She hesitated; Charlotte had begun to cry. Max bent over her, and Rowland, seeing Gini’s face become pinched and obstinate, felt the first strong stirrings of dislike. His hostility was shared by everyone present, and he could see she sensed that. Color came and went in her face. Ignoring the others completely, she addressed herself again to Max—an exclusion that enraged Rowland even more.

“Max, it’s obvious what happened. A fifteen-year-old girl lied to her parents. She went up to that barn in the certain knowledge that it was the last thing they’d let her do. She probably smoked some grass—she was seen smoking—”

“Her mother says she wouldn’t do that, Gini,” Charlotte began. “Marijuana? I keep telling you—it’s not possible. She didn’t even touch cigarettes. Susan Landis said so.”

“Oh, for God’s sake.” Gini gave a gesture of exasperation. “And you believe that? Her mother would be the last to know. Max, listen. The witnesses are definite. She left around midnight in a car with a man. All right, they claim they can’t describe the car or the man—but the point is, they say she left with him willingly. Thanks to the lies she told, no one realized she was missing. So whoever was driving that car had a ten-hour start. If Mina’s going to be found, it won’t help to indulge her parents’ fantasies about what a sweet, obedient child she was. Fifteen-year-old girls don’t behave the way their parents hope. If they did, no one would be dead now.” Her voice had risen and her tone had sharpened. Rowland’s temper snapped.

“For God’s sake,” he began in a voice cold with anger. “What in hell’s the matter with you? Other people have feelings, even if you don’t. You don’t sound too damn charitable, you know—”

“Charitable? I’m trying to be realistic.”

“Then think before you speak. A young girl is dead. I found her body. Max and I have been up all damn night. Charlotte’s trying to help. This was someone she and Max knew…”

“I know that. And she’s dead. None of us can help Cassandra Morley now. We’d help Mina Landis more effectively if we didn’t stand here weeping and wasting time.”

“Oh, for Christ’s sake.” Rowland gave her a look of contempt. “Why in hell don’t you just keep quiet and stay out of it? Judging from your behavior yesterday, that’s what you usually prefer to do.”

There was a silence. Genevieve Hunter took a step back as if he had hit her. Blood rushed into her face. She looked at him, then looked blindly around the room. Then, bending her head and averting her face, she fumbled for a coat thrown over a chair, picked it up, and pushed past Rowland to the door. Lindsay began to move forward with a low exclamation of distress.

“Gini, wait—where are you going?”

“I’m going for a walk. I need some fresh air.”

The door slammed behind her. There was another, longer, silence. Rowland watched her walk rapidly across the garden and out of sight. Lindsay, with a glance at Charlotte, gave a sigh.