The last was said with clear distaste. “I’ve always wondered,” I said, “how it is that you and he are friends.”

His mouth was a bitter line. “I suppose we’re playing out something that began when we were young. I admired his sureness then. Perhaps I was even flattered that he seemed to cultivate me. After a time he came here so often he was like family. My father was quite taken with him. Eventually Roland became my father’s protégé at the firm, and I was eased out to the bank. I think now that Roland had always had that in mind: he wanted money and power very badly. But he was charming, worked like the devil for his clients, and more and more my father came to rely on him.” Henry sounded almost bemused. “I still saw him, of course, though not so often. But by the time my father died he’d been handling our family’s affairs for several years and it just went on from there. As I said, Roland takes over lives …”

The sentence died off. Carefully, Henry added, “I may ask too much, pitting you against Roland with Kris Ann in between. He’ll do anything to keep the upper hand.”

“You should worry about yourself. Roland says I’ll end up getting you indicted as a jealous husband.”

“I’ll take that chance. It’s your career that concerns me, and your marriage.”

I lit the cigarette. “Our marriage is what we’ve made it. As for my career, what good has that ever done anyone? We sit down there filling up time sheets so that every month we can send bills to the x-many corporations who pay for big houses we don’t really need. Hell, you’re one of the few clients I like or even think about.”

He smiled wispily. “What else would you do?”

I shrugged. “I used to know, when I was a kid. I don’t anymore.”

His smile vanished. “Permit me, Adam. I’ve done badly with Jason, I know, but please, don’t live one of those lives of ‘quiet desperation.’ Find out what it is you want.”

“Right now I want to help you. There’ll be time for the rest.”

He gave me a complex look of gratitude, worry, and relief. “You’re certain?”

“Of course. There is one thing, though. About Rayfield, do you know of any reason for him to have feelings about you one way or the other? Run-ins with Jason, even?”

He paused. Then he shook his head and answered tonelessly, “It makes no sense to me, Adam.”

His voice was tired. I decided he’d had enough. “I should be getting back to Kris Ann.”

“You should. Especially now.”

I stood, began to leave, then stopped. “About you and Lydia—”

“Yes?”

“It’s just that I’d never have guessed.”

His smile was wan. “Then I suppose we succeeded—on one level.”