Page 90 (1/2)

"It’s Baxter’s," she says "He gave it to me" Pause "Since I can’t answerabout the handif there was anything on it "You’re not back into" I let er than I want for her to realize what I’ to and she says "No, Victor" but she flinches when she says this so I’ and Chloe keeps lifting sweaters out of her ar the slowly, deliberately, nodding to herself, every htly distracted byShe looks over at where I’iant white chair In a mirror across the room I can make out my reflection and"Why?" and the phone keeps ringing, a reminder

"Why what?"

"Just why, Victor"

"Baby," I say, holding my hands up, about to offer an explanation "You’re a, ureat source of inspiration to, um, me"

"I want some kind of answer from you," she says calmly "Don’t free-associate Just tellthat, baby"

"If there was just so over to the closet

"Oh please, baby-"

"Why, Victor?" she asks again

"Baby, I-"

"I’ht," she says "I’ht with ain "Baby, see, this thing-"

"You never really answer a question directly if you can help it, do you?"

"Um" I look up at her, confused "What was the question?"

She’s carefully placing T-shirts and panties on one side of the largest suitcase She wraps the cord of a hair dryer around its handle, then places it in a s ti by e that"

"But you don’t like yourself," Iaround"