Peter rolled his eyes and looked at the ceiling. “Hey, am I being an asshole here or what?” Getting loud.

Karen said, “Watch your language in front of my son.” They were starting to shout.

Peter gestured wide with the arms the way he had when I’d first seen him, reading the riot act because a couple of executives had been trying to fob off a TV guy on him. “Hey, Karen, a mobster was here with our son. Do you remember that?”

Karen pushed up out of the chair and made a shooing gesture to Toby. “Toby, I want you to go to your room.”

Peter said, “Lemme take the kid back to L.A. He’ll be safer there than here. You think I won’t bring’m back?”

Pike stuck his fingers in his ears.

I said, “Peter, maybe now isn’t the time to talk about it.”

Peter whirled around and glared at me. “I’m Peter Alan Nelsen and I’m tired of fooling around.” He wheeled back toward Karen. “If you played it smart, I could set you up. You wouldn’t have to worry about a thing and you could do whatever you want. You could even be an actress again. I’m Peter Alan Nelsen, and I could make you a star.” Like she was still nineteen and always would be.

Karen Lloyd put her hands on her hips and laughed at him. “You arrogant asshole.”

Toby started crying and yelled, “Why won’t you let me go with him? Why are you being like this? You’re gonna make him go away and I hate you!” He ran down the hall and slammed his door.

Pike still had his fingers in his ears.

Peter was giving us confused and frustrated, as if he were trying to explain that two plus one equals three and Karen just couldn’t get it, and the frustration was giving way to suspicion, like maybe she got it but was pretending she didn’t because something was going on. He squinted at me, then back at her, and then he nodded and made an oh-I-get-it smile and said, “You’re fucking this guy.”

Karen Lloyd slapped him. It was a hard, quick shot that took him off guard and backed him up. I stepped in between them, taking his wrists and keeping his hands at his sides and pushing him backward. Karen yelled, “You piece of shit. You rotten piece of shit. Why’d you have to come back? Why couldn’t you leave us alone?”