Karen came down the steps and hugged me and then she hugged Pike. She started crying, holding us tight and digging her fingers into our shoulders as if only by holding us here could it be real. When she did it, Peter looked at his feet.

Karen let go and stepped back, smiling and crying and thanking us. She said, “Can we go back to the house?”

“Sure. Any time you want.”

Peter looked up and said, “Karen, I’m glad. I couldn’t be happier.”

Karen smiled at him, then looked at her son. “Tobe. Let’s get our things. Let’s say bye to May.”

They went into the house together. Inside, there was movement and warmth and the pounding footsteps of Toby running down a long hall.

Peter uncrossed his arms and pushed away from the top step. He said, “I’ve gotta get Dani. I want to bring her home and take care of her.”

I nodded. “The police will have questions. We’ll have to figure out what to tell them.”

He made a little shrug. “I’ll tell them the truth. She died saving my life because I’m a jerk.”

Pike said, “You can’t.”

Peter looked at him.

I said, “I gave my word to Sal that we wouldn’t let what Charlie was doing get out to the Gambozas. You tell the cops or People magazine or anyone else you know how Dani died, the Gambozas or someone who works for them will put it together. When they do, the deal with Sal will be over. He’ll come for you.”

“I don’t care about me.”

“He’ll come for Karen and Toby.”

Peter pursed his lips and looked at the ground. He didn’t like it, but he was learning to live with things that he didn’t like. He said, “It makes me feel like I’m cheating her.”

“You are, but it’s all we can do. Do you understand?”

He pursed his lips some more, but he nodded. The front door opened and Toby brought out his overnighter, put it on the porch, then went back inside and closed the door. Peter watched him. “They think I’m full of shit.”

I didn’t say anything.

“I’m thinking I’ve gotta get back to L.A. I’ve got the picture going into production soon. There’s no point in me staying around.”

I stared at the house for a while. My back hurt and my neck was stiff and I wanted to go to bed. “You shouldn’t have come back here expecting them to think of you as husband and father. You could’ve earned that, perhaps, but you didn’t think in terms of earning. You thought it was your right. You demand what you want and you get it, usually, and that makes you think that you can get whatever you demand.”