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ightly。 I pulled it off and saw tissue paper and cotton wool。
Separating these I was looking at a gold coin about the size of a half dollar； bright and shining as if it had just e from the mint。
The side facing me showed a spread eagle with a shield for a breast and the initials E。B。 punched into the left wing。 Around these was a circle of beading； between the beading and the smooth unmilled edge of the coin； the legend E PLURIBUS UNUM。 At the bottom was the date 1787。
I turned the coin over on my palm。 It was heavy and cold and my palm felt moist under it。 The other side showed a sun rising or setting behind a sharp peak of mountain； then a double circle of what looked like oak leaves； then more Latin； NOVA EBOBACA COLUMBIA EXCELSIOR。 At the bottom of this side； in smaller capitals； the name BRASHER。
I was looking at the Brasher Doubloon。
There was nothing else in the box or in the paper； nothing on the paper。 The handwritten printing meant nothing to me。 I didn't know anybody who used it。
I filled an empty tobacco pouch half full； wrapped the coin up in tissue paper； snapped a rubber band around it and tucked it into the tobacco in the pouch and put more in on top。 I closed the zipper and put the pouch in my pocket。 I locked the paper and string and box and label up in a filing cabinet； sat down again and dialed Elisha Morningstar's number on the phone。 The bell rang eight times at the other end of the line。 It was not answered。 I hardly expected that。 I hung up again； looked Elisha Morningstar up in the book and saw that he had no listing for a residence phone in Los Angeles or the outlying towns that were in the phone book。
I got a shoulder holster out of the desk and strapped it on and slipped a Colt 。38 automatic into it； put on hat and coat； shut the windows again； put the whiskey away； clicked the lights off and had the office door unlatched when the phone rang。
The ringing bell had a sinister sound； for no reason of itself； but because of the ears to which it rang。 I stood there braced and tense； lips tightly drawn back in a half grin。 Beyond the closed window the neon lights glowed。 The dead air didn't move。 Outside the corridor was still。 The bell rang in darkness； steady and strong。
I went back and leaned on the desk and answered。 There was a click and a droning on the wire and beyond that nothing。 I depressed the connection and stood there in the dark； leaning over； holding the phone with one hand and holding the flat riser on the pedestal down with the other。 I didn't know what I was waiting for。
The phone rang again。 I made a sound in my throat and put it to my ear again； not saying anything at all。
So we were there silent； both of us； miles apart maybe； each one holding a telephone and breathing and listening and hearing nothing； not even the breathing。
Then after what seemed a very long time there was the quiet remote whisper of a voice saying dimly； without any tone：
〃Too bad for you； Marlowe。〃
Then the click again and the droning on the wire and I hung up and went back across the office and out。
13
I drove west on Sunset； fiddled around a few blocks without making up my mind whether anyone was trying to follow me； then parked near a drugstore and went into its phone booth。 I dropped my nickel and asked the O…operator for a Pasadena number。 She told me how much money to put in。
The voice which answered the phone was angular and cold。 〃Mrs。 Murdock's residence。〃
〃Philip Marlowe here。 Mrs。 Murdock； please。〃
I was told to wait。 A soft but very clear voice said： 〃Mr。 Marlowe？ Mrs。 Murdock is resting now。 Can you tell me what it is？〃
〃You oughtn't to have told him。〃
〃Iwho？〃
〃That loopy guy whose handkerchief you cry into。〃
〃How dare you？〃
〃That's fine；〃 I said。 〃Now let me talk to Mrs。 Murdock。 I have to。〃
〃Very well。 I'll try。〃 The soft clear voice went away and I waited a long wait。 They would have to lift her up on the pillows and drag the port bottle out of her hard gray paw and feed her the telephone。 A throat was cleared suddenly over the wire。 It sounded like a freight train going through a tunnel。
〃This is Mrs。 Murdock。〃
〃Could you identify the property we were talking about this morning； Mrs。 Murdock？ I mean could you pick it out from others just like it？〃
〃Wellare there others just like it？〃
〃There must be。 Dozens； hundreds for all I know。 Anyhow dozens。 Of course I don't know where they are。〃
She coughed。 〃I don't really know much about it。 I suppose I couldn't identify it then。 But in the circumstances〃
〃That's what I'm getting at； Mrs。 Murdock。 The identification would seem to depend on tracing the history of the article back to you。 At least to be convincing。〃
〃Yes。 I suppose it would。 Why？ Do you know where it is？〃
〃Morningstar claims to have seen it。 He says it was offered to him for salejust as you suspected。 He wouldn't buy。 The seller was not a woman； he says。 That doesn't mean a thing； because he gave me a detailed description of the party which was either made up or was a description of somebody he knew more than casually。 So the seller may have been a woman。〃
〃I see。 It's not important now。〃
〃Not important？〃
〃No。 Have you anything else to report？〃
〃Another question to ask。 Do you know a youngish blond fellow named George Anson Phillips？ Rather heavy set； wearing a brown suit and a dark pork pie hat with a gay band。 Wearing that today。 Claimed to be a private detective。〃
〃I do not。 Why should I？〃
〃I don't know。 He enters the picture somewhere。 I think he was the one who tried to sell the article。 Morningstar tried to call him up after I left。 I snuck back into his office and overheard。〃
〃You what？'
〃I snuck。〃
〃Please do not be witty； Mr。 Marlowe。 Anything else？〃
〃Yes； I agreed to pay Morningstar one thousand dollars for the return of thethe article。 He said he could get it for eight hundred 。 。 。〃
〃And where were you going to get the money； may I ask？〃
〃Well； I was just talking。 This Morningstar is a downy bird。 That's the kind of language he understands。 And then again you might have wanted to pay it。 I wouldn't want to persuade you。 You could always go to the police。 But if for any reason you didn't want to go to the police； it might be the only way you could get it backbuying it back。〃
I would probably have gone on like that for a long time； not knowing just what I was trying to say； if she hadn't stopped me with a noise like a seal barking。
〃This is all very unnecessary now； Mr。 Marlowe。 I have decided to drop the matter。 The coin has been returned to me。〃
〃Hold the wire a minute；〃 I said。
I put the phone down on the shelf and opened the booth door and stuck my head out； filling my chest with what they were using for air in the drugstore。 Nobody was paying any attention to me。 Up front the druggist； in a pale blue smock； was chatting across the cigar counter。 The counter boy was polishing glasses at the fountain。 Two girls in slacks were playing the pinball machine。 A tall narrow party in a black shirt and a pale yellow scarf was fumbling magazines at the rack。 He didn't look like a gunman。