“Well, it’s possible, I suppose,” Adam said. “But, somehow, I can’t bring myself to believe it of Mrs. Griffin. She doesn’t seem to be that type at all, you know? Sam—judging from what you say, couldn’t it be equally possible that maybe she just got bored here in Caxton? Maybe she just got bored and, you know, restless. Was it her period? Some women get that way during their period, I hear. It affects their minds.”

“No,” Griffin said, “I’m sure it didn’t happen that way. It was a man.”

“But who? Who would do a thing like that?”

Sam Griffin turned.

“You,” he said. In his right hand was the gun Preston Haller had given Adam. It looked very small, and unreal.

The expression on Griffin’s face was unlike anything Adam had seen there, or suspected could ever be there; an expression of emotions a man like this could not possibly feel. The eyes were very clear. And there was a new, thin smile, not at all like Sam Griffin’s usual smile.

“You don’t need to bother thinking up a lot of talk,” he said. “I know what happened. This is an old hotel. The walls are thin. The floors are thin. Mrs. Carstairs told me all about it.”

Adam stared at the gun, fascinated. “Sam,” he said softly, “I wasn’t going to deny it. The reason I didn’t tell you before was just that I didn’t want to hurt you more than you’ve been hurt already. Really. Honest, that’s the truth.” He felt the perspiration gather and trail down his sides, and he felt the fast, trip-hammer beat of his heart high in his throat. “Blame me, if you want to. But before you—Sam, listen, I’m going to level with you. It was a lot my fault now, sure, I won’t pretend it wasn’t. But you asked me to cheer her up—you remember, you asked me that?—and I went into her room for that reason, you understand? We were talking, just, you know, talking, when—I don’t know, everything started to go wrong. This is going to hurt you. She had on a robe, that flowered one. And she kind of let it slip apart. I tried not to look, but Jesus Christ, Sam, you know people—that’s your business—and you know how much a man can stand. After all, your wife is a very attractive woman.” He stopped and tried to swallow. “Well, I’ll agree all the way with you, that’s when I should have left. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. It happened so fast—can’t you understand?”

“I understand,” Griffin said, holding the gun steady.

“I hoped you would. Excuse the way I’m talking: put yourself in my shoes, for a minute. I mean, I’m not too comfortable!”

Griffin said nothing.