтАЩ place in San Mateo, where Aaronia HaldornтАЩs staying. SheтАЩs still there. Andrews was there from Tuesday afternoon till last night. Al was watching the place and saw him go in, but didnтАЩt peg him till he came out. The Jeffries are awayтБатАФSan Diego. DickтАЩs tailing Andrews now. Al says the Haldorn broad hasnтАЩt been off the place. Rolly tells me FinkтАЩs awake, but donтАЩt know anything about the bomb. FitzstephanтАЩs still hanging on to life.тАЭ + 

тАЬI think IтАЩll run over and talk to Fink this afternoon,тАЭ I said. тАЬStick around here. AndтБатАФoh, yeahтБатАФyouтАЩll have to act respectful to me when Mrs.┬аCollinsonтАЩs around. ItтАЩs important that she keep on thinking IтАЩm hot stuff.тАЭ + 

тАЬBring back some booze,тАЭ Mickey said. тАЬI canтАЩt do it sober.тАЭ + 

Fink was propped up in bed when I got to him, looking out under bandages. He insisted that he knew nothing about the bomb, that all he had come down for was to tell me that Harvey Whidden was his stepson, the missing village-blacksmithтАЩs son by a former marriage. + 

тАЬWell, what of it?тАЭ I asked. + 

тАЬI donтАЩt know what of it, except that he was, and I thought youтАЩd want to know about it.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhy should I?тАЭ + 

тАЬThe papers said you said there was some kind of connection between what happened here and what happened up there, and that heavyset detective said you said I knew more about it than I let on. And I donтАЩt want any more trouble, so I thought IтАЩd just come down and tell you, so you couldnтАЩt say I hadnтАЩt told all I knew.тАЭ + 

тАЬYeah? Then tell me what you know about Madison Andrews.тАЭ + 

тАЬI donтАЩt know anything about him. I donтАЩt know him. HeтАЩs her guardian or something, ainтАЩt he? I read that in the newspapers. But I donтАЩt know him.тАЭ + 

тАЬAaronia Haldorn does.тАЭ + 

тАЬMaybe she does, mister, but I donтАЩt. I just worked for the Haldorns. It wasnтАЩt anything to me but a job.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat was it to your wife?тАЭ + 

тАЬThe same thing, a job.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhere is she?тАЭ + 

тАЬI donтАЩt know.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhyтАЩd she run away from the Temple?тАЭ + 

тАЬI told you before, I donтАЩt know. DidnтАЩt want to get in trouble, IтБатАФWho wouldnтАЩt of run away if they got a chance?тАЭ + 

The nurse who had been fluttering around became a nuisance by this time, so I left the hospital for the district attorneyтАЩs office in the courthouse. Vernon pushed aside a stack of papers with a the-world-can-wait gesture, and said, тАЬGlad to see you; sit down,тАЭ nodding vigorously, showing me all his teeth. + 

I sat down and said: + 

тАЬBeen talking to Fink. I couldnтАЩt get anything out of him, but heтАЩs our meat. The bomb couldnтАЩt have got in there except by him.тАЭ + 

Vernon frowned for a moment, then shook his chin at me, and snapped: + 

тАЬWhat was his motive? And you were there. You say you were looking at him all the time he was in the room. You say you saw nothing.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat of that?тАЭ I asked. тАЬHe could outsmart me there. He was a magicianтАЩs mechanic. HeтАЩd know how to make a bomb, and how to put it down without my seeing it. ThatтАЩs his game. We donтАЩt know what Fitzstephan saw. They tell me heтАЩll pull through. LetтАЩs hang on to Fink till he does.тАЭ + 

Vernon clicked his teeth together and said: тАЬVery well, weтАЩll hold him.тАЭ + 

I went down the corridor to the sheriffтАЩs office. Feeney wasnтАЩt in, but his chief deputyтБатАФa lanky, pockmarked man named SweetтБатАФsaid he knew from the way Feeney had spoken of me that heтБатАФFeeneyтБатАФwould want me to be given all the help I asked for. + 

