“What does that mean?”

“It means I know who you were with.”

Abruptly, Decker sat up, knocking her head off his chest. He encircled his knees with his arms and stared straight ahead. “I was with Jonathan.”

“But we both know there was someone else—”

“Have you been talking to my brother?”

Anger in his voice. Rina said, “Do you honestly think Randy would betray a confidence?”

Decker continued to direct his gaze at nothing. He didn’t speak.

“I saw Donatti in New York, Peter. He was following me—”

“What!”

“Can you lower your voice?”

“He was what?”

“It wasn’t like it sounds.”

“That motherfuc—”

“Peter, shhhh!”

“That is it!” He sprang out of bed, threw on his robe, and began to pace. “I’m going to kill him—which is what I should have done in the first place.”

“Are you going to rant or do you want to hear what I have to say?”

He suddenly turned against her. “And now you’re telling me.” His voice was rife with hostility. “Any particular reason for keeping me in the dark?”

“Yes, I had my reasons. And I will tell them to you if you’d like to listen.”

Decker glared at her. He was glad that it was dark so she couldn’t see how furious he was. “What’d the bastard do? Come on to you?”

“Yes, he tried to intimidate me—”

“That motherfucking son-of-a-bitch bastard! I will strangle him with my own—”

“Peter, he took a bullet for me.”

He barely heard her above his own tirade, but he did hear her. In the sudden stillness, he realized he was panting heavily. Sweat was pouring off his forehead. The image materialized in his brain—a shadow lifting up his shirt … the bandage around his ribs.

Now we’re twins.

“What did you say?” His voice was softer now.

“I said, I think he took a bullet for me.”

He sat down beside her, his hands shaking. “You think?”

“It happened so fast. He’d been following me, although I hadn’t noticed it. The next thing I knew, I was pressed against the hood of a car and he was on top of me, bleeding from a gunshot wound. I know you hate him. And I’m sure you have every right to hate him. I hate him, too. But even reprehensible people can do noble acts.”

Decker was still breathing hard. “How do you know the bullet was for you? It could have been meant for him, you know.”

“Perfectly true. I’m sure he has scores of enemies. But at the time, you had enemies, too. He acted quickly, Peter. It was strictly by instinct. And now it’s over … all of it. So I guess we’ll never find out.”

Again the room fell silent.

Rina said, “Come back to bed. It’s only five. You can still catch a couple of hours of sleep.”

He let out an absurd laugh. Sleep was elusive under optimal conditions. Under these circumstances, it was damn nigh impossible. He longed to be next to his wife, to feel her body against his clammy skin. Still, he resisted, trembling like a leaf in the wind.