Free A Man of Affairs by John D. MacDonald

because then she would be closer to me. But I also wanted her to be loyal to him in spite of what he was, because it is a cheap thing and a destructive thing in any marriage to spill your bitterness and pain and resentment all over someone else. And I thought that if she confided in me, she might end up resenting me.
    When her tears were over we talked casually about things of no importance, and then she said she thought she would go to bed. I got onto the dock and gave her my hand and pulled her up with just a bit too much energy so that she staggered against me. I put my hands on either side of her face, thumbs near the corners of her eyes, fingers in her dark hair. I looked down at the quiet face. Her eyes were unreadable pockets of a shadow. I kissed her gently and her lips were cool and unresponsive. Then I released her. She turned and walked away from me. I watched her. At the path she turned and walked at an angle across the lawn to one of the doors on the right wing of the veranda. She disappeared from the moonlight into the shadows.
    I sat on the edge of the dock for a long time, and then I went to bed.

FOUR
     
    I AM CURSED by an inability to sleep later than six-thirty in the morning. I put on swimming trunks and a gray sports shirt and took a towel with me to the pool. When I climbed out the girl named Booty came from the house in her white uniform and, wearing a shy and grave half smile, asked me if I would like my breakfast by the pool, and what would I like. When the juice and easy-over eggs and bacon and coffee were laid out on the metal table under the umbrella it looked like a Kodachrome ad for breakfast.
    The Bufords joined me when I was on my second cup of coffee. They were ready for another day of fishing the flats. I asked him about the land development, and he went on and on about it. There were fourteen thousand acres, twenty natural lakes. It was called Lakeshore Gardens, and by God, it was the biggest and best development Florida had ever had. They’d put up four hundred homes already, and by the time they were through it would be a city of thirty or forty thousand people, with schools, city services, outdoor movies, shopping centers, the whole shooting match.
    Booty brought me more coffee after they left, and soon Louise joined me. She wore a pink swim suit with black ruffles at the bodice. You couldn’t have told from the way she acted that last night had ever happened. “Sam, has Mike Dean said anything to you about talking business?”
    “Only that we’d get around to it sooner or later.”
    “Suppose they arrange to talk to us separately?”
    “That would be okay. But I would like your word that you won’t sign anything until we’ve talked it over together.”
    “I’m agreeable to that.”
    “This isn’t anything like I thought it would be,” Louise went on. “It’s a little confusing. All these weird people. Did you hear the horrible fight in the night?”
    “I didn’t hear a thing.”
    “It was on the veranda. Men yelling at each other and a woman crying. Warren was snoring so loud I couldn’t understand what it was all about. But I think the woman was Bonny Carson and one of the men was Fletcher Bowman. It was about three o’clock. Then some doors slammed and it was over.”
    “There’re all the ingredients here for a lot of trouble.”
    “What are the plans for the day?”
    “First find out if Mike wants to talk business. If not, I want to try some fishing.”
    “Tommy is going to do some skin diving.”
    “Amid the barracuda?”
    “He says they won’t bother anybody.”
    “Is he sure they have the word?”
    “You know Tommy. He probably half hopes one will make a pass at him.”
    “How about fishing from the shore with me if we’re not required around here?”
    She hesitated for a moment and then agreed. I borrowed her sun lotion and used it liberally while she swam up and down the pool. There weren’t very many early risers in the group. It was nearly