тАЬThatтАЩs fine,тАЭ I said. тАЬWhat IтАЩm interested in now is picking up a couple of bottles ofтБатАФwell, gin, ScotchтБатАФwhatever happens to be best in this part of the country.тАЭ + 

Sweet scratched his AdamтАЩs apple and said: + 

тАЬI wouldnтАЩt know about that. Maybe the elevator boy. I guess his gin would be safest. Say, Dick CottonтАЩs crying his head off wanting to see you. Want to talk to him?тАЭ + 

тАЬYeah, though I donтАЩt know what for.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, come back in a couple of minutes.тАЭ + 

I went out and rang for the elevator. The boyтБатАФhe had an age-bent back and a long yellow-gray mustacheтБатАФwas alone in it. + 

тАЬSweet said maybe youтАЩd know where I could get a gallon of the white,тАЭ I said. + 

тАЬHeтАЩs crazy,тАЭ the boy grumbled, and then, when I kept quiet: тАЬYouтАЩll be going out this way?тАЭ + 

тАЬYeah, in a little while.тАЭ + 

He closed the door. I went back to Sweet. He took me down an enclosed walk that connected the courthouse with the prison behind, and left me alone with Cotton in a small boilerplate cell. Two days in jail hadnтАЩt done the marshal of Quesada any good. He was gray-faced and jumpy, and the dimple in his chin kept squirming as he talked. He hadnтАЩt anything to tell me except that he was innocent. + 

All I could think of to say to him was: тАЬMaybe, but you brought it on yourself. What evidence there is is against you. I donтАЩt know whether itтАЩs enough to convict you or notтБатАФdepends on your lawyer.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat did he want?тАЭ Sweet asked when I had gone back to him. + 

тАЬTo tell me that heтАЩs innocent.тАЭ + 

The deputy scratched his AdamтАЩs apple again and asked: + 

тАЬItтАЩs supposed to make any difference to you?тАЭ + 

тАЬYeah, itтАЩs been keeping me awake at night. See you later.тАЭ + 

I went out to the elevator. The boy pushed a newspaper-wrapped gallon jug at me and said: тАЬTen bucks.тАЭ I paid him, stowed the jug in FitzstephanтАЩs car, found the local telephone office, and put in a call for Vic DallasтАЩs drugstore in San FranciscoтАЩs Mission district. + 

тАЬI want,тАЭ I told Vic, тАЬfifty grains of M. and eight of those calomel-ipecac-atropine-strychnine-cascara shots. IтАЩll have somebody from the agency pick up the package tonight or in the morning. Right?тАЭ + 

тАЬIf you say so, but if you kill anybody with it donтАЩt tell them where you got the stuff.тАЭ + 

тАЬYeah,тАЭ I said; тАЬtheyтАЩll die just because I havenтАЩt got a lousy pill-rollerтАЩs diploma.тАЭ + 

I put in another San Francisco call, for the agency, talking to the Old Man. + 

тАЬCan you spare me another op?тАЭ I asked. + 

тАЬMacMan is available, or he can relieve Drake. Whichever you prefer.тАЭ + 

тАЬMacManтАЩll do. Have him stop at DallasтАЩs drugstore for a package on the way down. He knows where it is.тАЭ + 

The Old Man said he had no new reports on Aaronia Haldorn and Andrews. + 

I drove back to the house in the cove. We had company. Three strange cars were standing empty in the driveway, and half a dozen newshounds were sitting and standing around Mickey on the porch. They turned their questions on me. + 

тАЬMrs.┬аCollinsonтАЩs here for a rest,тАЭ I said. тАЬNo interviews, no posing for pictures. Let her alone. If anything breaks here IтАЩll see that you get it, those of you who lay off her. The only thing I can tell you now is that FinkтАЩs being held for the bombing.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat did Andrews come down for?тАЭ Jack Santos asked. + 

That wasnтАЩt a surprise to me: I had expected him to turn up now that he had come out of seclusion. + 

тАЬAsk him,тАЭ I suggested. тАЬHeтАЩs administering Mrs.┬аCollinsonтАЩs estate. You canтАЩt make a mystery out of his coming down to see her.тАЭ + 

