— Look Jack will you stop…
— Never see faces like that do you Marshal, hope without expectation never see that do you, acceptance without resignation…
— Subpoena here for the company records too, books correspondence memos any phone tapes…
— Got a spade cat in there doing a tap for you right now all got rhythm haven’t they Bailey, try to dig up some records for you just promised the Boswell Sisters to the marshal here but…
— Jack listen…
— In the bottoms how I used to play round, Lordy what a spankin I got…
— Damn it Jack stop singing these men are serious they…
— Just trying to entertain them Tom looking for books too, anything special Marshal? Twenty years of the Musical Courier right over here how about novels, got some God damned fine novels just have to dig for them, like Broch Bailey? Came across his Schlafwandler the other day spent the whole God damned afternoon with it…
— May better just get a fire inspector in here and then get an order seal the whole place up Bill, any other agencies in this?
— Probably get Tippy up here from Internal Revenue better get a postal inspector in here too, take a look back here Bill…
— Now just a minute Marshal I have some personal mail that…
— What’s these piles E Gerst, B Best, R Gast all sound like AKAs don’t they Bill, haven’t seen a mess like this since the Scungilli brothers.
— Infinite riches in a little room, Merchant of Venice isn’t it Bailey? Want to read us the whole passage there’s probably a copy in that H-O box there, don’t mind if I run through these piles while we’re waiting do you Marshal? Sent away for some dance lessons I can’t wait to…
— Seriously Marshal you can’t simply come in here and subpoena everything in sight I have some personal effects that…
— Box he’s pawing through there Tom ask him if he’s got a subpoena for the Three Wide Men listen ever think of that God damned game we made up that night? Remember it we could sweep the country make a million dollars tell you what I’ll do, leave you my royalties if you can ever remem…
— No now seriously Marshal I have some papers here that may be worth a good deal, manuscripts that sort of thing they’ve got nothing to do with whatever you’re after here that box right behind you, it’s got the manuscript of a book I wrote in it and there’s another one, a folder I’ve been looking for notes and manuscript it belongs to an estate…
— Don’t get hot and bothered friend everything gets inventoried, wait listen there Bill hear that?
— ther report brought to you every day at this time by She. the magazine today’s wom…
— Sound like it’s coming from over there Bill somebody under the…
— Meant to tell you Marshal shipwreck here last night may have caught the cabin boy when the cargo shifted, they still in business out front there Freddie? Kids all over the place truck a block long’s got the funeral hemmed in can’t leave now Marshal, haven’t even opened your box lunch let’s see what they gave you, ham and cheese banana cupcake pickle wedge not leaving now are you Tom?
— These papers I found in my pocket yes, I ought to…
— Golf game in the corner there thought we might spread it out get up a foursome water hazards and all, like golf Bailey?
— No seriously these papers I ought to take them down to Mrs Schramm and Marshal? That folder I mentioned if you come across it, I’m an executor of the estate it belongs to it’s a plain manila folder with stains all over it just be sure I, I just want to be sure nothing happens to it you know she might have some interest in it Jack I, Marshal there’s no reason I can’t leave? Those names you read I’m not even…
— Parties answer their subpoenas in court or we’re out with an arrest warrant that’s all friend, hear that Bill it’s coming from way under there…
— Family of Companies. And now the weather. Forty-eight degrees in sunny midtown. Listen every day at this time for the weather report brought to you by She the magazine designed for today’s worn…
— Wait one thing before you…
— That ten you wanted I forgot it yes, wait…
— So had I, that’s not what I…
— Five, ten here and, these papers may not be any good to her I’ve been carrying them around so long I just thought I ought to take them down and…
— Meet her yes, probably be God damned grateful, shame you can’t take that folder along too show her he was on the threshold of great things, might have kicked the world to pieces…
— I don’t know what you’re, why you can’t give me this either can you any credit for, credit for any loyalty to his memory my God see him in that canvas sack it’s like being loyal to a nightmare…
— Had your choice of nightmares go ahead I mean you’ve got custody of his memory Christ, all you’ve done for it certainly got the right to sweep it up with the trash why not take along that picture he had of her too, see you waiting there in the lofty drawing room her pale face floating toward you in the dusk takes both your hands in hers no chick but good Christ she’s survived hasn’t she, probably tell you she knew him better than you did want to hear his last words give her something to live with, dream the nightmare right through to the God damned end when you come out with it…
— What with, what do you mean I…
— Mean you’d better fix your trousers in front there first that’s all.
— What I, damn it why didn’t you… he paused half backed between the torrents on either side — Jack damn it you, why the hell you’re acting this way… he reached his free hand for the doorframe, backed from the light of the doorway — I, I don’t understand you…
— I know Tom… came after him in the dark of the hall where he turned, hand running on the rail feeling for the stairhead and suddenly down two steps at a time from the voice up there in the darkness, — I know… he made the door with a final tug at his waist and, hand plunged in an inside pocket as though to clutch the desperate consequence of the papers he’d found there, came out with the lunge of a man abruptly threatened by the weight of the overcast sky.
— Say excuse me, could you tell me where the…
— One flight up end of the hall, the door’s open…
— Want to move that truck buddy? You’re blocking the whole…
— What’s this kid in my car!
— Excuse me just let me get past here…
— Out of this God forsaken place, taxi? Taxi…!
— Watch where you’re pushing that junk heap you crazy bunch of, look out!
— Coño…!
— So who finally died?
— This green panel truck where’s the driver, tell him to get it the hell out of there.
— Excuse me I’m a reporter from…
— Hey Mister Bast we going to the movies?
— You’re not going anywhere no now get back in the cars, now where’s…
— Excuse me I’m a rep…
— You kids get away from that car I’ll bust your…
— Wait I thought these cars were hired for this school group…
— This here’s a private limousine now get that kid out… and the door swung open on the figure cringed in the back, battered portfolio spilling from knees quivering at anchor where a sneaker worked wedged in a gleaming hinge of the jump seat, — out!
— Private limousine what’s it doing here, they told me these…