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remind her to shut it off, not demand it,” Nina said.
    But the hard look Simon returned suggested a different narrative.
    â€œNo, you were very clear with me that the TV must be shut off at six. Those were your instructions exactly.”
    But were they? Nina scratched at the recesses of her mind, trying to locate the precise words she’d spoken, but what had seemed so clear moments ago was now as murky as the lake that had seemingly swallowed Glen. Had she issued Simon a mandate? She understood the power dynamics at play, and it would have been unfair of her to put Simon in such a position. Of course Maggie would have battled back, if for no other reason than to make the point that Simon had no authority over her.
    â€œI don’t believe that’s what I told you,” Nina said. “And if I did, you should know you have to be gentle with her. She’s very fragile right now.”
    â€œWhich is why I specifically asked if you were sure that’s what youwanted me to do,” Simon said. “I know how young people think, Nina,” he reminded her.
    Again, Nina thought back to the conversation she’d had with Simon while rushing out the door. Ginny, waiting in the driveway, had given a second warning honk that they’d soon be late for the afternoon exercise class. Meanwhile, the house was still a mess, and Nina couldn’t find a tank top to wear. It was entirely conceivable that in the rush and chaos she’d issued Simon a mandate that had set him up to fail.
    From the start of their relationship Simon had been nothing but generous, empathetic, and almost superhumanly in tune with her feelings and needs. Most important, she loved the way he loved her. It was like that first dinner he had cooked for her (eggplant rollatine), the first present he’d bought (an opal necklace, a perfect choice), the TV shows and movies he’d wanted to watch that she did, too, the music he listened to—all of it perfectly aligned with her tastes and desires, as if the universe itself were sending signals to let her know she’d made the right choice. So if there was fault to pass around here, Nina considered it quite possible that it rested squarely on her shoulders.
    In fact, in their brief history together there had been no fights, no misunderstandings, not even any minor tiffs for her to reference. The toilet seat was never left up. His clothes were never scattered about—or worse, dropped on the floor four inches from the hamper. He kept his side of the bathroom cleaner than Nina’s, as was his nature, and anytime he borrowed her car, it always came back with a full tank of gas.
    Their first evening alone together, before they were a couple, had been at a restaurant Simon had picked out, the Blue Nile. It was new to Seabury but came highly praised by The Hippo, a weekly periodical covering arts and culture in New Hampshire. Nina hadn’t wanted to think of it as a date, because the word carried connotations she wasn’t ready to embrace. She had told Simon to meet her there, partly because it felt less datelike to arrive separately.
    Strolling into the restaurant, Nina felt guilty for wearing an outfitshe’d taken pains to select. To quiet her conscience, she’d reminded herself of Glen’s many betrayals. It was hard enough that he’d gone missing, but when his secrets surfaced (the waitress … the missing money) and his body didn’t, it made things so much worse. So for that reason, Nina’s petty revenge felt strangely sweet. The fitted lace bodice with semi-sheer sleeves paired with a pencil skirt, was both feminine and figure-flattering. She wore lipstick and mascara, something she saved for special occasions, but she had wanted to make an impression. Judging by how Simon couldn’t stop looking at her, Nina felt it was mission accomplished.
    But it wasn’t a date. Her husband had disappeared only three months ago—twelve