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Authors: Mary Higgins Clark
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photographedvery well. How does she look in person?”“She’s absolutely beautiful,” Pat said.Saunders seemed disappointed. He’d love to hear that the Senatorneeds a face lift, Pat reflected. Somehow she could not believe thateven as a very young girl Abigail would have been impressed by Jeremy.“How about Toby Gorgone?” Saunders asked. “Is he still playinghis chosen role as bodyguard and slave to Abby?”“Toby works for the Senator,” Pat replied. “He’s obviously devotedto her, and she seems to count on him very much.” Bodyguard andslave, she thought. It was a good way to describe Toby’s relationshipto Abigail Jennings.“I suppose they’re still pulling each other’s chestnuts out of the fire.”
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“What do you mean by that?”Jeremy raised his hand in a gesture of dismissal. “Nothing, really.He probably told you how he saved Abby from the jaws of the attackdog our eccentric neighbor kept.”“Yes, he did.”“And did he tell you that Abigail was his alibi the night he mayhave gone joyriding in a stolen car?”“No, he didn’t, but joyriding doesn’t seem to be a very serious offense.”“It is when the police car chasing the ‘borrowed’ vehicle goes outof control and mows down a young mother and her two children.Someone who looked like him had been observed hanging aroundthe car. But Abigail swore that she had been tutoring Toby in English,right here in this house. It was Abigail’s word against an uncertainwitness. No charge was brought and the joyrider was never caught.Many people found the possible involvement of Toby Gorgone quitecredible. He’s always been obsessed with machinery, and that was anew sports car. It makes sense he’d want to give it a spin.”“Then you’re suggesting the Senator may have lied for him?”“I’m suggesting nothing. However, people around here have longmemories, and Abigail’s fervent deposition—taken under oath, ofcourse—is a matter of record. Actually, nothing much could havehappened to Toby even if he had been in the car. He was still a juvenile,under sixteen. Abigail, however, was eighteen and if she had perjuredherself would have been criminally culpable. Oh, well, Toby mayvery well have spent that evening diligently drilling on participles.Has his grammar improved?”“It sounded all right to me.”“You couldn’t have spoken to him very long. Now, fill me in onAbigail. The endless fascination she evokes in men. With whom isshe involved now?”“She’s not involved with anyone,” Pat said. “From what she tellsme, her husband was the great love of her life.”“Perhaps.” Jeremy Saunders finished the last of his drink. “Andwhen you consider that she had absolutely no background—a fatherwho drank himself to death when she was six, a mother content amongthe pots and pans . . .”
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Pat decided to try another tack to get some sort of usable material.“Tell me about this house,” she suggested. “After all, Abigail grewup here. Was it built by your family?”Jeremy Saunders was dearly proud of both house and family. Forthe next hour, pausing only to refill his glass and then to mix a newpitcher of drinks, he traced the history of the Saunderses from “notquite the Mayflower —a Saunders was supposed to be on that historicvoyage, but fell ill and did not arrive till two years later”—to the present.“And so,” he concluded, “I sadly relate that I am the last to bear theSaunders name.” He smiled. “You are a most appreciative listener, mydear. I hope I haven’t been too long-winded in my recitation.”Pat returned the smile. “No, indeed. My mother ’s family wereearly settlers and I’m very proud of them.”“You must let me hear about your family,” Jeremy said gallantly.“You will stay for lunch.”“I’d be delighted.”“I prefer having a tray right here. So much cozier than the diningroom. Would that do?”And so much nearer the bar, Pat thought. She hoped she couldsoon
48
“What do you mean by that?”Jeremy raised his hand in a gesture of dismissal. “Nothing, really.He probably told you how he saved Abby from the jaws of the attackdog our eccentric neighbor kept.”“Yes, he did.”“And did he tell you that Abigail was his alibi the night he mayhave gone joyriding in a stolen car?”“No, he didn’t, but joyriding doesn’t seem to be a very serious offense.”“It is when the police car chasing the ‘borrowed’ vehicle goes outof control and mows down a young mother and her two children.Someone who looked like him had been observed hanging aroundthe car. But Abigail swore that she had been tutoring Toby in English,right here in this house. It was Abigail’s word against an uncertainwitness. No charge was brought and the joyrider was never caught.Many people found the possible involvement of Toby Gorgone quitecredible. He’s always been obsessed with machinery, and that was anew sports car. It makes sense he’d want to give it a spin.”“Then you’re suggesting the Senator may have lied for him?”“I’m suggesting nothing. However, people around here have longmemories, and Abigail’s fervent deposition—taken under oath, ofcourse—is a matter of record. Actually, nothing much could havehappened to Toby even if he had been in the car. He was still a juvenile,under sixteen. Abigail, however, was eighteen and if she had perjuredherself would have been criminally culpable. Oh, well, Toby mayvery well have spent that evening diligently drilling on participles.Has his grammar improved?”“It sounded all right to me.”“You couldn’t have spoken to him very long. Now, fill me in onAbigail. The endless fascination she evokes in men. With whom isshe involved now?”“She’s not involved with anyone,” Pat said. “From what she tellsme, her husband was the great love of her life.”“Perhaps.” Jeremy Saunders finished the last of his drink. “Andwhen you consider that she had absolutely no background—a fatherwho drank himself to death when she was six, a mother content amongthe pots and pans . . .”
49
Pat decided to try another tack to get some sort of usable material.“Tell me about this house,” she suggested. “After all, Abigail grewup here. Was it built by your family?”Jeremy Saunders was dearly proud of both house and family. Forthe next hour, pausing only to refill his glass and then to mix a newpitcher of drinks, he traced the history of the Saunderses from “notquite the Mayflower —a Saunders was supposed to be on that historicvoyage, but fell ill and did not arrive till two years later”—to the present.“And so,” he concluded, “I sadly relate that I am the last to bear theSaunders name.” He smiled. “You are a most appreciative listener, mydear. I hope I haven’t been too long-winded in my recitation.”Pat returned the smile. “No, indeed. My mother ’s family wereearly settlers and I’m very proud of them.”“You must let me hear about your family,” Jeremy said gallantly.“You will stay for lunch.”“I’d be delighted.”“I prefer having a tray right here. So much cozier than the diningroom. Would that do?”And so much nearer the bar, Pat thought. She hoped she couldsoon
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