"There were times and places when I didn't even have a doorstep. It wouldn't have been much of a life for us."

"We'll never know. There were times I envied you, times I thought you were dead..."

"And times you wished I was dead."

She thought a moment, then replied, "No. I was angry, but I prayed for your safety." She added, "There were times, though, I wished I was dead."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay now." She added, "I've been sleeping with a man I don't love for twenty years. That's a sin. But I will sin no more."

He didn't want to ask, but felt he had to and said, "Annie, why did you stay with him?"

"I ask myself that every day. I guess because of the children... family ties, community..."

"You mean if you filed for a divorce?.."

"I'd have to leave. He would get..."

"Violent?"

"I don't know. Anyway, I used to hope that he'd die. That someone would kill him. That's terrible. I hate myself for that."

"That's all right. You don't have to wait for someone to kill him now."

She didn't reply, and he thought she was considering the double meaning of what he said, so he added, "You can just leave him."

"I will." She didn't ask for his help or any assurances from him but said, "Maybe I was sort of waiting for you. I always knew you'd come back. But I don't want anything from you, no promises to take care of me, and no offers to take care of him. I want to do this myself. Now that my daughter is in college, I can leave."

"Well, you know I'm going to help, so..."

"Keith, he's dangerous."

"He's bush-league."

She picked herself up on one elbow and looked down at him. "If anything happened to you, I swear I'd kill myself. Promise me you won't confront him."

The phone rang, and Annie said, "That's my aunt."

Keith picked it up. "Hello."

"Well, I thought I saw lights in your house. How'd you get home?"

"Who is this?"

"Officer Ward. Just checking on you. You tucked in?"

"Sure. Had enough fun for one night."

"I didn't. I'm not a happy man tonight."

"I'm not here to make you happy."

Annie leaned over and put her ear near the phone. Keith turned away from her and said into the mouthpiece, "Don't call here again." He hung up.

She asked, "Who was that?"

"Car salesman."

She looked at him and was about to say something when the phone rang again. Keith picked it up. "Yes?"

A female voice with an old-fashioned midwestern twang said, "Mr. Landry?"

"Speaking."

"This is Mrs. Sinclair, Annie Baxter's aunt."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Annie said she might stop by your place for a minute on her way home."

Keith smiled at the strain in Aunt Louise's voice. He said, "She stopped by for less than a minute, Mrs. Sinclair. Never got out of the car. We chatted about farm prices through the screen door for about fifteen seconds..."

Keith felt a punch on his arm and heard Annie laugh and whisper, "Stop that."

Keith continued, "Then she left for home, lickety-split."

"I figured she'd be on her way home, and that's just what I told Mr. Baxter when he called here looking for her. She should be home shortly, I said."

"I in sure she will be, Mrs. Sinclair."

"It was real nice talking to you, Mr. Landry. You take care."

"Thank you, Mrs. Sinclair. I appreciate the call." He hung up.

Annie rolled on top of him and pressed her nose against his. "You're funny."

"So's your aunt. Is she up to this?"

"Barely. I had to bring a bottle of dandelion wine when I stopped by." She laughed and kissed him, then rolled off and onto the floor. "Have to go." She walked naked out of the room, and Keith heard the water in the bathroom running.

He got out of bed and began to dress, sticking the Glock under his shirt.

She came back and said, "I can see myself out." She gathered her clothes and threw them on the bed. "I don't want to get dressed. I want to be naked for you all night, all week."

"Sounds good to me."

She put her bra on, then pulled her sweater over, sat on the bed, and slid her panties and socks on.

He observed, "You still dress from the top down."

"Doesn't everyone?" She pulled her jeans on, then her shoes. She stood. "Okay. You're walking me down?"

"That's what a gentleman does."

They walked down the stairs together, hand in hand, and she kept glancing at him, then said, "Can you believe this?"

"Hardly."

"I feel like a kid again. I haven't had a rush like this since... well, since you."

"That's very nice of you."

"I mean it. My heart is still pounding, and my legs are rubbery."

"And your face is flushed, and your eyes are on fire. Be careful when you get home."

"Oh..." She put her hand to her face. "Yes, I will. God, do you think?.."

"Just recreate in your mind a night with Aunt Louise. By the time you get home, you'll be fine."

"Okay..." She laughed and said, "But what if I still have semen running down my leg?"

Keith smiled. He remembered that one of the things he liked about her was the totally unexpected raunchiness that sometimes came out of that prim and proper mouth.

They walked to the kitchen door, and she opened it. "Keith, what are we going to do?"

"You name it, I'll do it."

"You love me?"

"You know it."

She smiled. "Was I a good lay? I can't believe I said that. Bye. I'll call you."

He held her arm. "No."

"I have to go."

"I know. But... your husband's men sometimes watch this house."

"Oh..."

"They didn't see you come in because they weren't watching earlier, or if they were, they saw me leave and followed. I'm going to leave first, and if they're watching, they'll follow me. You wait ten minutes, then leave."

She stayed quiet a moment, then said, "This is awful..." She looked at him. "Keith, I'm sorry. I can't put you through this..."

"This is not your fault. It's his fault. I can handle this. But can you handle this?"

She nodded. "For you, yes."

"All right. Now, remember — you were at Aunt Louise's all night. Stick to that story no matter what."

She nodded.

He asked, "What are you driving?"

"A Lincoln Continental. White."

"Ten minutes."

"Be careful, Keith."

He went out the door, got into his Blazer, waved to her, and went down the long drive to the road. He turned toward town and continued on a few miles until he got to an intersection and stopped.

There were no headlights behind him, and he continued on. He spotted a half-collapsed barn, shut off his headlights, and turned off the road onto the dirt track that led to the barn and nudged the Blazer into the collapsed timbers.

He got out and watched the road. After about five minutes, he saw headlights approaching at a high speed from the direction of his farm. He knelt behind some brush and waited.

The car tore past him, but he could make out the shape of a light-colored Lincoln Continental.

He waited ten more minutes, then went back to his Blazer and drove toward home.

He couldn't be sure she was safe, but if Baxter questioned her and she stuck to her story, she'd be okay.

He had the unsettling feeling that he was enjoying this, that this was an adrenaline rush. But so what? Fun was whatever you did best.

And he had no doubt that Annie enjoyed the intrigue to a point. She'd always been like that when they were trying to find times and places to make love. She got a kick out of the danger, the romance, the stolen fruit which always tasted better.

Yet, tonight, he had seen real fright in her eyes. She was brave, spunky, and willing to take a risk. But when getting caught was not just a matter of getting expelled from school or getting grounded forever, but of getting beaten or killed, then this took the fun right out of it. He realized he had to resolve this quickly.