“I doubt it.” He unlatched something and swung the controls over. “You drive.”

“You’re a kick in the butt,” she said, swinging the wheel back. He shrugged, answered his radio, and took off down the runway in a bounding, loping skid. Airborne, he seemed to get better. When he had the plane well settled down, winging high above the jagged coastal cliffs, he put the plane on autopilot and sat back. “Now, Lindy, what is all this crap?”

She hated to admit that it was news to her. “He just got high, I guess. The case was a strain.”

“He didn’t even want it,” Bernie complained, lighting a cigarette. He glanced down at a freighter heading south. “Why not, for Christ’s sake?”

“He was never sure, you know, about the doctor’s culpability.”

“Bull! He’s been a lawyer too long to want justice.” The plane bucked and he grabbed the yoke, set everything straight, and reset the autopilot. “He’s not aggressive enough any more.”

“Then you shouldn’t mind his leaving,” Lindy said hotly.

“No, only I do. Why’s that?”

She wouldn’t answer, so he did.

“I need him,” he decided.

“You probably do.”

“He’s ten times brighter than me.”

“He probably is.”

“And he’s my best friend?”

“So it seems.”

Bernie glanced at her. “I’m asking you, Lindy. Is he?”

“How would I know?”

“You’ve been married twenty years!”

She shrugged. “Do you tell Jeanie everything?”

“I don’t have to,” Bernie said wryly. “She knows, from my face. I’m a Wop.”

“When you want to be.”

“Did he say that?”

“He’s asleep. I said that. Look, Bernie, if he leaves, it isn’t on account of you. Whatever it is, that isn’t it.”

“OK, OK,” said Bernie distractedly. He pulled out a knob and took control of the plane. He tossed up a wing and started inland toward San Francisco Airport. “Goddamn it, if he doesn’t like to win, why’d he study law?”

“You know why.”

“OK, OK.”

“And he likes to win,” Lindy said. “Don’t ever forget it.”

“When he’s interested. If a third of a million-five doesn’t do it, how do you get him interested?”

She didn’t know, and she didn’t really care. The victory celebration had turned into a huge turkey, and she was tired enough to fall asleep herself.

“I don’t know, maybe you change the rules.” Her head ached. “Or the game.”