“This goes to Apex Club legal today and to Victoria Croft by courier tomorrow.”

He signed it in a single stroke and turned the page around for me to initial.

The Apex legal department had until Friday to produce the signature sheets, and Gordon’s fax confirmation was still folded in my coat pocket when I parked on Maple at eleven.

I went into Halstead Fine Jewelry to pick up my mother’s pearls.

Mrs.

Halstead had them restrung and boxed before I got there, and she set the box on the felt mat without my having to ask twice.

“Your husband came in this morning,” she said.