“We were separated. Joey, when am I going to know the last of the things that I’ve done to you?”

He tried to clear his eyes. “I wanted you. You were that important to me. You changed my life. I wouldn’t have known anything, thought anything. I love you. You’re that good, Karen. You’ve been that good to me.”

“I’m sorry, Joe.”

“I’m not. You—remember that.”

“Are you all right?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Joe?”

“What is it?”

“Do I know you at all?”

“Of course you do. You know everything there is to know. I never thought that this was important.”

“It was to me. I had to see you in apartments I didn’t know. A life of your own. Not thinking of me. It gave me something.”

He wanted to stop her. “You be yourself. I told you that tonight. You be yourself and do the good things you want to do.”

There was silence. “Did you find recordings?”

“Yes.”

“You heard them? Can you talk?”

“Yes, I can talk, and yes, I heard them. I was wrong about Roberts, he was trying to help the man. The tapes have everything you would want to hear. I still don’t understand it all. MacIver was on the way. She was a good wife to him. They were going to have a baby.”

“You don’t know what you’re going to do,” she said.

“I’ve been putting it off—putting it off. I haven’t thought at all. There are so many people involved—his wife, his first wife, his unborn child. All the men I worked with. Steffie and you—”

“Don’t think about Steffie and me,” she said.

“Are you telling me what you want me to do?”

“No, I can’t. I don’t know. Don’t think of anyone else, either. His wives had their chance. So did Dr. Roberts. If they want to cover themselves with guilt that’s their business. You think of yourself. Being a policeman is a job like any other. Doctors make mistakes, people die, the responsibility is clear, the doctors go on. You did your best. MacIver let Tesla die, he could have done something—”

“Just a minute.” He looked to Roberts. “What was MacIver doing when Felix Tesla went to the electric chair?”

“He was still living with Betty. He wouldn’t talk about that. He couldn’t.”

“I heard,” Karen said. “I’m sorry this happened. I want to protect you—that’s all I’ve been saying. I don’t really know what to tell you.”

“Don’t tell her anything—that still stands. Can you stretch out on the couch? I want you to get some rest.”

“I think so. I’ll be all right.”

“Are you all right? That’s the important thing.”

“Yes. Anything you do there—you know. Do what you want.”

“I’ll call you,” he said.

“Don’t be long. You have to sleep, too.”

He hung up and turned to Roberts. “You made a mistake. She’s worried about me.”