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talking any more about Liz. After telling Gavin about her murder, he hadn’t given the old man any details. He hadn’t relayed the fact that the apartment looked as if nothing had ever happened when he’d returned with the cops. Or that Liz’s body had disappeared. It had been enough just to tell someone that she was dead.
    “You sleep all right?”
    “Sure,” Conner lied. The king-sized mattress had been soft and comfortable, but he hadn’t slept well at all. “Where are Paul and Mandy?” There were only two place settings at the table.
    “They left around ten,” Gavin answered. “They had a nasty argument this morning.”
    “Sorry to hear that.”
    “Mandy’s suspicious about Paul having that affair you and I talked about. At least, that’s what I gathered from all the yelling.” Gavin shook his head. “He accused her of doing the same thing. It sounded like World War Three.”
    It occurred to Conner that it would be better for him to volunteer information about his conversation with Mandy than to have Gavin find out about it from Paul. “Mandy asked me about Rebecca while you and Paul were in the study.”
    “Oh?”
    “She wanted to know if Rebecca was pretty.”
    “What did you tell her?”
    “I tried to make her sound plain.” Over Gavin’s shoulder Conner saw the butler and a maid emerge from the mansion carrying trays. “I don’t think she believed me. It wouldn’t surprise me if she showed up at Phenix to see for herself. She was pretty worked up.”
    “I don’t think she’s ever actually been to our offices. So I wonder how she’d know about Rebecca?”
    “Beats me.”
    “Do you think Mandy is cheating on Paul, too?”
    Conner looked down. He could feel Gavin’s eyes boring into him. “I have no idea. I don’t know her that well. I’ve met her only a few times.”
    Lunch was a seafood salad, and Conner dug into the healthy portions of shrimp and lobster. He hadn’t eaten since midday yesterday, and he was famished. Liz had never gotten to order out for that Chinese food.
    Conner paused, his fork in midair. Liz was gone.
    “You okay?”
    “Fine,” Conner answered quietly. It was the second time Gavin had asked a leading question.
    “Salad all right?”
    And the second time he’d followed with an innocuous question when Conner hadn’t opened up. “Delicious. Thanks.”
    Gavin took a sip of iced tea. “Look, I’m sorry about Liz. It’s a terrible thing.” He paused. “And I also know you don’t approve of what I did for Paul. Which bothers me.”
    Conner put his fork down and wiped his lips with the napkin. “Arrangements you make for Paul don’t concern me.”
    “It’s important that I have your respect.”
    “You do. You know that.”
    Gavin gazed toward the beach, watching the waves roll in beneath the gray sky. “Most men are weak when it comes to women, Conner. They can’t control themselves. Some stupid instinct makes them risk family and career just to enjoy a beautiful female body for one night. It’s something I can’t relate to. I was married to my wife, God rest her soul, for thirty-four years, and I never cheated. I was never even
tempted
to cheat.” He looked back at Conner. “Unfortunately, I think I’m in the minority. Based on what I hear, it goes on a lot. I don’t know. Maybe it’s just nature’s way of ensuring the survival of the species. Don’t think of Paul as a bad person. He simply has the same needs many other men have.”
    There was no point in talking about it anymore. “It’s like you said before, Gavin. You have a firm to run, and Paul is a senior person at the firm. Someone you’re counting on to generate income. If he’s distracted, his performance suffers. You can’t have that.”
    “But there’s more to it than that, Conner. Like I told you, I’m loyal. Maybe
too
loyal. But that’s how I’ve been throughout my career. How I’ve been throughout my life. I can’t change who I am now. I’m too old. I have to