The girls were out by the pool, side by side, reading, as they often were now, despite the fact that Eddie had returned Allegra’s cell phone, thereby restoring her access to her social life. Eddie strode out across the grass in his bare feet, head exposed to the sun now that all three of his Panama hats had bitten the dust. It was late July and one of the most glorious sunny days that God had to offer. The yard was blooming in forty different directions. It was so lush, so colorful, so aesthetically pleasing, that Eddie’s overwhelming instinct was to get on his knees and pray—for forgiveness and in gratitude for the beauty of the world that he had taken for granted and that he would now be leaving behind.

He stood equidistantly between the foot of the girls’ chaise longues. His father had managed Ramos Dry Cleaners and had never made more than twenty-five thousand dollars a year, but Charles Pancik never had to prostrate himself in front of his children. He had been a man of honor. Eddie and Barbie still talked about him with reverence.

“Girls,” Eddie said.

They set down their books and regarded him. They were wearing sunglasses, so it was hard to read their expressions. Since they had learned what had happened, they had treated him with a certain pity, almost as if he were terminally ill. But they must have been angry and disgusted with him, too. They must have been.

He said, “I owe you both an apology.”

They stared at him.

“I did an inexcusable thing. I broke the law, and I engaged in a business arrangement that debased five young women, one of them only a year older than you. I used my position of power to make money from these girls selling their bodies. I was wrong, and I want you to know I’m very sorry.”

Hope said, “It’s okay, Daddy.”

“No,” he said. “It’s not okay.”

“It was a business arrangement,” Allegra said. “You got paid, the girls got paid, the men got what they wanted. You didn’t hurt anyone.”

“You didn’t kill anyone,” Hope said.

“Well, that doesn’t make it right,” Eddie said, thinking, Tax evasion, corruption of a minor, sex trafficking—these would be words connected with his name for the rest of his life. “I’ve led by poor example, and as a result of my actions, I’m going to jail, and your mother is going to sell the house.”

Hope shrugged. “It’s just a house.”

Allegra said, “I’d rather live in town, anyway.”

“Okay,” Eddie said. He couldn’t understand why they were being so nice.

“Eddie!” Grace called from the porch. “We have to go!”

The girls stood to give Eddie a hug. “We love you, Daddy,” Allegra said.

“We really love you,” Hope said.

“And I love you both,” Eddie said. “So much.” He was overcome with emotion. “Take care of your mother. Please.”

“We will,” Hope said.

The ride from Polpis Road to the courthouse took twenty minutes, the last free minutes of Eddie’s old life.

He said to Grace, “There’s something I want to tell you.”

“You slept with Nadia?” she said. She kept her eyes straight ahead, but her mouth was a grim, unattractive line. “I know it hardly matters in the scheme of things, but if you did, I want you to admit it.”

“I did not sleep with Nadia,” Eddie said. “What I want to tell you isn’t about me. It’s about you.”

“You’re going to tell me something about myself?” she said.

“It’s about Benton,” Eddie said.

Grace swerved the car at the mention of his name. It was probably the last thing she’d expected to talk about today, and yet Eddie had to get it off his chest before he left.

“What is it?” she said.

“I called him the other night,” Eddie said. “Before I drove out to Low Beach Road, I called him, and I asked him to stop by the office so we could have a man-to-man talk.”

Grace gasped. “Did he show?”

“Yes,” Eddie said. “I asked him what had been going on, and he told me he loved you. I honestly think he was asking me to step aside gracefully so you two could have a life together.” Eddie cleared his throat. “But he was confused, too, maybe not as sure of himself as he thought. He was worried about the effect of such a scandal on his business. Nobody wants to hire a home wrecker. He was afraid for you and the girls. He enjoyed Hope and thought she was a great kid, but he had never even met Allegra. What happened within the confines of the garden shed might have looked a little different once it was brought out into the sun.” Eddie had been struck, however, by Benton Coe’s adoration of his wife. When Benton talked about Grace, Eddie could feel love coming off the man in waves. It had given Eddie pause. “I think he was willing to take the risk if it could be done with my blessing? My permission?” Eddie was pretty sure that was why Benton had agreed to come to the office—he thought Eddie was going to surrender. “But I wasn’t about to just hand you over. You’re my wife, my life, you’re the mother of my children. I’m aware, Grace, that I haven’t been the most attentive, nor the most loving, husband. I realize I didn’t succeed at nurturing your interior life. Most days, I didn’t ask what you were thinking or feeling. You had emotional needs that I was incapable of meeting, which was why I was glad you had Madeline. And, for a while, I was even glad you had Benton. I knew you liked him, I knew his friendship was important to you. I knew you enjoyed having someone to talk about flowers. But I’m not going to lose you to him. I told him, Grace, that if he ever contacted you again, or if he even responded to a text or call that you made, I would have him killed.”