Then he got up and walked to the wall. He turned away and his thick red fist smashed against the plaster, hard.

“She’s gone,” he said.

“Who is?”

“Vy,” he said. “She’s gone. Left me. Ran out.”

He began to pound the wall, but Adam said, “Sam!” and he stopped. “Sam, pull yourself together. Listen, I’m no stranger—we settled that the first day we met. I like you one hell of a lot. And I’m happy you came to me. Really. Now take it easy, and tell me everything. From the beginning.”

Griffin did not turn. His voice was like a sob.

“I—come home from Farragut,” he said, “about two o’clock. I had a lot of presents, little things I picked up for her. I knew she’d like them. Costume jewelry, pretty good stuff. Vy loves jewelry.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I come upstairs and I opened the door, the door to our room. It was empty. She wasn’t there. I thought that was kind of funny, but maybe I missed her in the lobby. You know, maybe she was watching TV with Mrs. Pearl Lambert and just didn’t see me when I come in. So I went back downstairs. But she wasn’t there, either. That’s when I started to get a little scared. I went back to the room and hollered for her, then I found the note.”

He reached in his pocket and took out a piece of paper and read it.

“May I see the note?” Adam said.

Griffin handed it to him and turned again, facing the window this time.

Adam read:

Dear Sam:

I know this is going to hurt you terribly but I can’t go on lying to you anymore. The marriage isn’t working. I thought it would I really did, and you gave me some wonderful years, Sam, but—I’m no good for you. It’s all over and I’m leaving you. Don’t try to look for me, it’s finished. Believe me I’m no good for you. You’re a wonderful person and maybe you’ll find a nice woman it cant be me. I loved you, really. Forgive me.

Vy

He put the note on the dresser, walked over to Griffin and touched his shoulder.

“I’m really very, very sorry.”

Griffin nodded. “We was planning a little farm,” he said, “and maybe some kids. That’s what I was working for. Now I don’t have nothing to work for. The one thing that meant something to me, the one thing that was good and fine in my life—is gone.”