I hadn't liked him thoroughly until now."Somebody had to mention the fact that you have an out. A lot of peoplewould take it."

"I'm not a lot of people."

"So I gather."

"Dad would probably call me a fool, but I don'tcare if she's guilty of murder. I'm staying."

"It's going to cost money."

"You want more money, is that it?"

"I can wait. So can Godwin. I wasthinking about the future. Also there's the strong possibility that you'll needa lawyer tomorrow."

"What for?" He was a good boy,but a little siow on the uptake.

"Judging by tonight, your mainproblem is going to be to prevent Dolly from talking herself into deep trouble.That means keeping her out of the hands of the authorities, in a place whereshe can be properly looked after. A good lawyer can be a help in that. Lawyersgenerally don't wait for their money in criminal cases."

"Do you really think she's in suchdanger—such legal jeopardy? Or are you just trying to put the iron in mysoul?"

"I talked to the local sherifftonight, and I didn't like the gleam in his eye when we got on the subject ofDolly. Sheriff Crane isn't stupid. He knew that I was holding back on him. He'sgoing to bear down on her when he catches on to the family connection."

"The family connection?"

"The fact that her father murderedher mother." It was cruel to hit him with it again, on top of everythingelse. Still it was better for him to hear it from me than from the dreary voicethat talks from under the twisted pillow at three o'clock in the morning."Apparently he was tried and convicted in the local courts. Sheriff Craneprobably gathered the evidence for the prosecution."

"It's almost as though history isrepeating itself." There was something approaching awe in Alex's voice."Did I hear you say that this Chuck Begley character, the man with thebeard, is actually her father?"

"He seems to be."

"He was the one who started the wholething off," he said, as much to himself as to me. "It was after hevisited her that Sunday that she walked out on me. What do you think happenedbetween them, to make her do that?"

"I don't know, Alex. Maybe he bawledher out for testifying against him. In any case he brought back the past. Shecouldn't handle the old mess and her new marriage together, so she leftyou."

"I still don't get it," he said."How could Dolly have a father like that?"

"I'm not a geneticist. But I do knowmost non-professional killers aren't criminal types. I intend to find out moreabout Begley-McGee and his murder. I suppose it's no use asking if Dolly evertalked about it to you?"

"She never said a word about eitherof her parents, except that they were dead. Now I can understand why. I don'tblame her for lying—" He cut the sentence short, and amended it: "Imean, for not telling me certain things."

"She made up for it tonight."

"Yeah. It's been quite a night."He nodded several times, as though he was still absorbing its repercussions."Tell me the honest truth, Mr. Archer. Do you believe the things she saidabout being responsible for this woman's death? And her mother?"

"I can't even remember half of them."

"That's not an answer."

"Maybe we'll get some better answers tomorrow.It's a complex world. The human mind is the most complex thing in it."

"You don't give me much comfort."

"It's not my job to."

Making a bitter face over this and thelast of his whisky, he rose slowly. "Well, you need your sleep, and I havea phone call to make. Thanks for the drink." He turned with his hand onthe doorknob. "And thanks for the conversation."

"Any time. Are you going to call yourfather?"

"No. I've decided not to."

I felt vaguely gratified. I was old enoughto be his father, with no son of my own, and that may have had something to dowith my feeling.

"Who are you going to call, or isthat a private matter?"

"Dolly asked me to try and get intouch with her Aunt Alice. I guess I've been putting it off. I don't know whatto say to her aunt. I didn't even know she had an Aunt Alice untiltonight."

"I remember she mentioned her. Whendid Dolly ask you to make the call?"

"In the nursing home, the last thing.She wants her aunt to come and see her. I didn't know if that was a good ideaor not."

"It would depend on the aunt. Doesshe live here in town?"

"She lives in the Valley, in IndianSprings. Dolly said she's in the county directory. Miss Alice Jenks."

"Let's try her."

I found her name and number in the phonebook, placed the toll call, and handed the receiver to Alex. He sat on the bed,

© Alexander Sviyash, 2009