Mason nodded.Lets take a look. I rose and went into the kitchen. There was nobody there. Just a kettle and a jar of Yuban instant coffee and a box of sugar cubes. I felt the kettle. It was warm, nearly hot. I made myself go look into the bathroom. There are five quarts of blood in the human body, but there seemed to be more than that in the bathroom. It was all over everything, the tub, the toilet, the sink, the floor, even the walls. Well, I said, then what happened? You never did tell me. Stone hung up, already looking forward. Why? They drove back to Hampshire in the pouring rain in a cloud of road mist from their lead car and their tail, but Stone was still very interested in any car that passed them. Once, he saw a man pass who looked a little like Larkin without a beard, driving a Mercedes station wagon, but the man showed no interest in them. Harlan didnt even look at the lawyer but stood looking straight at his wife. Is it true, Sybil? His attention was diverted for only a moment as he saw Stamos peer around the corner, her eyes wide and her face tense. This had gone far past what she had intended, he could read that in her nervous features. And she was wondering how she could defuse things. You talk to her. Ill walk over to Abbys office and give her the heads-up. Ill be watchin you. Dont try anything funny.’ Not exactly, Mason said. You interest me. I went back to school after getting out of the Army. It can be done. Why? The trembling had turned into uncontrollable, almost violent shaking so I held her closer and tried to soothe her with meaningless words. She buried her head in my shoulder and started to sob. I held her even closer and as I did I could feel a kind of gentle sexual arousement. Audrey must have felt something, too, because between her sobs, she said,I dont give a damn! I want you to hold me. We dont have to be ashamed of it, do we, of holding each other? Bromfield said,Bobby Marie, you sure you couldnt just give us a couple of minutes to look it over? Whats the matter? he asked. You dont like the wine? When? Wait a minute, I dont want tosell the company. I want to build it. Its mybaby..