The Cradle Robbers (21 page)

Long before the resolution of the case was clear, on the evening of the day I saw Suzette Arguello for the last time, Sadie was fast asleep in her baby hammock and my two other lucky and loved children were settled in their rooms, either sleeping or doing a good facsimile of it.

Peter and I curled up together in our own bed, and I nestled my head against his chest.

“What a horrible case this was,” he said, stroking my hair.

“Yes.”

“What an awful mess those people made of their lives.”

“And for what?” I said into the soft nest of his chest hair. “I just don’t understand it. I don’t get any of it. What did Spencer and Sandra destroy their lives for? They weren’t in love, clearly. So does that mean that they did it because of
sex
? It just seems so insane.”

Peter kissed the top of my head, but he didn’t answer. He’s a man, and as he held me I wondered if by virtue of his gender he felt in some deep, unmentionable part of his soul that sex is, in fact, worth it. I wondered if he believed that the hysterical passion that lasts never more than a few hours, and usually no more than a few minutes, could justify any amount of devastation and pain. I leaned up on my elbows and peered into his sleepy eyes.

“Don’t be an idiot,” he said.

“What?”

“I would never have an affair.”

“But you do think sex is incredibly important, don’t you?”

“I think sex with
you
is incredibly important. Because I love you.”

“I love you, too.” I sighed. After a few moments I continued, “This case just really got to me. Such a high price to pay for something so ephemeral, so
pointless. This idiotic affair devastated so many lives.”

I waited a moment but Peter did not reply. I turned to look at him. He gray eyes were closed, his lashes long against his cheeks. I kissed him gently on the lips and willed myself to fall asleep.

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