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Eve chose Mira’s recommendation of clams, then treated herself to some of the real yeast bread set in a silver basket on the table As she ate, she gave Mira a profile of Fitzhugh and the details of his death

“You’d likehis own life Disposed to it, eically”

Eve cocked a brow “That’s the plan”

“Unfortunately, I can’t do that I can tell you that everyone is capable of it, given the right circumstances and emotional state”

“I don’t believe that,” Eve said so firmly, so decisively, that Mira smiled

“You’re a strong woh-minded You’re a survivor But you remember despair Helplessness Hopelessness”

Eve did; too well, too clearly She shifted in her chair “Fitzhugh wasn’t a helpless man”

“The surface can hide a great deal of turain “But I agree with you Given your profile of hi him as a likely candidate for suicide—certainly not one of such an abrupt and impulsive nature”

“It was abrupt,” Eve agreed “I dealt with hi and arrogant and full of his own sense of importance as ever”

“I’m sure that’s true I can only say that some of us—many of us—confronted with some crisis, some personal upheaval of the heart or e it You and I can’t knohat Fitzhugh ht of his death”

“That isn’t a hell of a lot of help,” Eve ive you two more” Briskly, with a cop’s dispassion, she related the other suicides “Pattern?”

“What did they have in common?” Mira tossed back “The lawyer, the politician, and the tech”

“A blip in the brain Maybe” Tapping her fingers on the cloth, Eve frowned “I’ve got soet all the data, but it could be the ical rather than psycholog

ical If there’s a connection, I’ve got to find it”

“You’re veering out ofthe three cases, I’d be happy to do a workup”