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bang, and signaled for a refill. He sipped from it, sighed and grimaced tiredly.
    "Well, no use hashing over the past, I guess. How come you were in that place I got you out of tonight, Britt?"
    "Through a misunderstanding," I said firmly. "A mistake that isn't going to be repeated."
    "Yeah?" He waited a moment. "Well, you're smart to steer clear of 'em. We haven't been able to hang anything on them, but, by God, we will."
    "With my blessings," I said. "You were on official business tonight?"
    "Sort of. Just letting them know we were on the job. Well"-he glanced at his watch, and started to rise. "Guess I better run. Can I drop you someplace?"
    I declined with thanks, saying that I had a little business to take care of. He said, Well, in that case..
    "By the way, I drove past the old Rainstar place a while back, Britt. Looks like someone is still living there."
    "Yes," I said. "I guess someone is."
    "In a dump? The city garbage dump? But-" His voice trailed away, comprehension slowly dawning in his eyes. Finally, he said, "Hang around a minute, Britt. I've got to make a few phone calls, and then we'll have a good talk."
    ***
    We sat in Claggett's car, in the driveway of the Rainstar mansion, and he frowned in the darkness, looking at me curiously. "I don't see how they can do this to you, Britt. Grab your property while you're out of the state."
    "Well, they paid me for it," I said. "Around three thousand dollars after the bank loan was paid. And they gave me the privilege of staying in the house as long as I want to."
    "Oh, shit!" Claggett snorted angrily. "How long is that going to be? You've been swindled, Britt, but you sure as hell don't have to hold still for it!"
    "I don't know," I said. "I don't see that there's much I can do about it."
    "Of course, there's something you can do! This place was deeded tax-free to the Rainstars in perpetuity, in recognition of the thousands of acres the family had given to the state. It's not subject to mortgage or the laws of eminent domain. Why, I'll tell you, Britt, you go into court with this deal, and…"
    I listened to him, without really listening. There was nothing he could tell me that I hadn't told myself. I'd argued it all out with myself, visualizing the newspaper stories, the courtroom scenes, the endless questions. And I'd said to hell with it. I knew myself, and I knew I couldn't do it for any amount of money.
    "I can't do it, Jeff…" I cut in on him at last. "I don't want to go into the details, but I have a wife in another state. An invalid wife. I was suspected of trying to kill her. I didn't, of course, but-"
    "Of course, you didn't!" Jeff said warmly. "Murder just isn't in you. Anyway, you wouldn't be here if there was any real case against you."
    "The case is still open," I said. "I'm not so sure I'm in the clear yet. At any rate, the story would be bound to come out if I made waves over this condemnation deal, so I'm not making any. I, the family and I, have had nothing but trouble as far back as I remember. I don't want any more."
    "No one wants trouble, dammit," Claggett scowled. "But you don't avoid it by turning your back on it. The more you run, the more you have chasing you."
    "I'm sure you're right," I said. "But just the same-"
    "Your father would fight, Britt. He did fight! They didn't get away with piling garbage on him!"
    "They didn't?" I said. "Well, well."
    We said good-night.
    He drove off, gravel spinning angrily from the wheels of his car.
    I entered the house, catching up the phone on its first ring. I said, Hello, putting a lot of ice into the word. I started to say a lot more, believing that the caller was Manuela Aloe, but fortunately I didn't. Fortunately, since the call was from Connie, my wife.
    "Britt? Where have you been?"
    "Out trying to make some money," I said. "I wasn't successful, but I'm still trying."
    She said that she certainly hoped so. All her terrible expenses were awfully hard on her daddy; and it did seem like a grown,