тАЬIs it true that theyтАЩre on bad terms?тАЭ + 

тАЬNo.тАЭ + 

тАЬThen why didnтАЩt he show up before thisтБатАФyesterday, or the day before?тАЭ + 

тАЬAsk him.тАЭ + 

тАЬIs it true that heтАЩs up to his tonsils in debt, or was before the Leggett estate got into his hands?тАЭ + 

тАЬAsk him.тАЭ + 

Santos smiled with thinned lips and said: + 

тАЬWe donтАЩt have to: we asked some of his creditors. Is there anything to the report that Mrs.┬аCollinson and her husband had quarreled over her being too friendly with Whidden, a couple of days before her husband was killed?тАЭ + 

тАЬAnything but the truth,тАЭ I said. тАЬTough. You could do a lot with a story like that.тАЭ + 

тАЬMaybe we will,тАЭ Santos said. тАЬIs it true that she and her husbandтАЩs family are on the outs, that old Hubert has said heтАЩs willing to spend all heтАЩs got to see that she pays for any part she had in his sonтАЩs death?тАЭ + 

I didnтАЩt know. I said: + 

тАЬDonтАЩt be a chump. WeтАЩre working for Hubert now, taking care of her.тАЭ + 

тАЬIs it true that Mrs.┬аHaldorn and Tom Fink were released because they had threatened to tell all they knew if they were held for trial?тАЭ + 

тАЬNow youтАЩre kidding me, Jack,тАЭ I said. тАЬIs Andrews still here?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes.тАЭ + 

I went indoors and called Mickey in, asking him: тАЬSeen Dick?тАЭ + 

тАЬHe drove past a couple of minutes after Andrews came.тАЭ + 

тАЬSneak away and find him. Tell him not to let the newspaper gang make him, even if he has to risk losing Andrews for a while. TheyтАЩd go crazy all over their front pages if they learned we were shadowing him, and I donтАЩt want them to go that crazy.тАЭ + 

Mrs.┬аHerman was coming down the stairs. I asked her where Andrews was. + 

тАЬUp in the front room.тАЭ + 

I went up there. Gabrielle, in a low-cut dark silk gown, was sitting stiff and straight on the edge of a leather rocker. Her face was white and sullen. She was looking at a handkerchief stretched between her hands. She looked up at me as if glad I had come in. Andrews stood with his back to the fireplace. His white hair, eyebrows, and mustache stood out every which way from his bony pink face. He shifted his scowl from the girl to me, and didnтАЩt seem glad I had come in. + 

I said, тАЬHullo,тАЭ and found a table-corner to prop myself on. + 

He said: тАЬIтАЩve come to take Mrs.┬аCollinson back to San Francisco.тАЭ + 

She didnтАЩt say anything. I said: + 

тАЬNot to San Mateo?тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat do you mean by that?тАЭ The white tangles of his brows came down to hide all but the bottom halves of his blue eyes. + 

тАЬGod knows. Maybe my mindтАЩs been corrupted by the questions the newspapers have been asking me.тАЭ + 

He didnтАЩt quite wince. He said, slowly, deliberately: + 

тАЬMrs.┬аHaldorn sent for me professionally. I went to see her to explain how impossible it would be, in the circumstances, for me to advise or represent her.тАЭ + 

тАЬThatтАЩs all right with me,тАЭ I said. тАЬAnd if it took you thirty hours to explain that to her, itтАЩs nobodyтАЩs business.тАЭ + 

тАЬPrecisely.тАЭ + 

тАЬButтБатАФIтАЩd be careful how I told the reporters waiting downstairs that. You know how suspicious they areтБатАФfor no reason at all.тАЭ + 

He turned to Gabrielle again, speaking quietly, but with some impatience: + 

тАЬWell, Gabrielle, are you going with me?тАЭ + 

тАЬShould I?тАЭ she asked me. + 

тАЬNot unless you especially want to.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтБатАФI donтАЩt.тАЭ + 

