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“But if we could find the guy that did it, he’d prove it for us Okay, buster, what next?”

“I suppose we check the old local newspapers fro And if you could kind of prowl around the studio Unobtrusively, that is”

“With these flat feet? I think I know the studio gate guard Worked at Metro years ago He’d let me in and zip his lip What else?”

I gave hiraveyard wall And the Green Town house where Roy and I had planned to work, and where Roy ht be now

“Roy’s still there, waiting to steal back his beasts And, Cruhter, ot to blow Roy out of there now If the studio people go in Stage 13 tonight and find the box in which Roy hid that papier-mâché body after he stole it, on’t they do to him?!”

Cruet Roy rehired but help hiht?”

“Don’t say that!”

“Why not? You’re all over the ball field, playing pitcher and running to bat flies and fumble balls How in hell do I catch Roy? Wander around the sets with a butterfly net and some cat food! Your studio friends know Roy, I don’t They can stoet out of the bull pen Give me just one fact to start with!”

“The Beast If we found out who he is, wethat clay bust”

“Yeah, yeah What else? About the Beast—”

“We saw hiraveyard Roy followed him, but wouldn’t tell me what he sahat the Beast was up to Maybe, maybe it was the Beast put that papier-raveyard wall—and sent notes to blackmail people!”

“Now you’re cooking!” Crumley rubbed his bald head with both hands, rapidly “Identify the Beast, ask where he borrowed the ladder and how he made the look-alike Arbuthnot papier-mâché corpse! Well! well!” Crumley beamed

He ran to the kitchen for more beer

We drank and he gazed at reat it is to have you home”

I said, “Hell, I haven’t even asked you about your novel—”