“I know you don’t. I’m not sorry that you said what you did. I’m not sorry at all.”

“Joe, I—”

“Relax. Just relax.”

She stayed quiet, upset. There were things that Karen understood perfectly and he did not think they constituted a special dialogue. Betty Kaminsky turned the car onto Otis, had the green light and a clear passage, and stepped down on the accelerator. She wove through the tangle of pedestrian islands and finally turned north onto Senapee. Her skill behind the wheel intrigued him. He told her where to stop on the next block. She brought the car over to the curb and applied the hand brake.

“You drive very well.”

Her hands were back on the wheel. “I said I enjoyed it. May I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Did I say something wrong?”

He shook his head. “I think I did. You’re good company. I went too fast for you.”

Her eyes were bright in the daylight. “You see, that’s what I asked you before, how people like you and your wife felt about people like me. Now, because of it, I want to encourage you. You. Hateful, isn’t it? You said we weren’t like that—people who became confused. I’m confused right now. And just by saying it I’m taunting you.”

“Yes, you are.”

“The trouble is, I’m not casual about these things. Neither are you.” She looked out the windshield. “I would want to fall in love.”

“We’re not playing, Betty. If I start touching you there would have to be a lot more. So go home. You’re doing fine with your husband and I’m doing fine with my wife. You and I aren’t being honest. We’re forcing it.”

“You mean me, and it hurts.”

“I mean both of us. I have reasons. Like yours, they don’t have anything to do with my marriage.”

“You added that. You were afraid that I would think something about you two.”

“I apologize,” he said.

“Maybe I went a little farther than you.” She looked at him unhappily. “I have been trusting you. I all but left it to you to decide.”

“I know you did.”

“I think you’d better go,” she said.

He opened the door. “Again, thank you for the help. I won’t forget the compliment, either. If it turns out that I can call you about the case, I will.” He got out and stood on the sidewalk and leaned into the car. He was about to say something to keep her from going away upset, when he felt a shock in his ears as if a firecracker were exploding.

“Hey, Mr. Leland!”

He looked over the roof of the car.

It was Everett in his taxi, stopped in traffic. He waved. “When did you get back?”

“Just for the day, Everett. I’m leaving again this afternoon.”