“She would choose a behavior that would fool the most talented psychiatrists, and the case would be thrown out of court.” Ann Elizabeth stood up and switched on her answering machine. “That’s an opinion, but I’ve seen it in others. As one of them told me, ‘I acted sane.’”

Devlin was on his feet. “Are you going to be with us?”

“No, she doesn’t want that. But I won’t be far away.”

“What does she know of her brother’s death?”

Out in the hall, Ann Elizabeth locked the door behind them. “Everything. Maryellen watches television, listens to the radio. She cried on Tuesday, spoke to her mother. On Wednesday she was depressed, but on Thursday she seemed to have put it out of her mind. Joe’s death, on the other hand, triggered an episode that was short, but very fierce. From what I saw, she loved Joe very, very much. She was closer to him in age, and that alone can mean a very special feeling.”

At this moment he didn’t want to think about Jack’s letter and its revelations about the Brennans’ childhood sexuality. “I know. How does she feel about me?”

“As I told you, Maryellen can say anything about anybody. It’s all for effect. Everything is for effect; it doesn’t have any value on its own. Over the years, I’ve heard everything about you. That’s how I know about your alcoholism. We go out here.” Ann Elizabeth opened a door on another, larger, tree-shaded garden. In one corner was the only single-story stucco building in the convent, new, but conforming in style with the rest. Devlin felt a deep stab of apprehension. “The Brennans paid for it,” Ann Elizabeth said. “It will revert to us eventually—not soon, I hope.”

“I’m glad you’re in her life,” he said. He was devastated. Fourteen years!

“We’re friends. She has a whole life up here. She does needlepoint, gives to charity, and goes out at night. She is part of our community. When I catch her in a lie, as I did today, I have to let it go. When confronted, she simply changes the subject.”

“I remember that. What lie did you catch her in today?”

“You. Wednesday, when she was depressed, she said for the fortieth time that she had made up her mind never to see you again. Ah, here’s my sister now.”