stance, what will the police think when they hear about this?"

"I told them this morning."

"Oh? What did they say?

"I was told not to push my luck."

"Did they ask why you're doing this?"

They didn't think they had to."

"You know, Dave, the police aren't wrong about everything."

But there's such a thing as being mistakenly right."

Ann took a deep breath: "Darling, last night in a possibly weak moment, you told me you needed me. We were in bed so maybe it doesn't count. What

I want to know is, dressed and calm and in your right mind, do you really want me here with you?"

"Yes."

"How much?"

"A great deal. For me."

"Do you want me to stay enough to give up this sleuthing jag?"

No."

"Wouldn't it make any difference if I said I VERY MUCH don't want you to?" "Not enough."

"Dave, I don't! It's all wrong!"

"I won't get hurt."

"That's a damned silly brag. How do you know!"

"Or are you afraid I'll get into bad habits?"

I'd rather see you dead.”

My outline in chalk?"

"Yes."

"Look, I'm not submitting affidavits about my gender. You get those oftener than you want them."

"Oftener than you want to give them, too, but all that proves nothing. It's not that I want you to stay clean necessarily . . . it's just that I don't want you to get out of the habit of me and into the habit of someone else, anyone else." "All right, I'll tell you again. You're a nice, handy habit, doll. One of the nicest I ever had. Why should I tell you to stay here when you know damned well I hate people hanging onto me? I want you around all right."

She stood up suddenly. "Don't remind me I'm convenient. I've an atom of pride left."

But you ARE and I like it!"

"Have you no tenderness? Don't you need affection like other people do? You're cold, Dave, the coldest person I ever knew. Sometimes I have the feeling you don't really LIKE me as a person. No, it's more than that: you don't really know I AM a person."

"I'm not the type that makes love with words."

But I've seen you say and do such nice little things for . . .

"Little Joe? Look, it's none of your goddam business but he and I committed NO unnatural acts that one night a week I wasn't with you. I was too tired. Sometimes I think that was your intention. And if you were jealous of the way I treated him, just remember it's easier to be nice to friends than lovers." "But aren't I your friend, too!"

"That's exactly what you are but you won't settle for that. You're too vain or female to have a man only like you. And I don't love you. The sound of your voice doesn't make me weak at the knees and I go for hours without giving you a thought. But I like having you around. You're nice. You're good company. If you want me on those terms, I want you and that's all there is to it."

"I see. I don't know why I keep putting you in a position where you have to slap me where slapping hurts worst. Well, anyway, FRIEND, I'll mull over your enticing proposition. Or for my pride's sake, let's say I'll hang around until something better crops up, hm?"

She lit two cigarettes, put one in his mouth: "But, Dave, I wish you would give up this romantic vengeance idea about little Joe. Why not just let justice