“Oh, I don’t know; it’s not a bad life, when people aren’t trying to kill you.”

“What are you going to say to Eduardo?”

“I’ll reason with him.”

“It might work, if you can do it without annoying him. Sicilians perceive insults even where there are none.”

“I’ll reason with him very carefully.”

“Good. You’re my friend, Stone, but I can’t say I want you for a brother-in-law.”

“I’m hurt, Dino.”

“You going to reason with Dolce, too?”

“I’m not sure she can be reasoned with.”

“Now you’re beginning to get the picture.”

“I’m too tired to think about it right now,” Stone said. “And the painkillers are starting to kick in. I hope I can get upstairs before I fall asleep.”

“You want some help?”

“No, I’ll make it.” Stone opened the car door and stepped out into the rain. “Good night, Dino.”

“Good night, Stone. I’ll call you tomorrow and give you the latest on Mitteldorfer.”

“You do that.” Stone closed the car door and walked slowly up the front steps of his house. He let himself in and took the elevator upstairs, because he didn’t feel like negotiating the stairs. He had a pretty good buzz from the painkillers.

There was a light on in the bedroom, which gave him a little start. He crept into the room and found Dolce asleep in his bed, naked, only partly covered by a sheet. The expression on her face was one of a somnolent child, all innocence and sweetness.

He slipped out of the sling that held his arm, got undressed as quietly as he could, switched off the light, and got into bed beside her. She stirred in her sleep and reached out for him, illuminated by the light of half a moon, coming through the clouds outside.

“You okay?” she asked, without really waking up.

“I’m okay. How’d you get in?”

Her brow wrinkled. “Remote control for the garage door. I brought your car back. What happened?”

She seemed to be waking up, now, and he didn’t want that. He stroked her face, and she slept again. “I’ll tell you tomorrow,” he whispered, letting sleep come to him.

He had absolutely no idea what he would say to her tomorrow.

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to my editor, vice president and associate publisher Gladys Justin Carr, and her staff, associate editor Erin Cartwright and editorial associate Deirdre O’Brien, as well as all those at HarperCollins who have worked so hard for the success of my books.

I also want to express my gratitude to my agent, Morton L. Janklow, and his principal associate, Anne Sibbald, as well as to the staff of Janklow & Nesbit for their continuing efforts in the management of my writing career and for their warm friendship.