Page 66 (1/2)

"No thanks I just wanted to touch base with you and bring you up to date Most of this has to do with Bobby, so if you don’t want to talk about it now, I can stop back another tiivenew to think about I do want you to find out who killed him It may be the only form of relief I can look forward to What have you coether piece by piece and I’, Ito me, but since I don’t really know the truth, I can’t be sure," I said

"I understand"

I hestitated, oddly reluctant to pass on my conjecture It felt intrusive to speculate about his past, in poor taste somehow to discuss the inti so hard to cope with his death "I think Bobby was having an affair"

"That’s not surprising I think Isoh waiting for the punch line Finally, she said, "You can’t be serious"

"Fro an affair with someone and he fell in love That’s why he broke up with Carrie St Cloud in the first place I have reason to believe it was Nola Fraker, though I haven’t confirmed it yet"

"I don’t like that I hope that’s not true"

"I don’t knohat to tell you It seeht you said he was in love with Kitty"

"Maybe not ’in love’ I think he loved her a lot That doesn’ton between them and I tend to believe her If they’d had a sexual relationship, I’m sure you’d have been the first to know-for the shock value if nothing else You kno she is She’s obviously immature and confused and he was certainly aware of your attitude toward her Anyhatever he felt for her wouldn’t have precluded an involvement with someone else"

"But Nola’s happily married She and Jim have been here dozens of ti between her and Bobby"

"I hear what you’re saying, Glen, but that’s the way the ga a clandestine affair You and your lover end up at the sa each other… but not too pointedly because that would be conspicuous Sly little hand touches by the punch bowl, secret glances across the roole about it in bed like a couple of kids because you put one over on the grown-ups"

"But why Nola? The whole idea is ludicrous"

"Not at all She’s a beautiful woman Maybe they ran into each other and suddenly the spark was there Oreach other for years Actually, it must have started last summer because I don’t think his relationship to her could have overlapped his to Carrie by much He didn’t strikeat the salanced at me with apparent discomfort