“She is still a baby,” Susan said.

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll drink hers. How about you, little lady?”

Susan smiled, which was worth traveling great distances to see, and said, “It would be foolish not to.”

I poured us each a glass of Krug rosé, put the ice bucket on the coffee table, and Susan and I squeezed onto the couch beside Pearl. Pearl looked a little annoyed, which was hardly in the spirit of the season, but she readjusted her position and went back to sleep with her head on Susan’s lap. Which was what I had been planning on.

“So,” I said. “Do Jews go to hell for celebrating Christmas?”

“Jews don’t go to hell,” Susan said.

“None?”

“And in particular,” Susan said, “none who were cheerleaders at Swampscott High.”

“And still retain their skills,” I said.

“Several skills,” Susan said.

“I know.”

We drank our champagne. The fire enriched itself as the logs settled in on one another. Pearl sighed in her sleep.

“Do we love each other?” Susan said.

“We do,” I said.

“And were you thinking of celebrating that love with some sort of holiday rendezvous?”

“I was,” I said.

“If I have a heavy meal, as I expect to,” Susan said, “my libido will be dysfunctional for hours.”

“I’ve noticed that about you,” I said.

“However, if we were to drink a bit more champagne and retire to your bedroom before dinner, we could celebrate Christmas in our own ecumenical way,” Susan said. “And then eat the big meal.”

“Brilliant,” I said. “You’re amazing.”

“Hot, too,” she said.

I nodded.

“Hotter than a pepper sprout,” I said.

“So shall we do that?”

“You bet,” I said.

“Okay, pour me another glass of champagne,” Susan said. “And we’ll proceed.”

“Zowie,” I said.

IT WAS THE WEEK before Valentine’s Day, and I was in my office working on the first draft of my Valentine’s poem to Susan, when Gary Eisenhower arrived with Estelle, the trainer and putative girlfriend. I put the draft in my middle drawer.

“Gary,” I said.

“Spenser,” Gary said. “You remember Estelle?”

“I do,” I said. “How are you, Estelle.”

“Feeling good,” she said, and gave me a big smile.

Gary gave her a hug.

“Main squeeze,” he said, and kissed her on top of the head.

“Amazing that you find the time,” I said.

“We manage,” Estelle said.

I gestured toward the chairs and they sat down.

“We need to consult you,” Gary said.

“Go,” I said.

“It’s about Beth Jackson,” Estelle said.

“She seeing you again?” I said to Eisenhower.

“Not really,” he said. “Her husband’s all over her on that one. But she does see Estelle.”

“I’m her trainer,” Estelle said. “And we’ve become good friends.”

“Still at Pinnacle?” I said.

“Yes, four days a week,” Estelle said. “We do weights twice a week and Pilates twice a week.”

“Estelle has been able to sneak me in a couple of times, and I’ve been able to spend a little time with Beth in one of the massage rooms.”

“How modern of you,” I said to Estelle.

She smiled brightly.

“Gary and I have our priorities straight,” she said. “We know what we want.”

“Which includes money,” I said.

“Of course,” Estelle said. “No point writing anyone off too soon.”

“How’s business?” I said to Gary.

Gary waffled his hand.

“Mezzo mezz,” he said. “I’m just doing Beth to be polite. No income there at the moment. Meanwhile, I’m developing a new client list, but it’s a little lean right now.”

“Did you come to borrow money?” I said.

“No,” Estelle said. “It’s about Beth. I’m not only her trainer, I’m her friend.”

“Friends are good,” I said.

“There’s someone threatening her life,” Estelle said.

“Who?”

“She doesn’t know. It’s someone Chet does business with. He has threatened to kill Chet and Beth.”

“Cops?” I said.

“Chet refuses to go to the police. Says it’s nothing. Says he’ll take care of it.”

I nodded.

“Will you talk with her?” Estelle said.

I looked at Gary.

“You think it’s serious?” I said.

“You know me, buddy,” Gary said. “I don’t think anything is serious.”

“She’s terrified,” Estelle said. “She wants you to help her. But she’s afraid to ask you.”

I took in a long, slow breath.

“She thinks you’re terrific,” Estelle said. “You’re the only one she thinks she can trust.”

“She’s probably right on both counts,” I said. “When can she come in?”

“I’ll bring her in tomorrow,” Estelle said. “At five.”

“Swell,” I said.

BETH PUT A NOTE on my desk when she came in.

“Read this,” she said.

Your husband had betrayed me.

For this you both shall die.

“Your husband has seen this?”

“Yes. He said it was a hoax and not to worry.”

“But you are worried.”

“I’m terrified. For both of us. Who would send such a thing?”

“I’ll talk with him,” I said.

“I promised my husband I would say nothing to anyone,” Beth said.

“Except Estelle,” I said. “And Gary. And me.”

Estelle sat beside Beth across the desk from me and said nothing. The loyal, self-effacing friend.

“I’m frightened,” Beth said. “I have to confide in someone. Estelle and Gary both urged me to see you.”

I nodded.

“Why does your husband not want you to tell anyone?”

“I don’t know. Since that time in his office, when you were there with those black men, he’s changed. He’s very curt with me.”

“So I cannot discuss this with him,” I said.

“No,” she said. “I promised him.”

“Promised him not to let him know you told anyone?”

“What’s the difference,” Beth said. “Will you help me?”

“Why not just leave him,” I said. “Get out of town.”

“And do what?” Beth said. “I’m thirty-four years old, and my only skill is undressing and lying on my back. Besides, that wouldn’t protect him.”

“Does he give you much money?” I said.

“He monitors every dime.”

“So what about my fee?”

“Fee?”

“Yeah, I do this for a living,” I said.

“I… But my life, our life, is in danger,” Beth said.

“Can’t you help her?” Estelle said. “Maybe we can find a way to pay you.”

“Tell me more about the danger,” I said.

“I don’t know more,” she said. “I know Chet does a lot of business with people he’s never introduced me to. I know many of them are dangerous. And I know Chet is very… his word is cute… in his business practices.”

“Boo and Zel still around?”

“They’re taking care of Chet.”

“Why not stay with Chet?”

“I can’t stand to be with him like that all the time.”

“And he’s provided you no security?” I said.

“No. He doesn’t seem to love me anymore.”

“Hard to imagine,” I said. “So you stay with him for the money. Why’s he stay with you?”

“Sex.”

“Well, as long as there’s a bond,” I said. “What would you want me to do?”

“Can’t you provide security?”

“For no fee?” I said. “Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week? For how long?”

“I… I don’t know,” she said.

I sat. The two women sat. I didn’t like the story. Didn’t mean it wasn’t true. But I didn’t like it.

“I need to think about this,” I said.

“And what do I do while you’re thinking?” Beth said.

“We’ll go to a hotel,” I said. “I’ll register, and you’ll stay there. I’ll see that you’re safe in the room. Room service, whatever. Estelle can stay with you if she wants to. When I go, you lock the door. And you don’t open it for anybody until I come by for you in the morning… and we’ll go from there.”