raymondchandler.thehighwindow-第47章

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n　along　the　alley　twice　and　on　a　side　street　at　least　three　times。　Curiously；　nobody　in　the　apartment　house　had　seen　him；　or　would　admit　it。
　 All　they　lacked　now　was　a　motive。　Teager　obligingly　gave　them　that　by　getting　himself　pinched　in　Salt　Lake　City　trying　to　peddle　a　Brasher　Doubloon　to　a　coin　dealer　who　thought　it　was　genuine　but　stolen。　He　had　a　dozen　of　them　at　his　hotel；　and　one　of　them　turned　out　to　be　genuine。　He　told　them　the　whole　story　and　showed　a　minute　mark　that　he　had　used　to　identify　the　genuine　coin。　He　didn't　know　where　Vannier　got　it　and　they　never　found　out　because　there　was　enough　in　the　papers　to　make　the　owner　e　forward；　if　it　had　been　stolen。　And　the　owner　never　did。　And　the　police　didn't　care　any　more　about　Vannier　once　they　were　convinced　he　had　done　murder。　They　left　it　at　suicide；　although　they　had　a　few　doubts。
　 They　let　Teager　go　after　a　while；　because　they　didn't　think　he　had　any　idea　of　murder　being　done　and　all　they　had　on　him　was　attempted　fraud：　He　had　bought　the　gold　legally　and　counterfeiting　an　obsolete　New　York　State　coin　didn't　e　under　the　federal　counterfeiting　laws。　Utah　refused　to　bother　with　him。
　 They　never　believed　Hench's　confession。　Breeze　said　he　just　used　it　for　a　squeeze　on　me；　in　case　I　was　holding　out。　He　knew　I　couldn't　keep　quiet　if　I　had　proof　that　Hench　was　innocent。　It　didn't　do　Hench　any　good　either。　They　put　him　in　the　lineup　and　pinned　five　liquor　store　holdups　on　him　and　a　wop　named　Gaetano　Prisco；　in　one　of　which　a　man　was　shot　dead。　I　never　heard　whether　Prisco　was　a　relative　of　Palermo's；　but　they　never　caught　him　anyway。
　 〃Like　it？〃　Breeze　asked　me；　when　he　had　told　me　all　this；　or　all　that　had　then　happened。
　 〃Two　points　not　clear；〃　I　said。　〃Why　did　Teager　run　away　and　why　did　Phillips　live　on　Court　Street　under　a　phony　name？〃
　 〃Teager　ran　away　because　the　elevator　man　told　him　old　Morningstar　had　been　murdered　and　he　smelled　a　hookup。　Phillips　was　using　the　name　of　Anson　because　the　finance　pany　was　after　his　car　and　he　was　practically　broke　and　getting　desperate。　That　explains　why　a　nice　young　boob　like　him　could　get　roped　in　to　something　that　must　have　looked　shady　from　the　start。〃
　 I　nodded　and　agreed　that　could　be　so。
　 Breeze　walked　to　his　door　with　me。　He　put　a　hard　hand　on　my　shoulder　and　squeezed。
　 〃Remember　that　Cassidy　case　you　were　howling　about　to　Spangler　and　me　that　night　in　your　apartment？〃
　 〃Yes。〃
　 〃You　told　Spangler　there　wasn't　any　Cassidy　case。　There　wasunder　another　name。　I　worked　on　it。〃
　 He　took　his　hand　off　my　shoulder　and　opened　the　door　for　me　and　grinned　straight　into　my　eyes。
　 〃On　account　of　the　Cassidy　case；〃　he　said；　〃and　the　way　it　made　me　feel；　I　sometimes　give　a　guy　a　break　he　could　perhaps　not　really　deserve。　A　little　something　paid　back　out　of　the　dirty　millions　to　a　working　stifflike　meor　like　you。　Be　good。〃
　 It　was　night。　I　went　home　and　put　my　old　house　clothes　on　and　set　the　chessmen　out　and　mixed　a　drink　and　played　over　another　Capablanca。　It　went　fifty…nine　moves。　Beautiful　cold　remorseless　chess；　almost　creepy　in　its　silent　implacability。
　 When　it　was　done　I　listened　at　the　open　window　for　a　while　and　smelled　the　night。　Then　I　carried　my　glass　out　to　the　kitchen　and　rinsed　it　and　filled　it　with　ice　water　and　stood　at　the　sink　sipping　it　and　looking　at　my　face　in　the　mirror。
　 〃You　and　Capablanca；〃　I　said。