Joanna pushed back a tumble of ash-blonde hair and reached for the phone. Paul admired the curve of her hip, the smoothness of her back, as she lifted the receiver and spoke into it.

Then her body went rigid.

“Suicide?”

Paul sat up. Joanna’s face was pale with shock.

“Yes,” she said into the phone. “Yes, of course.” Her voice was steady, but Paul could see the sudden turmoil and pain in her wide eyes. Her hand, gripping the phone with white-knuckled intensity, was shaking badly.

“I see. All right. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

Joanna went to put the phone down on the night table, missed its edge, and the phone fell to the carpeted floor.

“He’s killed himself,” she said.

“Who?”

“Gregory.”

“Your husband?”

“Took a pistol from his collection and… committed suicide.” She seemed dazed. “Killed himself.”

Paul felt guilt, almost shame, at being naked in bed with Hier at this moment. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. Joanna got out of bed and headed shakily for the bathroom. She stopped at the doorway for a moment, gripped the doorjamb, visibly pulled herself together. Then she turned back toward Paul.

“Yes. I am too.” She said it flatly, without a trace of emotion, as if rehearsing a line for a role she would be playing.

Paul got to his feet. Suddenly he felt shy about getting into the shower with her. He wanted to get to his own condo. “I’d better buzz out of here before anybody arrives,” he called to Joanna.

“I think that would be best. I’ve got to go to his office. The police have been called.”

Searching for his pants, Paul asked, “Do you want me to go with you?”

“No, it’s better if we’re not seen together right now. I’ll phone you later tonight.”

Driving along Savannah’s riverfront toward his condo building, Paul tried to sort out his own feelings. Gregory Masterson II had been a hard-drinking royal sonofabitch who chased more, tail than even Paul did. Joanna had sworn that she had never had an affair before she had met Paul, and he believed her. Gregory, though, he was something else. Didn’t care who knew what he was doing. He liked to flaunt his women, as if he was deliberately trying to crush Joanna, humiliate her beyond endurance.