。

〃I'm　not　sure　I　like　you　worrying　so　much　about　this　fellow　Coffey；〃　my　wife　said；　handing　me　the　lunch　she'd　put　up　for　me…Janice　never　believed　in　roadside　hamburger　stands；　she　used　to　say　there　was　a　bellyache　waiting　in　every　one。　〃It's　not　like　you；　Paul。〃

〃I'm　not　worried　about　him；〃　I　said。　〃I'm　curious；　that's　all。〃

〃In　my　experience；　one　leads　to　the　other；〃　Janice　said　tartly；　then　gave　me　a　good；　hearty　kiss　on　the　mouth。　〃You　look　better；　at　least；　I'll　say　that。　For　awhile　there；　you　had　me　nervous。　Waterworks　all　cured　up？〃

〃All　cured　up；〃　I　said；　and　off　I　went；　singing　songs　like　〃e；　Josephine；　in　My　Flying　Machine〃　and　'We're　in　the　Money〃　to　keep　myself　pany。

I　went　to　the　offices　of　the　Tefton　Intelligencer　first；　and　they　told　me　that　Burt　Hammersmith；　the　fellow　I　was　looking　for；　was　most　likely　over　at　the　county　courthouse。　At　the　courthouse　they　told　me　that　Hammersmith　had　been　there　but　had　left　when　a　burst　waterpipe　had　closed　down　the　main　proceedings；　which　happened　to　be　a　rape　trial　（in　the　pages　of　the　Intelligencer　the　crime　would　be　referred　to　as　〃assault　on　a　woman；〃　which　was　how　such　things　were　done　in　the　days　before　Ricki　Lake　and　Carnie　Wilson　came　on　the　scene）。　They　guessed　he'd　probably　gone　on　home。　I　got　some　directions　out　a　dirt　road　so　rutted　and　narrow　I　just　about　didn't　dare　take　my　Ford　up　it；　and　there　I　found　my　man。　Hammersmith　had　written　most　of　the　stories　on　the　Coffey　trial；