It was hard to walk side by side in the crowd, especially as the crowd got more and more dense the closer they came to the scene. Neil let Jennifer go ahead. Suddenly, she stopped and turned around. “Wait a sec!” she said. “Although I’ve been blown over and distracted by this episode, let me ask you again: What in God’s name are you doing here in India? I mean, the question has popped into my mind several times, but this attempt on my life has tended to dominate my attention.”

“No doubt,” Neil said, trying to think what exactly to say at this point. If it hadn’t been for the excitement, he was going to come right out and apologize first thing. He shrugged, thinking, What’s the difference. “I’m here because you asked me to come and because you suggested you needed me. I didn’t really take that seriously back in L.A. I was more concerned, I’m afraid, about a surfing meet that’s taking place today in La Jolla. Unfortunately, when you walked out prior to any discussion, I got mad, and it took me a while to get unmad, and by the time I did, you were gone.”

“When did you get here?” Jennifer asked.

“Last night. I wasn’t going to disturb you if you were asleep. The problem is they wouldn’t even tell me your room number, so I couldn’t put my ear against your door.”

“Why didn’t you call me to let me know you were coming?”

“Easy,” Neil said with a short laugh of self-mockery. “I was afraid you’d tell me to turn around and go home. I mean, I wasn’t even confident you’d take my call, or if you did take it, knowing you as I do, I wasn’t sure you wouldn’t just tell me to drop dead and that would be that.”

“I might have,” Jennifer acknowledged. “I was more than disappointed at your response. I can tell you that.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t give the situation the significance it deserved at the time,” Neil said.

Jennifer was thoughtful for a moment, chewing on the inside of her cheek. Then she turned around again and pushed through the crowd. The cycle rickshaw was still lying on its side. The body was still there as well, uncovered. With the left side of the face gone and the teeth visible, it looked like it was grimacing.

“That’s the driver,” Jennifer whispered, motioning with her chin toward the emaciated cycle rickshaw driver squatting on the ground. There were several policemen in khaki uniforms standing on either side of him.

“See what I mean!” Neil whispered back. “The poor guy’s probably under arrest.”

“You really think so.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“It looks to me as if that short guy is in charge. What do you think?”