тАЬThen thatтАЩs settled,тАЭ I said. + 

Andrews nodded and went forward to take her hand, saying: + 

тАЬIтАЩm sorry, but I must get back to the city now, my dear. You should have a phone put in, so you can reach me in case you need to.тАЭ + 

He declined her invitation to stay to dinner, said, тАЬGood evening,тАЭ not unpleasantly, to me, and went out. Through a window I could see him presently getting into his car, giving as little attention as possible to the newspaper men gathered around him. + 

Gabrielle was frowning at me when I turned away from the window. + 

тАЬWhat did you mean by what you said about San Mateo?тАЭ she asked. + 

тАЬHow friendly are he and Aaronia Haldorn?тАЭ I asked. + 

тАЬI havenтАЩt any idea. Why? Why did you talk to him as you did?тАЭ + 

тАЬDetective business. For one thing, thereтАЩs a rumor that getting control of the estate may have helped him keep his own head above water. Maybe thereтАЩs nothing in it. But it wonтАЩt hurt to give him a little scare, so heтАЩll get busy straightening things outтБатАФif he has done any jugglingтБатАФbetween now and cleanup day. No use of you losing money along with the rest of your troubles.тАЭ + 

тАЬThen heтБатАФ?тАЭ she began. + 

тАЬHeтАЩs got a weekтБатАФseveral days at leastтБатАФto unjuggle in. That ought to be enough.тАЭ + 

тАЬButтБатАФтАЭ + 

Mrs.┬аHerman, calling us to dinner, ended the conversation. + 

Gabrielle ate very little. She and I had to do most of the talking until I got Mickey started telling about a job he had been on up in Eureka, where he posed as a foreigner who knew no English. Since English was the only language he did know, and Eureka normally held at least one specimen of every nationality there is, heтАЩd had a hell of a time keeping people from finding out just what he was supposed to be. He made a long and laughable story of it. Maybe some of it was the truth: he always got a lot of fun out of acting like the other half of a half-wit. + 

After the meal he and I strolled around outside while the spring night darkened the grounds. + 

тАЬMacMan will be down in the morning,тАЭ I told him. тАЬYou and he will have to do the watchdog. Divide it between you anyway you want, but one will have to be on the job all the time.тАЭ + 

тАЬDonтАЩt give yourself any of the worst of it,тАЭ he complained. тАЬWhatтАЩs this supposed to be down hereтБатАФa trap?тАЭ + 

тАЬMaybe.тАЭ + 

тАЬMaybe. Uh-huh. You donтАЩt know what the hell youтАЩre doing. YouтАЩre stalling around waiting for the horseshoe in your pocket to work.тАЭ + 

тАЬThe outcome of successful planning always looks like luck to saps. Did Dick have any news?тАЭ + 

тАЬNo. He tailed Andrews straight here from his house.тАЭ + 

The front door opened, throwing yellow light across the porch. Gabrielle, a dark cape on her shoulders, came into the yellow light, shut the door, and came down the gravel walk. + 

тАЬTake a nap now if you want,тАЭ I told Mickey. тАЬIтАЩll call you when I turn in. YouтАЩll have to stand guard till morning.тАЭ + 

тАЬYouтАЩre a darb.тАЭ He laughed in the dark. тАЬBy God, youтАЩre a darb.тАЭ + 

тАЬThereтАЩs a gallon of gin in the car.тАЭ + 

тАЬHuh? Why didnтАЩt you say so instead of wasting my time just talking?тАЭ The lawn grass swished against his shoes as he walked away. + 

I moved towards the gravel walk, meeting the girl. + 

тАЬIsnтАЩt it a lovely night?тАЭ she said. + 

тАЬYeah. But youтАЩre not supposed to go roaming around alone in the dark, even if your troubles are practically over.тАЭ + 

тАЬI didnтАЩt intend to,тАЭ she said, taking my arm. тАЬAnd what does practically over mean?тАЭ + 

тАЬThat there are a few details to be taken care ofтБатАФthe morphine, for instance.тАЭ + 

She shivered and said: + 

тАЬIтАЩve only enough left for tonight. You promised toтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬFifty grains coming in the morning.тАЭ + 

