This was another thing Norma would not want to hear, and it was so ugly that Leland had to think of Dr. Roberts’ warning to him, but the other aspects drew him away from that. MacIver’s motivation, for one, on which Leland had to reserve judgment until he had the figures and dates. At the least he would be able to offer Norma more than a guess about how her husband had made his start. Leland did not know how old the papers in Mike’s possession were, but it seemed safe to assume that MacIver had not brought over the detailed records of his first marriage, no matter what they proved. Leland’s mind began to reach for ways to come to the facts. It was almost a reflex and he had to bring it under control. His guest was sitting there, staring at her food.

He said, “Don’t do yourself any damage. All of it happened long ago. It was finished last August.”

She smiled. “It won’t be finished until no one can remember. When we’re all dead.” Her eyes were large and clear. “I wasn’t thinking of that. You may be the only one who has met both of his wives. We’re all involved, even you.”

“What were you thinking when I interrupted?”

She smiled again. “I bored you.”

“No, I wanted to know what was making you look so unhappy. I guessed wrong.”

“I was thinking that I haven’t helped you.”

“That’s not true. You’ve helped more than you realize.”

“That’s bitchy. If a woman said that, you would want to bloody her nose.”

“You’re right and I’m sorry.”

“And if I want to know how I’ve helped, I’ll have to hire my own private detective.”

“He couldn’t help you,” he said.

“Because you knew Colin briefly? Has that helped so much?”

“Let’s forget it.” He had been thinking that he alone had access to information from such a variety of confidential and obscure sources that no other single individual could do the job he had done already, as little as he thought of it. This was the first time the idea had come to him, and in his surprise he had to see that it was true. And as well as he had been able to learn, he was the only living person who had met both of MacIver’s wives. Now Betty Kaminsky put her hands in her lap. He owed her another apology, for stringing her along and cutting her down. “I appreciate what you’ve done, Betty, and I’ve been trying to be honest with you. It’s hard to see in advance where the line should be drawn. I am sorry.”

“I wasn’t thinking about it,” she said.