— But they're doing marvelously aren't they, the plants I mean I try to keep them watered and…
— That one, up there? I watered it for three months after she was gone before I knew it was plastic.
— But she, for three months? But I thought she'd only been gone for…
— She's been gone for two years Mrs Booth.
The call was for him, — your call to, to Maracaibo is it? the phone unsteady in her hand, and she put it down and came back to the living room, to the alcove windows, as far off as those rooms allowed her, so far she could overhear nothing but — too late… before he came through carrying a soiled manila envelope, pulling on the raincoat, telling her the call wouldn't be charged here, getting the door open.
— But you haven't said where to reach you if anything…
He'd try to call first if he had to come again, pulling the door behind him, sorry to disturb her, and she walked more slowly back to the alcove standing well away. What light the mist had lent substance was failing rapidly down the dark road where the old dog appeared, falling in beside him as he crossed for the sodden bank opposite already losing definition as its leaves lost their colour, and she watched them down together as though they'd followed that dark current down together many times before.
Ashtray, his glass, towel wads and Yount, Kissinger swept up together she came turning on lamps, bent to blow cigarette ash from the table, bent over the trash to bury the doctors deep under bread wrappings, wilted celery, burnt toast, a worn address book she shook free of wet tea leaves before rummaging deeper for a few crumpled envelopes, all of them franked with the insipid postage of her own country, flicking the pages of the address book as she stood. The white cap of the Dewar's bottle had rolled into the sink where she found it, hesitated there with the bottle before she held it under the tap and ran an ounce, two ounces of water into it and then put the cap on, even shaking it a little before she put it back behind the bag of onions.
Up the stairs she paused to run the bath, down the hall undoing her blouse with the worn address book still tight in her hand she'd barely lit the bedroom and slipped off her shoes, barely come down among the papers on the bed bent over the last of them, the cool, grey calm of his eyes belying… her lips moving, when the downstairs toilet flushed.
— Liz? He was already on the stairs. Without pause for the peal of the phone she swept papers and folder together, a stab back for the worn address book and she was standing there selecting a fresh blouse from the bureau's top drawer. — You left the tub running, he came in pulling off his tie, and — why you don't answer the God damn phone, hello…? From where operator…? No, collect call I'm not accepting it no, don't know a God damn soul in Acapulco… he banged it down. — Any calls while I was gone?
— Chick… she stood getting breath slowly, — last night. Somebody called Chick.
— He leave a number?
— He said he didn't have one. He said to tell you he just got out, he'd call you again sometime.
— Nothing from Teakell's office? He had off his jacket, pulling open his shirt — got a car coming for the airport I've got to get down there tonight, flew right over it three hours ago turn right around and go back, have you seen my keys? Liz?
— What.
— I said have you seen my keys look I'm in a hurry, eight a m appointment in Washington they moved up that God damn subpoena I just learned about it, walked out of here without my keys if you weren't here I'd be locked out… He kicked a foot free of his trousers, — walked in just now the front door was open, up here alone I told you to keep it locked you don't know who the hell will walk in, have you seen my keys?
— They're gone Paul. So are mine.
— What do you mean so are mine, they're gone where.
— I found them on the shelf over the bathroom sink and I put them in my purse when I was leaving so they wouldn't get lost and my purse was stolen.
— Your, no come on Liz stolen? He stood over her dressed to the shins where she'd sunk to the corner of the bed, — how the hell could it be stolen, I told you to keep the doors locked didn't I? Walked in just now the front door wide open look, it's here somewhere, take a quick shower while you look for it where did you have it last, think Liz. Think!
— I don't have to think Paul I know. I had it last in the ladies' room at Saks. I hung it on a hook while I was using the toilet, and I looked up and saw a hand reach over the top of the booth and it was gone. By the time I got out there was nobody…
— No but, what the hell were you doing in Saks how could…
— I was using the toilet! I wasn't there buying things like any decent woman shopping they closed the account six months ago, I had some time after the doctor he's near Saks and I went into Saks. I looked at all the things I couldn't buy in Saks and then I went to the toilet, do you wonder how I got home do you care? She jammed the bureau drawer closed passing it for the door, — no purse no money no keys nothing, how I got home? how I even got in?
— No but Liz, look…
She did and dropped her eyes. He was standing there in one brown sock brandishing striped shorts clutched in a wad. — The shower's running, when does your car come.
— Half an hour look, got some things to go over come in while I…
— I'll be downstairs.
From the table where he'd dropped it the newspaper assailed her in black letters the size of her fist
TEARFUL MOM: 'PRAY FOR LITTLE WAYNE'
She was still staring at it when he came plunging down the stairs tucking his shirt in. — See that? The Post comes through they really come through, you read it?
— Read what, tearful…
— The story the story, front page story the Post comes through for you they really come through. Liz…? from the kitchen. The refrigerator door banged against the counter. — The mail?
— It's right there… she came in emptyhanded. — Do you want something to eat?
— Get it on the plane… he had the bottle forcing its neck down over a glass — God damn snack flight coming up here you get Squirt and a cookie, is this all? He scattered the mail with one hand, had the phone up in the Other. — Got to make some calls. Liz?
— I'm right here.
— Said you saw the doctor, what did he come up with. Hello…? Hey, is old Elton there? This here's Paul… Talked to Grissom he said these pretrial hearings are coming up any day now, get this doctor in there with the bad news or you're dropped from the case and mine goes down the drain with it, I tell you Grissom wants a thousand dollars retainer? Hello…? Holding on here for Elton yes, lose the case and the thousand goes with it just like the last one, you beat that? How he could lose that appeal? She's out there living openly with this guy right out in the open, he tells Grissom he won't marry her because I'm paying her more alimony than he could if he married her and things didn't work out tells Grissom that right to his face, bastard makes light boxes couldn't pay her a dime so I pay for his light boxes, God damn judge gets up there and hello…? No when did he leave… No no don't bother, I'll see him down there. I'll be talking to you. God damn disability check in one pocket and out the other, where was I.
— Buying light boxes.
— Look Liz this is serious, clear up these little things before I go down there may sit around a week waiting to be called, I tell you Adolph said Sneddiger's offering me legal counsel? Bastards trying to set me up all running scared with these God damn leaks going on, hello? Calling Mister McFardle, this is… Jim McFardle yes this is Paul Booth calling, trying to tie the can to your old man's corpse they want to bury me with it, get him under the Logan Act there goes the whole God damn estate, two million in lump sum retirement benefits, three hundred thousand accumulated vacation pay, two hundred more in the stock bonus plan and an option on another five hundred thousand shares at twenty percent below the market, life insurance, Bedford, Longview every God damn thing in sight, I tell you Adolph's selling Long-view? Knows God damn well I've been trying to raise the investment for this media center down there if your pal Orsini comes through in time we may still nail down an option and get the, hello? Hello? who… Left for the day? Well look, let me talk to his sec… what? You mean everybody's left for the day? Well who do you… you're the what…? No well why did you answer the, never mind… I said never mind! God damn cleaning woman picks up the phone so I pay for the call, way they do things down there Senator's out of town so his whole staff's pulled out by what time is it, car coming for me any minute look what did he say.