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he's still asleep。 Early this morning I snuck around the cabin。 There was a radio goin' then and I heard sounds like a man would make playing with a bottle and a glass。 I stayed away from him。 Was that right？〃
〃We'll go over there now；〃 Degarmo said。
〃You got a gun； lieutenant？〃 Degarmo patted under his left arm。 Patton looked at me。 I shook my head； no gun。
〃Kingsley might haye one too；〃 Patton said。 〃I don't hanker after no fast shooting around here； lieutenant。 It wouldn't do me no good to have a gunfight。 We don't have that kind of munity up here。 You look to me like a fellow who would jack his gun out kind of fast。〃
〃I've got plenty of swift； if that's what you mean；〃 Degarmo said。 〃But I want this guy talking。〃 Patton looked at Degarmo； looked at me； looked back at Degarmo and spat tobacco juice in a long stream to one side。
〃I ain't heard enough to even approach him；〃 he said stubbornly。
So we sat down on the ground and told him the story。 He listened silently； not blinking an eye。 At the end he said to me： 〃You got a funny way of working for people； seems to me。 Personally I think you boys are plumb misinformed。 We'll go over and see。 I'll go in first…in case you would know what you are talking about and Kingsley would have a gun and would be a little desperate。 I got a big belly。 Makes a nice target。〃 We stood up off the ground and started around the lake the long way。 When we came to the little pier I said： 〃Did they autopsy her yet； sheriff？〃 Patton nodded。 〃She drowned all right。 They say they're satisfied that's how she died。 She wasn't knifed or shot or had her head cracked in or anything。 There's marks on her body； but too many to mean anything。 And it ain't a very nice body to work with。〃 Degarmo looked white and angry。
〃I guess I oughtn't to have said that； lieutenant；〃 Patton added mildly。 〃Kind of tough to take。 Seeing you knew the lady pretty well。〃 Degarmo said： 〃Let's get it over and do what we have to do。〃 We went on along the shore of the lake and came to Kingsley's cabin。 We went up the heavy steps。 Patton went quietly across the porch to the door。 He tried the screen。 It was not hooked。 He opened it and tried the door。 That was unlocked also。 He held the door shut； with the knob turned in his hand； and Degarmo took hold of the screen and pulled it wide。 Patton opened the door and we walked into the room。
Derace Kingsley lay back in a deep chair by the cold fireplace with his eyes closed。 There was an empty glass and an almost empty whiskey bottle on the table beside him。 The room smelled of whiskey。 A dish near the bottle was choked with cigarette stubs。 Two crushed empty packs lay on top of the stubs。
All the windows in the room were shut。 It was already close and hot in there。 Kingsley was wearing a sweater and his face was flushed and heavy。 He snored and his hands hung lax outside the arms of the chair； the fingertips touching the floor。
Patton moved to within a few feet of him and stood looking silently down at him for a long moment before he spoke。
〃Mr。 Kingsley；〃 he said then； in a calm steady voice； 〃we got to talk to you a little。〃
38
Kingsley moved with a kind of jerk； and opened his eyes and moved them without moving his head。 He looked at Patton； then at Degarmo； lastly at me。 His eyes were heavy； but the light sharpened in them。 He sat up slowly in the chair and rubbed his hands up and down the sides of his face。
〃I was asleep；〃 he said。 〃Fell asleep a couple of hours ago。 I was as drunk as a skunk； I guess。 Anyway； much drunker than I like to be。〃 He dropped his hands and let them hang。
Patton said： 〃This is Lieutenant Degarmo of the Bay City police。 He has to talk to you。〃 Kingsley looked briefly at Degarmo and his eyes came around to stare at me。 His voice when he spoke again sounded sober and quiet and tired to death。
〃So you let them get her？〃 he said。
I said： 〃I would have； but I didn't。〃 Kingsley thought about that； looking at Degarmo。 Patton had left the front door open。 He pulled the brown Venetian blinds up at two front windows and pulled the windows up。 He sat in a chair near one of them and clasped his hands over his stomach。 Degarmo stood glowering down at Kingsley。
〃Your wife is dead； Kingsley；〃 he said brutally。 〃If it's any news to you。〃 Kingsley stared at him and moistened his lips。
〃Takes it easy； don't he？〃 Degarmo said。 〃Show him the scarf。〃 I took the green and yellow scarf out and dangled it。 Degarmo jerked a thumb。 〃Yours？〃 Kingsley nodded。 He moistened his lips again。
〃Careless of you to leave it behind you；〃 Degarmo said。 He was breathing a little hard。 His nose was pinched and deep lines ran from his nostrils to the corners of his mouth。 Kingsley said very quietly： 〃Leave it behind me where？〃 He had barely glanced at the scarf。 He hadn't looked at all at me。
〃In the Granada Apartments； on Eighth Street； in Bay City。 Apartment 716。 Am I telling you something？〃 Kingsley now very slowly lifted his eyes to meet mine。 〃Is that where she was？〃 he breathed。
I nodded。 〃She didn't want me to go there。 I wouldn't give her the money until she talked to me。 She admitted she killed Lavery。 She pulled a gun and planned to give me the same treatment。 Somebody came from behind the curtain and knocked me out without letting me see him。 When I came to she was dead。〃 I told him how she was dead and how she looked。 I told him what I had done and what had been done to me。
He listened without moving a muscle of his face。 When I had done talking he made a vague gesture towards the scarf。
〃What has that got to do with it？〃
〃The lieutenant regards it as evidence that you were the party hidden out in the apartment。〃 Kingsley thought that over。 He didn't seem to get the implications of it very quickly。 He leaned back in the chair and rested his head against the back。 〃Go on；〃 he said at length。 〃I suppose you know what you're talking about。 I'm sure I don't。〃 Degarmo said： 〃All right； play dumb。 See what it gets you。 You could begin by accounting for your time last night after you dropped your biddy at her apartment house。〃 Kingsley said evenly： 〃If you mean Miss Fromsett； I didn't。 She went home in a taxi。 I was going home myself； but I didn't。 I came up here instead。 I thought the trip and the night air and the quiet might help me to get straightened out。〃
〃Just think of that；〃 Degarmo jeered。 〃Straightened out from what； if I might ask？〃
〃Straightened out from all the worry I had been having。〃
〃Hell；〃 Degarmo said； 〃a little thing like strangling your wife and clawing her belly wouldn't worry you that much； would it？〃
〃Son； you hadn't ought to say things like that；〃 Patton put in from the background。 〃That …ain't no way to talk。 You ain't produced anything yet that sounds like evidence。〃
〃No？〃 Degarmo swung his hard head at him。 〃What about this scarf； fatty？ Isn't that evidence？〃
〃You didn't fit it in to anything…not that I heard；〃 Patton said peacefully。 〃And I …ain't fat either； just well covered。〃 Degarmo swung away from him disgustedly。 He jabbed his finger at Kingsley。
〃I suppose you didn't go down to Bay City