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that you said there was some unpleasantness after she left? Do you think this is something the police might be asking about?”
    This was a pretty direct request for information, but I was talking to a direct woman. If Sally didn’t want me to know, pussyfooting around wouldn’t get me anywhere, either.
    “You really think it’s relevant?”
    “I don’t know. I’m trying to put all these pieces together, but there are a lot of holes.”
    “Are you going to get involved in this, Aggie?”
    I tried to smile. “I really hope not. But I guess I’d like to know enough to make a decision.”
    Sally was quiet through half of her second piece of pizza. Then she put down her fork and picked up her wineglass.
    “Win was always a big proponent of the United Nations, and you know I am, too. I’d read two interesting articles I’d promised to share with him, only I left them in the car that evening. I remembered when I was halfway home, so I turned around and went back. I had to park a block away, so it was maybe twenty minutes after I’d left? Maybe even half an hour? I walked up the block toward the house and as I did, I heard two women arguing. For the first moment or two, I was sure it had to be at somebody else’s house because it was so heated, but as I got closer to Win and Hildy’s rental, I realized the argument was coming from there. Then I saw Marie Grandower rushing down their front walk. I don’t think she saw me. I’m almost sure she didn’t. She turned in the other direction and disappeared down the block. She was really moving. I realized one of the voices I’d heard must have been hers.”
    “And the other?”
    “Hildy’s. At that point I stopped, trying to decide if I ought to just turn around and leave and give Win the articles another day. A part of me wondered if I ought to check on things, you know. I wasn’t sure what had happened, and maybe I was needed. Then I heard Hildy, inside, I think, arguing with Win.” She shook her head. “That was the last time I’ll ever hear his voice.”
    I didn’t like the sound of any of this, and I almost wished I hadn’t asked— almost being the key word. If Win had been murdered, this argument between Hildy and Win just before he died might come out, would, in fact, if Sally was questioned or decided to go to the police on her own. I might not like this, but the facts couldn’t be changed.
    I leaned forward. “Did you hear anything that was said?”
    Sally was clearly mulling over whether to tell me. She finished the last of the pizza and the wine before she did. I wondered if she was afraid I’d snatch it away if she chose to keep the rest of her thoughts to herself.
    “I didn’t hear much.” She held my gaze with her pale blue eyes. “But I did hear Marie’s name. Hildy was shouting. And she called Win . . . a bastard.”
    I winced.
    “The rest was garbled. But you’ve seen enough of Hildy to know how out of character that kind of anger would be, particularly anger at Win. They’d been married practically forever. She adored him.”
    “Maybe they survived that long by yelling and forgiving. It works well for some people.”
    “Maybe. But I’ve known them a lot of years. I’ve never seen or heard any reason to think that’s the way they operated. Hildy never raises her voice.”
    I wondered at all the interactions I’d had with Hildy since Win’s death. She’d been so focused on the memorial and graveside services, the reception afterwards, the flowers, the music, the photographs. I’d been surprised that she’d been so serene through it all, and I’d waited for her to crash, as people sometimes do days, or even weeks after a death, when the reality of the loss finally penetrates.
    But maybe the loss had been welcome.
    I shuddered.
    “Now I do have to get home.” Sally stood, thanking me for the pizza and pressing papers from her purse in my hand on the way to the door.
    “I’ll keep this to myself,” I told her. “Of