She kept quiet, as if waiting for me to say something else. I didnтАЩt say anything else. Her fingers wriggled on my sleeve. + 

тАЬYou said it wouldnтАЩt be hard to cure me.тАЭ She spoke half-questioningly, as if expecting me to deny having said anything of the sort. + 

тАЬIt wouldnтАЩt.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou said, perhapsтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ letting the words fade off. + 

тАЬWeтАЩd do it while we were here?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes.тАЭ + 

тАЬWant to?тАЭ I asked. тАЬItтАЩs no go if you donтАЩt.тАЭ + 

тАЬDo I want to?тАЭ She stood still in the road, facing me. тАЬIтАЩd giveтБатАФтАЭ A sob ended that sentence. Her voice came again, high-pitched, thin: тАЬAre you being honest with me? Are you? Is what youтАЩve told meтБатАФall you told me last night and this afternoonтБатАФas true as you made it sound? Do I believe in you because youтАЩre sincere? Or because youтАЩve learned howтБатАФas a trick of your businessтБатАФto make people believe in you?тАЭ + 

She might have been crazy, but she wasnтАЩt so stupid. I gave her the answer that seemed best at the time: + 

тАЬYour belief in me is built on mine in you. If mineтАЩs unjustified, so is yours. So let me ask you a question first: were you lying when you said, тАШI donтАЩt want to be evilтАЩ?тАЭ + 

тАЬOh, I donтАЩt. I donтАЩt.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, then,тАЭ I said with an air of finality, as if that settled it. тАЬNow if you want to get off the junk, off weтАЩll get you.тАЭ + 

тАЬHowтБатАФhow long will it take?тАЭ + 

тАЬSay a week, to be safe. Maybe less.тАЭ + 

тАЬDo you mean that? No longer than that?тАЭ + 

тАЬThatтАЩs all for the part that counts. YouтАЩll have to take care of yourself for some time after, till your systemтАЩs hitting on all eight again, but youтАЩll be off the junk.тАЭ + 

тАЬWill I sufferтБатАФmuch?тАЭ + 

тАЬA couple of bad days; but they wonтАЩt be as bad as youтАЩll think they are, and your fatherтАЩs toughness will carry you through them.тАЭ + 

тАЬIf,тАЭ she said slowly, тАЬI should find out in the middle of it that I canтАЩt go through with it, can IтБатАФ?тАЭ + 

тАЬThereтАЩll be nothing you can do about it,тАЭ I promised cheerfully. тАЬYouтАЩll stay in till you come out the other end.тАЭ + 

She shivered again and asked: + 

тАЬWhen shall we start?тАЭ + 

тАЬDay after tomorrow. Take your usual snort tomorrow, but donтАЩt try to stock up. And donтАЩt worry about it. ItтАЩll be tougher on me than on you: IтАЩll have to put up with you.тАЭ + 

тАЬAnd youтАЩll make allowancesтБатАФyouтАЩll understandтБатАФif IтАЩm not always nice while IтАЩm going through it? Even if IтАЩm nasty?тАЭ + 

тАЬI donтАЩt know.тАЭ I didnтАЩt want to encourage her to cut up on me. тАЬI donтАЩt think so much of niceness that can be turned into nastiness by a little grief.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh, butтБатАФтАЭ She stopped, wrinkled her forehead, said: тАЬCanтАЩt we send Mrs.┬аHerman away? I donтАЩt want toтБатАФI donтАЩt want her looking at me.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩll get rid of her in the morning.тАЭ + 

тАЬAnd if IтАЩmтБатАФyou wonтАЩt let anybody else see meтБатАФif IтАЩm notтБатАФif IтАЩm too terrible?тАЭ + 

тАЬNo,тАЭ I promised. тАЬBut look here: youтАЩre preparing to put on a show for me. Stop thinking about that end of it. YouтАЩre going to behave. I donтАЩt want a lot of monkey-business out of you.тАЭ + 

She laughed suddenly, asking: + 

тАЬWill you beat me if IтАЩm bad?тАЭ + 

I said she might still be young enough for a spanking to do her good. + 