me prickle all over when Janice did that； and it still made me prickle all over when Elaine did it early this morning。 I guess some things don't ever change。
〃…and what came on was this old black…and…white gangster movie from the forties。 Kiss of Death； it's called。〃
I could feel myself wanting to start shaking again and tried to suppress it。
〃Richard Widmark's in it；〃 I said。 〃It was his first big part； I think。 I never went to see it with Jan … we gave the cops and robbers a miss； usually … but I remember reading somewhere that Widmark gave one hell of a performance as the punk。 He sure did。 He's pale 。。。 doesn't seem to walk so much as go gliding around 。。。 he's always calling people 'squirt' 。 。 。 talking about squealers how much he hates the squealers 。 。 ！〃
I was starting to shiver again in spite of my best efforts。 I just couldn't help it。
〃Blond hair；〃 I whispered。 〃Lank blond hair。 I watched until the part where he pushed this old woman in a wheelchair down a flight of stairs； then I turned it off。〃
〃He reminded you of Wharton？〃
〃He was Wharton；〃 I said。 〃To the life！〃
〃Paul！' she began； and stopped。 She looked at the blank screen of the TV （the cable box on top of it was still on； the red numerals still showing 10； the number of the AMC channel）； then back at me。
〃What？〃 I asked。 'What； Elaine？〃 Thinking； She's going to tell； me I ought to quit writing about it。 That I ought to tear up the pages I've wri