Florence had returned through Mike’s door during this last exchange. As she went to her chair at Leland’s right she had to turn her head to hide her smile. Leland had overdone it. It had not been necessary to make Miller himself see how little he knew of Colin MacIver. But perhaps it solved the next problem. Of Miller, Leland asked, “Did you have plans for the rest of the day?”

“No—no.”

“Well, I want to talk to Mrs. MacIver alone. We’ll be at least an hour, maybe a lot more. If you want to make plans to meet—”

“I don’t see how we can,” Mrs. MacIver said to Miller.

It seemed quick. She was grabbing the opportunity.

“Can you get home all right?” Miller asked her. “I’ll go down to the company and—”

“Of course I can get home all right,” she said, and laughed. There was a cruelty in her laughter and Miller looked hurt. She turned away from him calmly: it had been an accident. Leland was fascinated. Miller had brought it upon himself, looking for a way to hang around. Now it seemed as if she were trying to remember to be tough with him. Miller did deserve it; the clumsiness with which he had handled the mention of her husband’s remarriage had taken its toll of her—and it had been the clumsiness, Leland was sure, not the stating of the fact.

“I’ll call back later,” Miller said to them all, unhappy.

“That’s a good idea, Fred,” Leland said. “If we’re still busy, you can check with her in the morning. Wait, I’ll walk with you to the door.” He got up and went around to the left and put his hand on Miller’s shoulder. When they got to the outer office, Leland said, “Thanks for your help. I don’t know where this is going, but there might be something to it.”

“You don’t know if you’re going to take the case?”

“I don’t know if there is a case,” Leland said. “Why did you come all the way up here to me? There are plenty of good people in Port Smith.”

“She wanted you. She called me to ask about you. If you take the case, will you keep me posted? I liked him. She’s a nice woman—”

Leland cut him off. “She’ll be the client, Fred,” he said.

“Sure, but, you know, give me a ring. Reverse the charges.”

“Okay,” Leland said, clapping him on the back.

“He didn’t know your husband at all,” Leland said as he crossed the room.

“No,” she said simply.