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saying? What they’ve been implying?”
    “Of course I do!” he said. “All the questions
they asked me? But, Julie, I had nothing to do with it!” He began
to cry again. “Oh, how could Marc do this?”
    “David. Maybe he didn’t do it. You said you
were sleeping very soundly. Does anyone else have a key to the
house?”
    “No. No one,” he said, blowing his nose, a
picture of misery. “Just Marc and I.” Julie knew how hard it was to
fake sadness. She decided that David’s demeanor was wholly
consistent with the sensitive, emotional person she knew him to
be.
    “For now, we may just have to accept that
he’s gone and leave the rest for later,” she said. “I’m concerned
about you , though, David; about all this notoriety. I have a
friend who’s worked with an attorney, Jake Goldman. His office is
in the Keys. He said he’d represent you if you need him. Do you
know who he is?”
    “I think I’ve heard of him,” said David,
unconsciously raising his hand, biting a nail. “I’ve been wondering
if I should get a lawyer. Would it look bad, do you think?”
    Julie could see that David was anxious, but
she also noted that he displayed no signs of manipulation or
deception.
    It was a relief.
    “Forget about that,” she said, concerned for
him. “It’s a good idea for you to protect yourself, even if it’s
just to put someone between you and the press.”
    “Maybe you’re right.”
    “Another thing, David; I was thinking that,
if you don’t mind, I’d like to come to Key West to stay with you
for a little while. Would that be all right?”
    “Oh, heavens, yes…thank you, Julie. I’m so
glad you’re coming!”
    He looked as lost as an abandoned puppy.
Julie squeezed his hand, and smiled. “I’ll see you soon,” she said
and kissed his cheek before leaving him.
    •
    Pete and Joan were talking to some friends
from Solomon Chrysler when she returned.
    “Julie. It’s so nice to see you after all
this time. Sorry it has to be for this,” said a petite, gray haired
woman.
    It took Julie a moment to recognize Laura
Bennett. “Hello, Laura,” she said. “Yes. It’s horrible.”
    “Seems like we just see each other at
funerals,” said Laura. Realizing her faux pas at once, she put her
hand to her mouth and said, “Oh, my . I’m so sorry, Julie! I
didn’t mean to bring up the past.”
    “It’s okay, Laura,” she said, taking her
hand. “It was a long time ago.”
    After a little more visiting, they said their
goodbyes and left for their individual cars. As Julie climbed into
the Malibu and pulled in behind Pete and Joan to head back to their
house, she reflected on several things she had learned at the wake.
But she was bone-weary, and there was still a burial tomorrow. So,
for tonight, she decided, there would be no more questions.
    •
    Everyone was in a somber mood the next
morning. Even Paul and Pete, Jr. were quiet. Julie tried to talk to
them a bit about school, but she mostly got one-word answers. Ah, well , she thought, I’m actually a stranger to these
boys.
    Julie drove Pete and Joan in the Malibu, and
they joined the cortege at the funeral home. As they slowly moved
out in the long line of cars, she regretted that she hadn’t spoken
with any of the Castle family.
    “I never met any of Miriam’s side of the
family, the Castles. Do you know them? Did either of you speak to
any of them?”
    “Yeah,” said Pete. “Miriam’s younger brother,
Matt, was there.”
    “Oh, yes,” said Julie, who remembered Marc
speaking of his ‘Uncle Matt’.
    “I talked to him,” said Pete. “He was all
broken up; they were close. He said Marc had called him and they’d
talked just recently. Matt’s partner, Tom Connor, was with him, but
I didn’t get a chance to talk to him. Tom’s a real nice guy; never
married, so no kids. He was like an uncle to Marc, too.”
    “Yes, that’s right. He was at Marc’s Newbury
Street show,” said Joan, nodding. “I saw Matt’s wife at the