THE LADY IN THE LAKE
--Raymond Chandler

"I don't like your manner," Kingsley said in a voice you could have cracked a Brazil nut on.
"That's all right," I said. "I'm not selling it."

"Police business," he said almost gently, "is a hell of a problem. It's a good deal like politics. It asks for the highest type of men, and there's nothing in it to attract the highest type of me. So we have to work with what we get--and we get things like this."

"One moment, please. Whom did you wish to see?"
Degarmo spun on his heel and looked at me wonderingly. '"Did he say 'whom'?"
"yeah, but don't hit him," I said. "There is such a word."
"I often wondered where they kept it. Look, buddy," he said to the clerk, "we want up to 716. Any objection?"

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