"You aren't. You're very kind to come and--What good would we do Bruce,
sitting around with our faces dragging on the floor?"
"I thought as much myself," he ventured. "But then, I was only a
friend."
"Bruce never had a better one. I rather imagine you knew him more
intimately than any of his kin. He grew away from us, toward something
of his own. As was right, of course."
Kintyre had no reply.
"And then," she said in a matter-of-fact tone, "he was good. Not holy,
but good. I don't think he will be too long in Purgatory."
Kintyre, for whom the soul was a metaphor, had to think over every
aspect of her remark until he could understand that, quite simply, she
believed it. That was not a consolation he wished to take from her.
"But damn," she whispered, "I'll miss him!"
They drove on in silence. At last she said, more awkwardly than the
average modern woman: "I have to ask you about one thing. I saw a
newspaper today. This girl he--he knew--"
"Yes," said Kintyre, focusing intently on the traffic. "I know her.
They were living together. She's an altogether fine person who would
have made him a wonderful wife. Bruce was very much in love with her
and wanted to get married. She hesitated only because she--was afraid
she might hurt him--she would have changed her mind soon. They were
happy."
Corinna sighed. He could almost feel how she relaxed. "Thank you," she
said. "I have a lot to thank you for, haven't I? We needn't say any
more about this except--if the girl would like to see me, or have me
visit her, I'd be more than glad to."
"I think so," said Kintyre. "In a few more days."
At once he damned himself for an idiot. He had spoken truth; but it
gave Margery the chance to relate a few truths of her own, if she
chose, and what might come of that?
They spoke little for the remainder of the drive. It was, somehow, a
restful quietness.
It was broken when they stepped from the car. Another news rack faced
them, with ARREST FATHER, SON FOR LOMBARDI MURDER staggering across the
page.
Corinna drew a gasp. She snatched Kintyre's hand with fingers that were
suddenly cold. "_Santa Maria_," she mumbled.
He steadied her. "Easy, there," he said.
"I knew it." Her voice came saw-toothed. "I knew it was them. What does
it say?"
He bent over the page. "Not much more than that. Picked up this
afternoon on suspicion, father and son. No details."
"It'll be out tomorrow. Everything. And then the trial."
"I thought you were all for this," he said. "You were convinced of
their guilt and--"
"I wasn't thinking. I was only hurt, and tired. No, I don't want it to
be this way." Slowly, she stiffened herself. "But so be it, then. Can I
have a drink?"
"You can have more than that." He steered her along the sidewalk. She
still moved a little unsurely. "You can have the news I mainly came to
give you."
"What?"
"The Michaelises are not guilty."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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