“Well, if it’s any comfort to you,” she answered, “I’ve already decided to be faithful to you. But it’s not for you that I’m doin’ it, it’s for me. I have to do what’s right for me. Do you understand I’m a changed person, too? I left Ireland because I saw that I couldn’t be happy there, with all its hatred and divisiveness. I can’t live with things stirred up all the time, and I’m not talking about bombs going off at the end of the street. With your Maryellen and that Liz Becker, from what you’ve told me, I hope you’ve gotten your lifetime’s supply of uproar.”

He was staring at her, wondering what he had done to deserve a living, breathing miracle like her.

“Well? Can you say it? That you’ve had enough?” He grinned like a kid. He could feel decades lifting from his shoulders.

“Yes.”

6:25 A.M. …

6:25 A.M. …

When he awakened, he found Liz Becker in his thoughts. The telephone … He had it by the third ring. He could hear Eileen in the shower.

“Hello.”

“Alley oop,” John Lord said. “Rise and shine. I just talked to Kevin McQuaid. He isn’t so sure that you were involved in the Brennan killing anymore.”

“That’s what he tells you.”

“No, there’s a reason for a change of mind. He thinks they have the Quinns. Small-caliber holes in their heads. Their bodies were found a couple of hours ago out on New York Boulevard, near Kennedy Airport, in the kind of car you saw parked outside the Lake Tranquility address. Orange Pontiac. No identification on the bodies, but a TWA airline ticket envelope like the one you described was under the seat. Kevin would like you to come in and positively identify them.”

“I’d like Levine to tell me that.”

“Kevin and I had that conversation, too. Levine isn’t due to meet Torres until ten o’clock. You can be in and out of the morgue long before. Kevin gave me his word, Frank. I’m valuable to him.”

The bathroom door opened and Eileen, in a bra and half-slip, made coffee-sipping motions. Devlin was supposed to have made the coffee. He was also supposed to have squeezed the oranges and scrambled the eggs. He put his hand over the mouthpiece and whispered, “John. I haven’t started breakfast yet.” As she reached around to pinch his nose, he grabbed her fingers, love-bit them, and pulled her into his lap.

“Am I interrupting anything?” John asked.

“The lady wants her coffee and I’ve been talking to you.”

“Don’t give me that. I woke you up.”

Eileen whispered, “Will you have some toast? Do you have time to eat?”

“Sure. John, you heard. I’ll see you on Fifth Street.”

“No, I’ll see you up at Bellevue. I want to be there when you see Kevin.”