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"There was a desert wind blowing that night.
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It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch.
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On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight.
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Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks.
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Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge."
from;
"Red Wind" (1938)
Raymond Chandler
previous Red Wind posts here