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strobe light flashed in the room, I remembered the night Todd died. I saw his body, then Rory's. And I couldn't help either one of them.
    My head began to swim, and I knew I was blacking out. That much penetrated the blur. I needed help. Anyone. I stumbled out of the bedroom, through the dressing room and study. I slipped on the steps and fell once, clattering downwards with a black swirling space gushing up around me as I went. I had to reach help before the blackness got me.
    On the landing, I ran slap into Sam Mascione. I blundered down the rest of the steps, pulling Sam with me. In the kitchen hallway there was Jill. She was carrying wine bottles and deflected me with her shoulder. "Nora!"
    "It's Rory," I babbled. "He's hurt."
    "Oh, shit," she said.
    "I think he's dead. Call for help."
    Jill's voice faded as she said, "You're fainting."
    The black swirl engulfed me then and I went down.
    Chapter 3
    I keep smelling salts in my bag, and Jill must have remembered. I snapped back to consciousness with the stench of ammonia burning my nose and throat.
    "Jeez," she said, dabbing my cheek with an icy dish towel. "You faint at the drop of a hat."
    "Dammit," I muttered.
    "Actually," she said, "it's nice to know you're not as together as you pretend. Does your doctor still think it's psychological?"
    "Half a dozen doctors think so. Damn!"
    With Sam's help, she half dragged me into the cook's sitting room off the kitchen, and I sat on the settee, periodically putting my head between my trembling knees. Through the door, I could see the orderly mayhem of Main Events staff packing up the party.
    "We called the paramedics," Jill said. "And the police are here, too."
    I tried hard to make sense of the jumbled images in my head. "Oh, Jill, he's gone."
    "I know, honey. But he was old. It's part of life."
    I cried, taking the cold towel from my friend and pressing it against my face. She hugged me, and we rocked together. I couldn't breathe, just exhaled all the grief in my heart until I was gasping for air. He'd been a friend. A sweet, gentle man who'd come to my rescue when I needed help. He'd been kinder to me than anyone I'd ever known.
    "Miss Mascione?" said a voice.
    Jill sat up and wiped her face. "That's me."
    "And Miss Blackbird?"
    I hiccoughed and nodded.
    He was tallish and young, with wet hair combed back as if he'd been summoned from a shower. Blue sport coat, khaki Dockers and spanking clean sneakers. Boy Scout tidy with calm brown eyes. I knew at once he was a cop. A very young cop.
    He came into the sitting room tentatively. "I'm sorry to disturb you. I'm Detective Ben Bloom." He pulled a walletlike badge from his breast pocket and showed it to us like an honor student handing over his hall pass.
    Jill stood up and shook his hand. I was afraid to try standing.
    He pocketed the badge and looked down at me. "How are you feeling?"
    "Terrible."
    "I'm sure. Do you mind if I ask some questions? I know it's a bad time, but it's best if we do this right away."
    "She's not up to a lot of hassle," Jill said.
    Bloom ignored her politely and kept his gaze on me. Although I was in shock, I realized why he'd been sent. He was the good cop—the baby-faced one assigned to deal with small children and emotional women in times of trouble.
    He asked, "Feeling able to tell me what you saw?"
    "I think so."
    "You're a reporter, I hear."
    "Not really. I help write Kitty Keough's society page, that's all."
    He sat on the footstool directly in front of me. Jill sat beside me, one hand across my shoulders. I fished a linen handkerchief from my bag to stop my running nose. Then I leaned forward on the settee, elbows on my knees, feet together and hands clasping the handkerchief to keep them from shaking.
    He said, "I'm sorry this has happened. I gather Mr. Pendergast was someone close to you."
    I nodded and Jill said, "Nora's family and Rory go back a long way."
    Formalities over with, Bloom said, "I'm also told you went upstairs to see Mr.