The Long Lavender Look by John D. MacDonald Page B

envelope behind, lost my old car in the canal, and then.... For God's sake, Lennie! Can't you straighten him out? Where's the money?"
    "Right where Frank Baither hid it. But now you and Meyer know where it is, and you can take your time picking it up."
    He made me go over the incident we should have reported and didn't. Lots of questions.
    Estimates of elapsed time.
    He paced in the constricted space, glowering. "The only way to defend a case is to build an alternate possibility up to the stature of reasonable doubt, McGee. There was a girl in the mud beside the canal. Let's say she was the young girl who played waitress. Let's say Frank Baither was prowling after her in the night. Hutch is the big one who fits your description. Orville fits Meyer's description. They came after Frank Baither last night. The girl got away. Baither got in his old truck and went cruising looking for Orville and Hutch. You went in the canal at ten o'clock. The shots were fired a little after eleven. He thought he hit Hutch in the head. He Page 22

    offered to make a deal with Orville. He drove back to his place, off guard because he thought he knew where Hutch and Orville were. He got back and they jumped him. Maybe they had a car hidden away nearby, and maybe the two of them and the girl are five hundred miles gone by now, laughing and singing, with the trunk packed with money. But that damned envelope, Trav.
    That is physical evidence. You are absolutely positive about what you did with it?"
    "Beyond any doubt."
    "Then the deputy he posted at the Baither place has to be lying when he told Hyzer nobody entered the place. Can you remember the deputy's name?"
    "Arnstead, I think. But why would somebody..."
    "'Why' comes way down the list, client. It comes after 'how', 'when', 'where', and 'what'. 'How' is the big word."
    He opened the door and whistled. Priskitt took me back after Lennie Sibelius wished me a nice night's sleep, saying he didn't count on getting much himself.
    As Priskitt caged me, I asked him about Meyer. "Feeling much better. Fascinating man. It's guests like you two who make this almost a civilized occupation, McGee. Nighty night."
    They had the cell lights on a rheostat. At ten o'clock they faded from white glare to yellow glow.
    You can't help wondering what it would feel like to be in such a box for the next dozen years, and wonder if you could handle it, and walk out of it still reasonably sane.
    I remembered reading a sentence long ago, I know not where or when, or who wrote it. It said,
    "The only thing that prisons demonstrably cure is heterosexuality."
    Back to the envelope. It had to be an unplanned act on someone's part. An improvisation. Away to muddy the water. Somebody made the decision after Sheriff Hyzer and Deputy Cable had driven off with us. A customer or an employee. Or the boss. Al Storey, or the big young dull-looking one named Terry. Or the older one who had arrived late in the blue Rambler.
    Henry ... The one with all the white teeth. Or somebody who came on duty later. Al, Terry, and Henry had all heard Hyzer say that Frank Baither had been killed. His attitude made it evident he thought Hyzer and I were involved.
    I dug away at my chigger bites. Get me out, Lennie. Get us out of here.
    Six
    Up UNTIL eleven o'clock it was a very dull morning. Then Priskitt arrived, humming happily, carrying a hanger with freshly cleaned and pressed slacks and shirt thereon. He had my toilet kit in the other hand.
    He unlocked the cell door and said, "Priskitt at your service, sir. You will wish to shower? You are free to go right ahead, by yourself."
    "Those clothes were . . ."
    "In your suitcase which was in your car, and so was the toilet kit. Still damp, but not at all bad.
    Compliments,of Cypress County, Mr. McGee. I'll be along with shoes and socks and underwear."
    "Where is my friend?"
    "Under the shower, one might expect."
    But Meyer was out of the shower, standing at the sink, and carefully, tenderly, shaving the