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ran to the door and stood expectantly； shivering and wagging his stumpy tail。
Graham bit his lower lip and waited too。 On the screen； the door opened and Mrs。 Leeds came in carrying groceries。 She blinked and laughed in surprise and touched her tousled hair with her free hand。 Her lips moved as she walked out of the picture； and the children came in behind her carrying smaller sacks。 The girl was six； the boys eight and ten。
The younger boy； apparently a veteran of home movies； pointed to his ears and wiggled them。 The camera was positioned fairly high。 Leeds was seventy…five inches tall； according to the coroner's report。
Graham believed that this part of the movie must have been made in the early spring。 The children wore windbreakers and Mrs。 Leeds appeared pale。 At the morgue she had a good tan and bathing…suit marks。
Brief scenes followed of the boys playing Ping…Pong in the basement and the girl； Susan； wrapping a present in her room； tongue curled over her upper lip in concentration and a wisp of hair down over her forehead。 She brushed her hair back with her plump hand； as her mother had done in the kitchen。
A subsequent scene showed Susan in a bubble bath； crouched like a small frog。 She wore a large shower cap。 The camera angle was lower and the focus uncertain； clearly the work of a brother。 The scene ended with her shouting soundlessly at the camera and covering her six…year…old chest as her shower cap slipped down over her eyes。
Not to be outdone； Leeds had surprised Mrs。 Leeds in the shower。 The shower curtain bumped and bulged as the curtain does before a grade…school theatrical。 Mrs。 Leeds's arm appeared around the curtain。 In her hand was a large bath sponge。 The scene closed with the lens obscured in soapsuds。
The film ended with a shot of Norman Vincent Peale speaking on television and a pan to Charles Leeds snoring in the chair where Graham now sat。
Graham stared at the blank square of light on the screen。 He liked the Leedses。 He was sorry that he had been to the morgue。 He thought the madman who visited them might have liked them too。 But the madman would like them better the way they were now。
# # #
Graham's head felt stuffed and stupid。 He swam in the pool at his hotel until he was rubber…legged； and came out of the water thinking of two things at once … a Tanqueray martini and the taste of Molly's mouth。
He made the martini himself in a plastic glass and telephoned Molly。
〃Hello； hotshot。〃
〃Hey； baby！ Where are you？〃
〃In this damned hotel in Atlanta。〃
〃Doing some good？〃
〃None you'd notice。 I'm lonesome。〃
〃Me too。〃
〃Horny。〃
〃Me too。〃
〃Tell me about yourself。〃
〃Well； I had a run…in with Mrs。 Holper today。 She wanted to return a dress with a huge big whiskey stain on the seat。 I mean； obviously she had worn it to the Jaycee thing。〃
〃And what did you say？〃
〃I told her I didn't sell it to her like that。〃
〃And what did she say？〃
〃She said she never had any trouble returning dresses before； which was one reason she shopped at my place rather than some others that she knew about。〃
〃And then what did you say？〃
〃Oh； I said I was upset because Will talks like a jackass on the phone。〃
〃I see。〃
〃Willy's fine。 He's covering some turtle eggs the dogs dug up。 Tell me what you're doing。〃
〃Reading reports。 Eating junk food。〃
〃Thinking a good bit； I expect。〃
〃Yep。〃
〃Can I help you？〃
〃I just don't have a lock on anything； Molly。 There's not enough information。 Well； there's a lot of information； but I haven't done enough with it。〃
〃Will you be in Atlanta for a while？ I'm not bugging you about ing home； I just wonder。〃
〃I don't know。 I'll be here a few more days at least。 I miss you。〃
〃Want to talk about fucking？〃
〃I don't think I could stand it。 I think maybe we better not do that。〃
〃Do what？〃
〃Talk about fucking。〃
〃Okay。 You don't mind if I think about it； though？〃
〃Absolutely not。〃
〃We've got a new dog。〃
〃Oh hell。〃
〃Looks like a cross between a basset hound and a Pekingese。〃
〃Lovely。〃
〃He's got big balls。〃
〃Never mind about his balls。〃
〃They almost drag the ground。 He has to retract them when he runs。
〃He can't do that。〃
〃Yes he can。 You don't know。〃
〃Yes I do know。〃
〃Can you retract yours？〃
〃I thought we were ing to that。〃
〃Well？〃
〃If you must know； I retracted them once。〃
〃When was that？〃
〃In my youth。 I had to clear a barbed…wire fence in a hurry。〃
〃Why？〃
〃I was carrying this watermelon that I had not cultivated。〃
〃You were fleeing？ From whom？〃
〃A swineherd of my acquaintance。 Alerted by his dogs； he burst from his dwelling in his BVD's； waving a fowling piece。 Fortunately； he tripped over a butterbean trellis and gave me a running start。〃
〃Did he shoot at you？〃
〃I thought so at the time； yes。 But the reports I heard might have issued from my behind。 I've never been entirely clear on that。〃
〃Did you clear the fence？〃
〃Handily。〃
〃A criminal mind； even at that age。〃
〃I don't have a criminal mind。〃
〃Of course you don't。 I'm thinking about painting the kitchen。 What color do you like？ Will？ What color do you like？ Are you there？〃
〃Yeah； uh； yellow。 Let's paint it yellow。〃
〃Yellow is a bad color for me。 I'll look green at breakfast。〃
〃Blue； then。〃
〃Blue is cold。〃
〃Well goddammit； paint it baby…shit tan for all I care。 。 。 。 No； look； I'll probably be home before long and we'll go to the paint store and get some chips and stuff； okay？ And maybe some new handles and that。〃
〃Let's do； let's get some handles。 I don't know why I'm talking about this stuff。 Look； I love you and I miss you and you're doing the right thing。 It's costing you too； I know that。 I'm here and I'll be here whenever you e home； or I'll meet you anywhere； anytime。 That's what。〃
〃Dear Molly。 Dear Molly。 Go to bed now。〃
〃All right。〃
〃Good night。〃
Graham lay with his hands behind his head and conjured dinners with Molly。 Stone crab and Sancerre； the salt breeze mixed with the wine。
But it was his curse to pick at conversations； and he began to do it now。 He had snapped at her after a harmless remark about his 〃criminal mind。〃 Stupid。
Graham found Molly's interest in him largely inexplicable。
He called police headquarters and left word for Springfield that he wanted to start helping with the legwork in the morning。 There was nothing else to do。
The gin helped him sleep。
CHAPTER 6
Flimsy copies of the notes on all calls about the Leeds case were placed on Buddy Springfield's desk。 Tuesday morning at seven o'clock when Springfield arrived at his office； there were sixty…three of them。 The top one was red…flagged。
It said Birmingham police had found a cat buried in a shoebox behind the Jacobis' garage。 The cat had a flower between its paws and was wrapped in a dish towel。 The cat's name was written on the lid in a childish hand。 It wore no collar。 A string tied in a granny knot held the lid on。
The Birmingham medical examiner said the cat was strangled。 He had shaved it and found no puncture wound。
Springfield tapped the earpiece of his glasses against his teeth。
They had found soft