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"Why's that?"

"Because I'est story all year," he said "Man sells newspapers even when he don't do nothin'"

"Where is he now that we need him?"

"Whole city's holdin' its breath, wants to knohat he's gonna do next Say he's retired, but maybe he bidin' his time Everybody waitin' on his next move, wonderin' what's the next name on his list"

"But we know better"

"When you know the truth," he said, "don't you have to tell somebody? Isn't that what detectin' is, findin' out the truth an' tellin' so out the truth and keeping it to yourself"

He thought about it "Be a real big story," he said

"I suppose so"

"Story of the year, what they'd be callin' it"

"Every month there's another story of the year," I said, "and every year there's a story of the decade and a trial of the century One thing we'll never have to worry about is a shortage of hype But you're right, it would be a big story"

"Get your name in all the papers"

"And my face in front of a lot of TV cameras, if I wanted Or even if I didn't That's alht there to keep the story quiet"

"On account of you shy"

"I'd just as soon stay out of the spotlight I don'tmy name in the paper once in a while It draws clients, and while I don't necessarily want more business it's nice to be able to pick and choose But this wouldn't be a little publicity This would be a circus, and no, I wouldn't want to be the trained seal in the center ring"

"So Will's secret be safe," he o on 'Geraldo' "

"I could duck most of the publicity I could feed it to Joe and let hiht ears He'd find a way to ot the credit That's probably what I'll do, if I do anything"

"But you ht not"

"Why?"

"Because he's a sleeping dog," I said, "and onna decide?"

"By talking to people"

"Like we doin' now?"

"Exactly like we're doing now," I said "This is part of the process"

"Glad I helpin'"

"I'll go home and talk to Elaine," I said, "and later on I'll talk about it at aI won't be specific, and nobody will knohat I'hts on the subject And then there's somebody else I think I'll talk it over with"

"Who's that?"

"An attorney I know"

He nodded "Seeot to talk it over with a lawyer"

Elaine and I had dinner at Paris Green, on Ninth Avenue, and our conversation stayed on a single topic froh to the cappuccino I walked her back to the Pare Vendфot there ten minutes late, and settled into my chair just as the speaker reached that point in the story where he took his first drink I'd missed the history of his dysfunctional fa it

During the break I helped myself to coffee and chatted with a couple of people, and when theto ue, and no one could have had a clue what I was getting at, but that's not atypical of AA shares I talked about as on ner talked about whether or not he was going ho, and then a wo nonalcoholic beer, and how the whole thing had done a number on her head

After we'd folded the chairs, I walked with some friends as far as the Flame, but turned down an invitation to join theement I headed over to Columbus Circle and rode the IRT local don to Christopher Street By 10:30 I was standing on a stoop on Co a door knocker shaped like a lion's head

Co and off the beaten path, and it can be hard to find I'd put in enough time at the Sixth Precinct so that I still kneay around the Village, and I'd had occasion to get to this particular block several tiht a play at the Cherry Lane Theater, just across the street My other visits, like this one, were to Ray Gruliow's town house

I didn't have to linger long on his stoop He drew the door open and ht with the s feature It was a sreat cosmic joke, and you and he were the only two people ere in on it