She held on to her temper by the thinnest of threads. “If we make any plans, Mitch, I’m sure Harold will tell you of them.”

“Aw, I’ve upset you again. I’m sorry. Forgive me?”

“Nothing to forgive. Good-bye, Mitch.”

She hung up, and sat back down on the sofa before the fire. Oddly, she reflected, Mitch’s phone call had helped her. Getting angry helped.

Mitch Yeager seemed to forget how well she once knew him. Still knew him, though not at all in the same way. Knew him well enough to doubt that he was sorry for anything he had ever said or done. She also doubted that the phone call was intended to be an act of kindness. Whether because Katy had angered Mitch just two days ago, or because Lillian had refused to marry him more than twenty years ago, she was sure he had intended to hurt her. Mitch Yeager never forgot a slight.

She told herself that she must call Estelle soon. She had so little to do with the Yeagers these days, she hated the thought of doing anything to encourage them to renew the friendship that had been forced upon her by Harold’s business relationship with Mitch. To hell with Harold, she thought. If she overlooked Mitch’s cruelty, it would be for Estelle’s sake.

Perhaps Estelle would be happier, caring for a child. She had seemed so withdrawn in recent years. Lillian found herself wondering if Mitch beat his wife.

Lillian knew that Mitch wouldn’t allow any harm to come to the child he had adopted. He’d want to show the world that he took care of his family. He would, in fact, raise the child like a prince.

She found that she could move her self-pity and grief aside enough to feel sorry for that little boy.

On Tuesday afternoon, Warren Ducane drove up the long drive to Auburn’s Stand, the hilltop home of Auburn Sheffield. The other Sheffields made a fortune in the ice cream business. Auburn, who had long ago broken off communication with the rest of the family, made a fortune in money.

This displeased his late father, an overbearing man who had wanted him to be the next emperor of ice cream. Auburn’s Stand was named so by locals who saw him take his stand against his family. He heard of it, was pleased, and adopted the name for his home.

Auburn made more money in the stock market and other investments than anyone Warren could think of. Rumor had it that he did this to spite his father. After Warren became acquainted with Auburn and spent time listening to him talk about the joys of investing, Warren believed Auburn made money because he just couldn’t stop himself. No more than Warren seemed to be able to stop himself from losing money.

He had called Auburn this morning, and Auburn, with ready sympathy, had invited him to come up to the Stand. Auburn, who disliked Warren’s parents and their friends, had applauded Warren’s independence from the Ducanes and said that he would always be willing to advise him.

Auburn was bidding good-bye to another guest, but introduced him to Warren as Zeke Brennan, a young attorney who had been doing work for Auburn. Warren asked for Brennan’s card before he left.

Auburn poured Warren a glass of fine scotch and spent some time expressing further sympathy. After the two men had made small talk for some minutes more, Auburn said, “You came to me for a reason. What can I do for you, Warren?”

“Take all my money.”

“What?”

“I mean, it’s not mine yet, but it will be at some point. Maybe not for a while, because they have to be declared dead. My parents’ attorney called not long after the yacht was found. If Todd is dead, too, everything comes to me. I-I keep hoping that’s not the case, and that someone finds them, but they tell me it isn’t likely.”

Auburn studied him for a moment, then said, “Yes, I suppose you will eventually inherit a large fortune.”

“I’ll pay you to keep me from turning it into a small one. Stop me from spending it all, Auburn. Help me to tie it up somehow so that I can’t run myself into the red in a year or so. I do want to learn about money, Auburn, but I can’t do that overnight. I’d be happy to just be able to live comfortably- not like a king, or buying things just for pleasure, but comfortably. I want to save the rest. And I’ll tell you why.”

“The child.”

“Yes. My nephew. Mostly that, yes. But that’s not the only reason.” He stood up and paced. He had rehearsed how he would explain this, but now he found he had difficulty actually saying it. “There are those,” he began, and stopped. “There are those who might ask me for money, and I don’t want to be able to give it to them.”

Auburn studied him, then said, “I noticed that a police patrol car is parked at the bottom of the hill. The guard tells me it followed you here. Are you in trouble with the law, Warren?”

He shook his head. “No. It’s just that they think someone might try to harm me. Because of the murder at Todd’s house.”

Auburn was silent for a moment, then said, “These people who might ask you for money-do you owe money to them?”

“No, not a dime.”

“But they might extort it from you?”

“I don’t know. I just don’t want them to be able to do it if they try.”

Auburn moved to a window and stood at it for some moments. Warren watched him anxiously.

“I provided you with quite an alibi, didn’t I, Warren?” Auburn asked.

“Have the police bothered you? I’m sorry. I never intended to cause trouble for you.”

Auburn smiled to himself, but said nothing in response.

“You believe that, don’t you?”

“Yes. But I doubt your intentions mattered much this weekend.”

Warren winced, then said, “I’m sorry. I’m so damned sorry about-about everything. I never should have come here today. I’ll go.”

“No,” Auburn said, relenting, “have a seat.”

“I wish I were dead,” Warren whispered.

“And what good would that do your nephew, if someone wants a ransom?”

Warren looked up at him. “That’s the only thing…Look, the truth is, I hardly paid any attention to the kid. I mean, it was great for Todd and Katy and everything, but-”

Auburn smiled. “But he’s an infant.”

“Yes. A baby, that’s all. I thought I’d get to know him when he was a little older. But now-” He drew a ragged breath. “Now this is the only thing I can do for Todd. Take care of Max. I might not be able to do anything at all for Max, he might…he might not even be alive. But I have to try.”

“I’m going to ask you a very rude and direct question, Warren. I promise you I will keep your answer confidential. But I must know this before I agree to help you. Did you pay someone to have your parents killed?”

“No. I-I hated them. But I didn’t hire a killer.”

Auburn paced again.

“I’m not saying I’m without blame,” Warren added.

Auburn looked at him, but Warren didn’t see condemnation in the look. It was almost as if Auburn had been hoping he would say that. Warren couldn’t meet his gaze, and looked away.

“Well, you have that business card Zeke Brennan gave you before he left,” Auburn said.

“Yes.”

“Do you wish to continue to use the Ducane family attorney?”

“No. I don’t want anything to do with my father’s cronies.” He paused, then added with some vehemence, “None of them.”

“Sensible. Then call Brennan. Tell him everything you’ve told me. More if you like. He’ll know how to proceed. When the time comes for me to help you with my own expertise, I’ll do so.”

“You can charge a fee-”

“I don’t want one.”

“I don’t want to take advantage-further advantage-of you.”

“You won’t be. Let’s not worry about that now.”

Later, as they walked toward the front door, Warren asked, “Why did you decide to help me?”

“Oh, a number of reasons. When I look back on how angry I was with my own father at your age… the things I considered doing to find some relief from his control…but no, it’s not entirely that. Let’s just say I hate to see lives wasted, and that atonement interests me more than punishment.”