“Where could you possibly have seen him?” “At the opera. When I was alone, he slipped into my box.” “But that’s against my rules,” I blurted out. Foolishly. “Ah,” he answered. Like he had caught me out. Ah. Maddening, maddening man. Looking very directly at me, he continued, “Hollingstell indicated that you were willing to play with fire on my account. That he was to leave me be. He wanted to know why.” Pause, and then, “As do I.”
