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It took athe bleat, he turned his head slightly and felt in his pocket for his phone Mindy glared at hi, took out his phone, and surreptitiously checked the e The skin on the back of his neck reddened, and he turned the phone off

“I miss you,” Lola had texted “Meet me in the Mews at three o’clock”

An hour later, Ja roo around tohi with excite the church, he’d looked for her, but she was already outside, posing for the photographers He considered speaking to her, but Mindy quickly pulled hi his watch, he saw that it was nearly three Weaving through the crowd, he scanned the room for Mindy A waiter passed by with a tray of caviar piled on top of tiny blintzes, and Jalass of chaone all out in Billy’s honor, inviting at least two hundred people back to her apartment to further mourn his loss Billy’s sudden death had shocked Ja back on the plane fro about it; for once, he had to agree that she was right The death of a friend did make you realize that life was finite, and there was only so ish, anyway

But Billy’s death was only one in a bizarre series of events that had plagued One Fifth while he’d been away There was the Internet Debacle, and the discovery of the Cross of Bloody Mary, which people postulated had been hidden in Mrs Houghton’s apartment Then Billy’s overdose And Lola’s assertion that she was pregnant by Philip Oakland, who had dumped her for Schiffer Dia to Mindy—by an i announcement that Philip Oakland and Schiffer Diamond were to beIt was all slightly outrageous, Jaht—and what about poor Lola Fabrikant? Did anyone care what had happened to her? He wondered but he didn’t dare ask

Noould find out Discovering Mindy in the dining rooain, it seemed, and appeared to be in a deep discussion about their favorite topic, One Fifth—he nodded at her, trying to catch her attention “Yes?” she said curtly

“I’ to walk Skippy,” he said over the noise of the chattering crowd

“Why?” she said

“Because he needs to go out”

“Whatever” She rolled her eyes and went back to her conversation James tried to slip out the door but aylaid by Redrasped him by the shoulder “Do you know James Gooch?” he said “His book’s been number one on The New York Times best-seller list for five weeks now” James nodded and moved away but was stopped by the editor in chief of Vanity Fair, anted to talk to hi a piece about Billy’s death When Jaet down to his apartrabbed Skippy and hurried around the corner to the Mews

Walking slowly on the tiny cobblestoned street, he didn’t see her at first Then he heard his name called, and she stepped out from the shadows of a doorway covered with vines For a second, James was startled by her appearance After the funeral, she ed, for she now had on dirty jeans and an old red ski parka But she wore the sa expression that always made hi and she laughed, leaning over to pet the little dog “I’ve been wondering what happened to you,” Jaht?”

“Oh, James,” she said “I’m so happy to see you I was afraid you wouldn’t come Everyone’s taken Philip’s side, and I’ve lost all my friends I don’t even have a place to live”

“You’re not sleeping on the street?” Ja in her appearance

“I’ve been sleeping on a friend’s couch,” she said “But you kno it is I can’t stay there forever And I can’t go hoo back to even if I wanted to My parents went bankrupt”

“Good God,” James said “How could Oakland do this to you?”

“He doesn’t care about me He never did He used me for sex, and when he’d had his fill, he went back to Schiffer Dia on to his sleeve as if she were afraid he et away “I’m scared I don’t knohat to do”