Matt had to chuckle. “I would rather kill you first.”

Amy’s face was still damp. “Kill me then. I would rather die than live like this.”

“Famous last words.”

Amy stood and grabbed her purse from the coffee table where she had put it when she entered. Returning to his side, she removed two prescription bottles and handed them to him. Both were made out to Amy Techer: Seconal and Phenobarbital.

“I got these on the Internet with a phony prescription,” she said. “It’s a well-known combo in certain circles. Take twenty of each and you go to sleep and don’t wake up.”

He was unmoved. “So?”

“I carry them with me all the time. It’s only you and Jimmy that keep me from doing it.”

He tossed the pills back at her. “Take them and save us both the trouble.”

She looked so frail. “Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

Amy went into the kitchen and returned with a glass of water. Sitting at the table, she opened the bottles and poured out a handful of red and yellow pills. She tossed a half dozen in her mouth and used the water to swallow them.

“You’re bluffing,” he said.

She did not respond. She swallowed another half dozen.

“Amy,” he said.

“What?”

“Stop it.”

“No.” She grabbed more pills.

“I mean it, stop it.”

“No.” Another ten down the chute.

He stood. “You’re not going to kill yourself in front of me.”

She looked up at him; her lower lip trembled. “Would you prefer I wait until I get home?”

He grabbed the bottles from her hands and studied the labels more closely. The prescriptions had been filled by drugstore.com—biggest online pharmacy in the world.

“Christ,” he swore. “These are real.”

“I love you, Matt.”

“Shit!” He grabbed her by the arm. “Come, you’re going to throw up in the toilet before they dissolve in your stomach.”

She shook him off. “No.”

He yanked her to her feet. “This isn’t funny anymore. You have to throw them up immediately.”

She went limp in his hands. To his surprise, she smiled and leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. “I love you. Do you love me?”

He was exasperated. “How can I love you after what you’ve done to me?”

“You don’t know me. Everything I do, I do it for you. Now I’ll die for you.”

He dragged her toward the bathroom. “You’re not going to do this.” Moments later he had her above the toilet. “Stick your finger down your throat.”

She looked dazed. “No.”

“If you don’t, I’ll have to call an ambulance.”

“Call one then.”

“You know I can’t do that. It would bring too much attention.”

“Then I guess I’ll just have to die.”

He shook his head. “You’re bluffing.”