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He looks at me, still woozy.

“I’m billing you for a cab, too.”

“Fine. But you owe Carlos for the potion that brought you around.”

He takes out his wallet and slaps it on the bar. The leather is so expensive it looks like it came off an angel’s backside.

“Take what you want,” he tells Carlos.

He turns to me.

“And you, get the fuck away from me. Don’t talk to me and don’t ever bring me any of your poison shit again.”

Carlos already has his phone out. He pushes Marlowe’s wallet back at him. I reach over to get it, but knock it off the bar. I pick it up from the floor and hand it to him.

“There’s a cab on the way,” Carlos says. “Keep your money. The potion is a business expense. Better that than dead ­people piled up in the bar.”

Marlowe pushes himself up and starts to go outside to wait for the cab. He stops by the door.

“I saw one other thing, Stark.”

“What’s that?”

He steadies himself with a hand on the wall.

“It knows you’re looking for it. Whatever that knife is, it knows about you.”

Marlowe gives me the finger and goes outside.

Carlos wipes the spilled drink off the bar. I sit down and Brigitte comes over.

She says, “This is exactly what I was talking about. What just happened isn’t something Chihiro should have to hear from me.”

She goes back to her friends and I take out my phone.

“Hi,” Candy says after a ­couple of rings.

“How’s our friend?”

“What do you think? Still asleep. And Kasabian’s gone out to buy beer.”

“Sounds boring.”

“It is. Where are you?”

“At Bamboo House. Why don’t you come over.”

“What, be seen in public like a real person?”

“Just like one. I’ll buy you too many drinks. Later, we can order Chinese food from bed.”

“Thai.”

“Demanding harlot.”

“Watch that mouth, boy. You’re going to need it later.”

“Hurry. I’m at least three drinks up on you.”