I wasn’t sure what she was referring to. Us? Was it over between us? “What do you, I mean, I don’t, what?” I said. The steam was still pouring out of the shower.

“All this trouble,” Sarah said. “Is it over? Can you promise me that it’s over?”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes,” I said. “It’s over. It’s going to be up to Trixie now to figure out what she’s going to do. I…I thought I was doing the right thing, figuring out where she’d gone, finding out what really happened, and maybe that was stupid. But now that she’s been arrested, it forces things to a head. She’s got a lawyer, she’ll have to work things out. I guess,” and I paused a moment, and then said, “I’m done with it.”

Quietly, Sarah said, “You have to be.”

“I know.” I heard her say “Fuck” under her breath. “It’s Colby, coming this way. I’m surprised he could find his way to the Home! section.”

“He probably caught the scent of cookies.”

“He looks pissed.”

Then, in the background, I could hear Colby asking, “That him? I want to talk to him. He can’t jerk me around this way.”

“I’ll see you tonight, okay?” Sarah said.

“Yeah, that’ll be nice,” I said.

“Let me talk to him,” Colby demanded.

“Bye,” Sarah said, and hung up.

For the first time in a very long time, I felt good, as though a weight had been lifted off my chest. I took a couple of deep breaths, then thought about how to welcome Sarah home. I’d pick up some steaks, buy a bottle of wine, give the kids some cash to go out for pizza and a movie and—

The phone rang.

The shower still running, waiting for me. I wondered whether there was any hot water left by now.

I grabbed the receiver and said, “Hang on.” I ran into the bathroom, reached past the curtain, and turned off the taps. The mirror was completely fogged. I ran back to the phone, put the receiver to my ear, and said, “Sorry, hi.”

“Mr. Walker?”

“Yeah, I just had to turn off the shower.”

“Where’ve you been? There was something on the radio. I’ve been trying to reach you.”

“Excuse me?” The voice seemed familiar, but at the moment, I couldn’t place it.

“I’ve been calling you for a couple of days now. Haven’t you listened to it? Did you get it?”

“Look, I’m sorry,” I said, “but who is this?”

“Brian Sandler. Oh my God, are you kidding me? Haven’t you listened to the file?”

Sandler. From the health department. The one who wanted to roll over on the Gorkins and the ones he worked with who were on the take.