the receiver I was glad he had. It was Jewel Nunn.

“Oh, how are you?” I asked, wishing she’d stop this. Being killed by George Nunn would be carrying an alibi too far.

“Are you busy?” she asked.

“Well, fairly so.” If she thought I was going to drive down to Hampstead she was crazy. “You running errands again this morning?”

“No . . . I mean, nothing important. I just thought I’d give you a ring while I was here at the drug store. There was something I wanted to tell you. . . .”

“Sure,” I said. “Fire away.”

“I don’t think I ought to over the phone.”

“Hey,” I protested, “that’s not fair, getting my curiosity all aroused. I wish I could get away, but I just don’t see. . . .”

“Well, it’s not real important, anyway,” she said. “It’s just about Mr. Cliffords. You remember . . .”

I went cold all over and I could feel a thousand needles stabbing at my back. He couldn’t have been found yet; even in water that warm his body wouldn’t float this soon. What in hell did she mean?

“Cliffords?” I said, wondering if my voice was all right. “Oh, yes, sure. The little man who reads comic books. What’s he done?”

“It’s not anything much, really. And I don’t think I ought . . .”

“Never mind about Cliffords,” I put in quickly. “I want to see you. Can I, if I can get away?”

“Do you really want to?”

”Of course I do. Look. It may take me about an hour, but I’ll be there. At the same place?”

“All right,” she said softly. “Good-bye, Barney.”

“Good-bye” I hung up and took a deep breath. Relax, I thought. Don’t start walking up the walls. They couldn’t have found him this soon. And what if they have? It doesn’t make a bit of difference. Anyway, it’s just some silly thing she remembered about him.

I went back and leaned against a bench and watched Otis while he worked on a motor. Every minute was like ten. I wanted to yell at him to go on and get his lunch and hurry back. It was a quarter to twelve before he put down the tools and started scrubbing his hands.

He finally left. I prowled the showroom, unable to sit still. It was twelve fifteen when he came back. I stooged around for a few minutes and then announced boredly I’d go get something myself and stop in at the post-office on the way back. I was doing seventy-five when I passed the city limits.

After I made the turn on to the road to Javier I met no other cars. That was good, anyway. I hoped she hadn’t given up and left. It had been nearer an hour and a half. I swung into the ruts going off through the pines. Her car was parked under one of the big trees by the little stream. The door was open and she was sitting behind the wheel dressed in something crisp and blue, facing outward with her knees crossed. For one of the few times in my life I was too tense and too hurried to give a well-made leg the critical approval it deserved.

She smiled a little shyly and stood up. She was really nice-looking, and it always helps when you’ve got good material. I took both her hands in mine and said, “I don’t know how you do it. You’re always even lovelier than I remembered.”

“Now, Barney. Remember. . . .”

I smiled gently. “All right. I’ll try harder this time.”

“It is nice to see you again.”

“You’re not making it any easier,” I said chidingly. I wanted to shout at her. When in hell was she going to get to Cliffords?

She sat back down on the seat and slid over. I got under the wheel and started to move toward her but she shook her head, not too severely. Well, there always had to be a certain amount of that. Oh, the devil with that. Who cared a damn? How soon could I bring up the subject of Cliffords myself, if I had to?

“We can just talk, can’t we?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said. “As long as I can look at you.” I put a finger under her chin and turned her face toward me. “I bet you’ve had a lot of experience doing that.”

“No.”

“Yes.” She smiled. “You do it too well.”

“Tell me what you’ve been doing since I saw you last.”

“Not anything very interesting. ...” She stopped abruptly, and then went on. “Mr. Cliffords! I