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that Terry isn’t here when he can plainly see for himself that she isn’t? I don’t understand your attitude at all.”
    â€œOh, I give up!” said Farley. “By God, I do!”
    â€œWhat’s all the fuss about?” Otis said. “Didn’t Terry get home last night?”
    â€œNo,” Farley said, “she didn’t.”
    â€œJay thinks she went to Los Angeles,” Fanny said. “Isn’t that so, Jay?”
    â€œYes.” Jay, having completed his round trip to the kitchen, handed Otis half a dozen matchbooks.
    â€œBut why Los Angeles?” Otis said.
    â€œWe’ve been all over that,” said Fanny. “If you want to know things, Otis, why don’t you get in at the beginning?”
    â€œNever mind,” Jay said. “There’s no point in dwelling on the matter. Otis, I believe there’s enough matches there to last until you can get more.”
    â€œYes. Yes, this is plenty, Jay. Thanks very much.”
    Jay, when he had come away from the door after admitting Otis, had left it open, possibly as a hint to his guests, but the effect, unfortunately, was only to gather another. Otis, on his way out, was suddenly face to face with his wife. Ardis had appeared on the threshold and was nosing into the room.
    â€œOtis,” she said, “what are you doing down here? I thought you were just going across the hall to borrow some matches from Fanny.”
    â€œFanny isn’t home,” Otis said.
    â€œAs you see,” said Fanny.
    â€œDid you get some matches?”
    â€œYes. Jay loaned me some.”
    â€œThen we had better go back upstairs.” Ardis leaned forward into the room and craned, like her husband before her, this way and that. “Where’s Terry? Didn’t she come back last night?”
    It was evident from her tone that she considered it Jay’s good luck if Terry hadn’t. Jay obliged woodenly by confirming her hopes.
    â€œJay thinks she’s in Los Angeles,” said Fanny.
    â€œLos Angeles! Whatever for?”
    â€œThere are good reasons,” said Fanny, “that are too involved to relate.”
    â€œIs that so?” Ardis shifted a sweetly venomous stare from Fanny to Jay. “Even if there are, I’d look closer to home before leaping all the way to Los Angeles. As I have good reason to know. Even, next door or upstairs is not too close for Terry’s operations. Jay, have you asked Brian O’Hara if he knows where she is?”
    Otis was pink and Jay was white and Farley was red, but Fanny was mostly interested.
    â€œWhat the hell do you mean by ‘next door’?” Farley said.
    â€œWhat I would like to know,” said Fanny, “is what she means by ‘Brian O’Hara.’ Jay, what does she mean?”
    â€œShut up, Fan!” Farley said. “For God’s sake, shut up!”
    â€œBrian O’Hara,” Jay said stiffly, “is a local and lesser version of Arnold Rothstein. He is a gambler who specializes in collegiate athletic contests. He owns a couple of night spots geared for college students. He is reputed to be honest by his own liberal standards. I wouldn’t know.”
    â€œOh, I know who he is, of course,” Fanny said. “What I mean is, what does he have to do with Terry?”
    â€œArdis is trying to tell me,” Jay said, “that Terry and O’Hara have been seen together under suggestive circumstances. Thanks, Ardis, but I already knew.”
    â€œWell, you may have known, but I didn’t,” said Fanny. “Did you know, Farley? Why didn’t you tell me?”
    â€œI’m no damn scandal-monger, that’s why,” Farley said. “Besides, it’s incredible that you hadn’t found out. It’s a miracle.”
    â€œIt’s evident that I’ve said too much,” Ardis sniffed. “I was only trying to be helpful. Come along, Otis!”
    She marched