1The house on Westmore Street was a small frame bungalow behind a larger house. There was no number visible on the smaller house, but the one in front showed a stencilled 1618 beside the door, with a dim light behind the stencil. A narrow concrete path led along under windows to the house at the back. It had a tiny porch with a single chair on it. I stepped up on the porch and rang the bell.

2It buzzed not very far off. The front door was open behind the screen but there was no light. From the darkness a querulous voice said:

3"What is it?"

4I spoke into the darkness. "Mr. Talley in?"

5The voice became flat and without tone. "Who wants him?"

6"A friend."

7The woman sitting inside in the darkness made a vague sound in her throat which might have been amusement. Or she might just have been clearing her throat.

8"All right," she said. "How much is this one?"

9"It's not a bill, Mrs. Talley. I suppose you are Mrs. Talley?"

10"Oh, go away and let me alone," the voice said. "Mr. Talley isn't here. He hasn't been here. He won't be here."

11I put my nose against the screen and tried to peer into the room. I could see the vague outlines of its furniture. From where the voice came from also showed the shape of a couch. A woman was lying on it. She seemed to be lying on her back and looking up at the ceiling. She was quite motionless.

12"I'm sick," the voice said. "I've had enough trouble. Go away and leave me be."

13I said: "I've just come from talking to the Graysons."

14There was a little silence, but no movement, then a sigh. "I never heard of them."

15I leaned against the frame of the screen door and looked back along the narrow walk to the street. There was a car across the way with parking lights burning. There were other cars along the block.

16I said: "Yes, you have, Mrs. Talley. I'm working for them. They're still in there pitching. How about you? Don't you want something back?"

17The voice said: "I want to be let alone."

18"I want information," I said. "I'm going to get it. Quietly if I can. Loud, if it can't be quiet."

19The voice said: "Another copper, eh?"

20"You know I'm not a copper, Mrs. Talley. The Graysons wouldn't talk to a copper. Call them up and ask them."

21"I never heard of them," the voice said. "I don't have a phone, if I knew them. Go away, copper. I'm sick. I've been sick for a month."

22"My name is Marlowe," I said. "Philip Marlowe. I'm a private eye in Los Angeles, I've been talking to the Graysons. I've got something, but I want to talk to your husband."

23The woman on the couch let out a dim laugh which barely reached across the room. "You've got something," she said. "That sounds familiar. My God it does! You've got something. George Talley had something too—once."

24"He can have it again," I said, "if he plays his cards right."

25"If that's what it takes," she said, "you can scratch him off right now."

26I leaned against the doorframe and scratched my chin instead. Somebody back on the street had clicked a flashlight on. I didn't know why. It went off again. It seemed to be near my car.

27The pale blur of face on the couch moved and disappeared. Hair took its place. The woman had turned her face to the wall.

28"I'm tired," she said, her voice now muffled by talking at the wall. "I'm so damn tired. Beat it, mister. Be nice and go away."

29"Would a little money help any?"

30"Can't you smell the cigar smoke?"

31I sniffed. I didn't smell any cigar smoke. I said, "No."

32"They've been here. They were here two hours. God, I'm tired of it all. Go away."

33"Look, Mrs. Talley—"

34She rolled on the couch and the blur of her face showed again. I could almost see her eyes, not quite.

35"Look yourself," she said. "I don't know you. I don't want to know you. I have nothing to tell you. I wouldn't tell it, if I had. I live here, mister, if you call it living. Anyway it's the nearest I can get to living. I want a little peace and quiet. Now you get out and leave me alone."

36"Let me in the house," I said. "We can talk this over. I think I can show you—"

37She rolled suddenly on the couch again and feet struck the floor. A tight anger came into her voice.

38"If you don't get out," she said, "I'm going to start yelling my head off. Right now. Now!"

39"Okay," I said quickly. "I'll stick my card in the door. So you won't forget my name. You might change your mind."

40I got the card out and wedged it into the crack of the screen door. I said: "Well goodnight, Mrs. Talley."

41No answer. Her eyes were looking across the room at me, faintly luminous in the dark. I went down off the porch and back along the narrow walk to the street.

42Across the way a motor purled gently in the car with the parking lights on it. Motors purl gently in thousands of cars on thousands of streets, everywhere.

43I got into the Chrysler and started it up.