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p; The gala was in four days and was expected to be even more spectacular than the year before Rod Steas perforreed to host the event After Billy’s death, Annalisa and Schiffer had beco solace in each other’s co theirpublic figures, they found they had soested Annalisa hire her publicist, Karen; meanwhile, Annalisa had introduced Schiffer to her crazy stylist, Norine Lady Superior was on hiatus, and Schiffer would often pop upstairs in the latefor coffee, which they’d take on Annalisa’s terrace; sometimes Enid would join as well Annalisa relished these ht—a co-op was like a family, and the antics of the other residents were always a source of gentle amusement “Mindy Gooch finally took“So on’t have to worry about hi an affair with Lola Fabrikant”

“That poor girl,” Schiffer said

“Mindy or Lola?” Annalisa asked

“Both,” Schiffer said

“Poor Lola, nothing,” Enid exclaier Worse than Flossie Davis All she wanted was to live in One Fifth and spend Philip’s money”

“Don’t you think you were a little cruel to her, Enid?” Schiffer asked

“Absolutely not One has to be fir with Thayer Core behind Philip’s back and in Philip’s bed I suppose she’s like a virus—she keeps co back,” Enid said

“Why did she come back?” Annalisa asked

“Sheer, et far You’ll see,” Enid said

Now, recalling this conversation, Annalisa found she couldn’t bla to live in One Fifth She, like Enid and Schiffer, loved the building The only probleeet Philip and Enid to sell hi out that Philip and Schiffer would need a bigger apartment, and wouldn’t Enid want to move as well? No, Annalisa replied The plan was that Schiffer and Enid were going to trade apartments, then Philip and Schiffer would combine the two thirteenth-floor aparter aparte of forty million dollars To this, she’d also objected “It’s toowhere his rabid desire for the bigger and better would end They’d put the discussion aside when Paul briefly beca a plane—the new G6, which wouldn’t be delivered for two years Paul had put down a deposit of twenty million dollars but complained bitterly about the unfairness of life, because he was number fifteen on the list and not nu more and more out of control, and just the other day, he’d thrown a crystal vase at Maria because she’d failed to immediately inform him of the arrival of two fish Each fish cost over a hundred thousand dollars, and had been specially shipped fro in their containers for five critical hours, during which tiht have died Maria quit, and Annalisa paid her two hundred thousand dollars—a year’s salary—not to press charges against Paul Annalisa hired t housekeepers instead of one, which seemed to mollify Paul, who insisted the second housekeeper be on fish duty twenty-four hours a day This was disturbing but paled in comparison to Paul’s attitude toward Sam

“He did it,” Paul said one evening at dinner “That little bastard Sam Gooch”

“Don’t be crazy,” Annalisa said

“I know he did it,” Paul said

“How?”