“For a while I thought you were kidding when you mentioned your plane. I’ve only flown once before, down to Bermuda last winter. It was like being on a bus. If you don’t mind having me, I’d love to come with you.”

“Fine. This afternoon, after I’ve had a look at the souvenir book, I’ll send it over to your hotel. You don’t have to come back to the office for it.”

“Don’t trouble those girls,” she said.

“It’s what you’re paying them for. When we get down to Port Smith, I’ll need some names and addresses. I’ll want an appointment with Dr. Roberts.”

She laughed. “He’s not that difficult to see.”

“All right, whatever you think is necessary. Now, what do you recall about the day or days before your husband died?”

“I was getting to that.” She cleared her throat. “If there was anything out of the ordinary, I didn’t notice it. He was not more quiet. There was no unusual mail, I heard no telephone calls. At the office, Miss Alma was as stunned as I was. Colin had his own habits and ways of doing things, and I didn’t question them. He was a good husband and I know he loved me. When a woman who has as little to offer as I do is loved the way he loved me, she is just very damned glad, and behaves accordingly. I didn’t question him.

“He used to go to the track without telling me, but often, just as unexpectedly, he would tell me in the morning or even call from the office to find out if I wanted to go with him. Just as often, I couldn’t, because I had classes or I was working in the house. I tried not to let that job get in our way, but twice I remember not wanting to leave a room half-painted. I wanted to do it for him. He spent a couple of weekends on it, because he couldn’t completely let me do it myself.