words, and then she felt the weight of depression. Her life had never seemed or felt more complicated or more bereft. If only he were alive to give her the answers she desperately needed.
Alex remained silent. His lapses into silence were unsettling. Jill avoided his unwavering eyes. “Well,” she said, slipping her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “If you don’t mind, I’ll make myself another drink before I go back to my room.” She started to move toward the door.
But he did not move, and he barred her way. “What did happen, Jill?”
Jill froze. Her heart lurched.
“Or should I say, how did it happen? How did you hit the tree?” His tone was calm, unlike his cousin’s efforts to question her earlier.
Jill wanted to escape him now. “You yourself said this can wait. I don’t think I can talk about it yet.” She glanced at the door, wanting to flee, desperately.
“You’re better off talking to me—than to them,” he said, his hands on his hips. “By tomorrow, Thomas will be wanting the very same answers—again. But he is extremely upset—and very angry. Why don’t you tell me instead. It will save you a helluva lot of grief.”
First Thomas, now Alex, confronting her, pinning her down. Jill began to perspire. “Is this an interrogation?” Jill asked slowly, aware of the heat accumulating in her cheeks.
“No. Not unless you make it one.” When Jill did not speak, he said, “Why are you so nervous? What are you hiding?”
Jill inhaled. The sound was unmistakable in the bedroom. “I’m not nervous,” she shot back, a lie. “I’m exhausted, jet-lagged, and I’m sick. I’ve just lost someone—”
He cut her off, as if he did not believe her. “Hal was very close to the family. Although recently he wasn’t calling … as if he were too preoccupied … or as if he were hiding something himself.”
Jill stiffened. “I know how close he was to his family, he talked about you guys all the time. He had nothing to hide.” But he had, hadn’t he? He’d had their relationship to hide.
“He had you.”
He was astute. Jill despised him for his candor. She hedged, buying time frantically. “What does that mean?”
“Come on,” Alex said flatly. “Why beat around the bush?” His stare remained direct and intent. “You live in a cheap studio in the Village. You’re a dancer. You’re American. Penniless. You’re not exactly the kind of girl he would bring home, much less marry.”
“That was to the point,” she whispered, aghast. “I take it you have never fallen in love?” She was trembling. His words hurt—maybe because they were so goddamned close to what might be the truth.
He ignored that. “Look, I’m an American, too. I grew up on the streets of Brooklyn. I know all about penniless, and I know my cousins. I know my uncle. He had plans for Hal, especially after the disappointment of Thomas’s divorce and the way things are with Lauren.”
Jill wondered what had happened, both with Thomas and Lauren, but did not ask.
“If you really thought Hal was going to bring you home and marry you, then I am very sorry for you,” Alex said flatly.
Jill bit her lip. “He was,” she said. “He was.”
His look was direct and pitying. “I know what Hal was hiding,” Alex said. “But I can’t quite figure out what you are hiding.”
She stared, becoming angry at last.
“What happened the night of the accident?”
“I don’t know,” she lied. “It all happened so quickly. We were talking and then I looked up and saw the tree. I’ve never even been in a fender bender before!”
“I know.”
She stared.
“I’ve done my homework,” he said, holding her gaze. “But not enough of it—apparently.” He did not pause. “You were driving. The roads were clear. It was the middle of the afternoon. You weren’t drinking and there was no sign of drugs in your blood. How does one go off the road and hit a tree, given those conditions?” He was pushing.
She
Alex remained silent. His lapses into silence were unsettling. Jill avoided his unwavering eyes. “Well,” she said, slipping her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “If you don’t mind, I’ll make myself another drink before I go back to my room.” She started to move toward the door.
But he did not move, and he barred her way. “What did happen, Jill?”
Jill froze. Her heart lurched.
“Or should I say, how did it happen? How did you hit the tree?” His tone was calm, unlike his cousin’s efforts to question her earlier.
Jill wanted to escape him now. “You yourself said this can wait. I don’t think I can talk about it yet.” She glanced at the door, wanting to flee, desperately.
“You’re better off talking to me—than to them,” he said, his hands on his hips. “By tomorrow, Thomas will be wanting the very same answers—again. But he is extremely upset—and very angry. Why don’t you tell me instead. It will save you a helluva lot of grief.”
First Thomas, now Alex, confronting her, pinning her down. Jill began to perspire. “Is this an interrogation?” Jill asked slowly, aware of the heat accumulating in her cheeks.
“No. Not unless you make it one.” When Jill did not speak, he said, “Why are you so nervous? What are you hiding?”
Jill inhaled. The sound was unmistakable in the bedroom. “I’m not nervous,” she shot back, a lie. “I’m exhausted, jet-lagged, and I’m sick. I’ve just lost someone—”
He cut her off, as if he did not believe her. “Hal was very close to the family. Although recently he wasn’t calling … as if he were too preoccupied … or as if he were hiding something himself.”
Jill stiffened. “I know how close he was to his family, he talked about you guys all the time. He had nothing to hide.” But he had, hadn’t he? He’d had their relationship to hide.
“He had you.”
He was astute. Jill despised him for his candor. She hedged, buying time frantically. “What does that mean?”
“Come on,” Alex said flatly. “Why beat around the bush?” His stare remained direct and intent. “You live in a cheap studio in the Village. You’re a dancer. You’re American. Penniless. You’re not exactly the kind of girl he would bring home, much less marry.”
“That was to the point,” she whispered, aghast. “I take it you have never fallen in love?” She was trembling. His words hurt—maybe because they were so goddamned close to what might be the truth.
He ignored that. “Look, I’m an American, too. I grew up on the streets of Brooklyn. I know all about penniless, and I know my cousins. I know my uncle. He had plans for Hal, especially after the disappointment of Thomas’s divorce and the way things are with Lauren.”
Jill wondered what had happened, both with Thomas and Lauren, but did not ask.
“If you really thought Hal was going to bring you home and marry you, then I am very sorry for you,” Alex said flatly.
Jill bit her lip. “He was,” she said. “He was.”
His look was direct and pitying. “I know what Hal was hiding,” Alex said. “But I can’t quite figure out what you are hiding.”
She stared, becoming angry at last.
“What happened the night of the accident?”
“I don’t know,” she lied. “It all happened so quickly. We were talking and then I looked up and saw the tree. I’ve never even been in a fender bender before!”
“I know.”
She stared.
“I’ve done my homework,” he said, holding her gaze. “But not enough of it—apparently.” He did not pause. “You were driving. The roads were clear. It was the middle of the afternoon. You weren’t drinking and there was no sign of drugs in your blood. How does one go off the road and hit a tree, given those conditions?” He was pushing.
She
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