nger； 〃Danny； are you sure
it's okay？〃
〃Yeah；〃 he said。 〃Just be careful。〃
〃Where's your father？ Do you know？〃
His voice came back； curiously flat： 〃No。 But it's okay。〃 She stifled an urge
to keep asking； to keep picking around the edges of the thing。 The thing was
there； they knew what it was； picking at it was only going to frighten Danny
more 。。。 and herself。 Jack had lost his mind。 They had sat together on Danny's
cot as the storm began to pick up clout and meanness around eight o'clock this
morning and had listened to him downstairs； bellowing and stumbling from one
place to another。 Most of it had seemed to e from the ballroom。 Jack singing
tuneless bits of song； Jack holding up one side of an argument； Jack screaming
loudly at one point； freezing both of their faces as they stared into one
another's eyes。 Finally they had heard him stumbling back across the lobby； and
Wendy thought she had heard a loud banging noise； as if he had fallen down or
pushed a door violently open。 Since eightthirty or so — three and a half hours
now — there had been only silence。
She went down the short hall； turned into the main first floor corridor； and
went to the stairs。 She stood on the firstfloor landing looking down into the
lobby。 It appeared deserted； but the gray and snowy day had left much of the
long room in shadow。 Danny could be wrong。 Jack could be behind a chair or couch
。。。 maybe behind the registration desk 。。。 waiting for her to e down。。。
She wet her lips。 〃Jack？〃
No answer。
Her hand found the handle of the knife and she began to go down。 She had seen
the end of her marriage many times； in divorc