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trial. “Just south of Magnolia Glade,” she said.
    D E LU S I O N
    23
    “We—Johnny and I—were living in my parents’ guesthouse for the summer.” One odd thing about that summer: hot, like all Gulf summers, but for some reason the humidity never came, making for soft, warm nights, one after another. “Johnny spent the days on his thesis—he’d reached the writing stage. I was teaching swimming at the Y camp. At night we went for long walks, sometimes all the way to the levee.”
    “Levee?”
    “The old Sunshine Road levee. It all got changed after they built the canal.” Their favorite spot in Belle Ville: from up on the levee, they’d had a clear view of the Gulf, with the lights of the shrimpers and the freighters moving slowly in the darkness.
    Lee Ann’s phone rang again. “Damn,” she said, ignoring it. “Go on.”
    Suddenly Nell had a clear memory of the moon that night, a full moon, very bright, and how Johnny had explained that the moon had probably once been part of the earth. What had he said? It’s like a little ghost brother stuck up there. He’d had a head full of thoughts like that, rocked her with them once in a while, the way he’d rocked her in the pool the first time they’d met. Love at first sight, no doubt about it. Falling in love with Clay had been different, longer, slower, perhaps sweeter; and darker, of course. But Lee Ann didn’t want to hear any of that.
    “We were on our way back,” Nell said. “Following the creek. Do you know the pier at the foot of Parish Street?”
    “Gone now,” said Lee Ann. “Bernardine.”
    Nell hadn’t known that. “We were just passing the pier when—”
    She paused. What was that? The front door?
    “When what?” said Lee Ann.
    At that moment, Clay walked in. He’d changed at the office, was wearing a dark suit—the one she’d got at the Brooks Brothers out-let—white shirt, blue tie. “Hi, baby,” he said, and then noticed Lee Ann, in the corner on the wicker chair.
    “You remember Lee Ann?” Nell said.
    “Wouldn’t take much of a memory,” Clay said. “Lee Ann was in my office not two hours ago.”
    Nell turned to Lee Ann, a little confused. Lee Ann’s face was 24
    PETER ABRAHAMS
    expressionless, but she’d shifted her legs under the chair, as though about to rise.
    “Where I told her,” Clay went on, “I had no comment on the DuPree situation and that I didn’t believe my wife would either. So I assume what we have here is a social call.”
    Lee Ann was on her feet. “This is a big story, Chief,” she said.
    “There’s no way to keep it under wraps.”
    “Keeping things under wraps has never been my style,” Clay said,
    “as I think the Guardian knows.”
    “They’ve backed him in every election,” Nell said, unnecessary since Lee Ann had to know that, but it popped out anyway.
    “Then why this new approach?” Lee Ann said.
    “It’s not a new approach,” Clay said. “We always make sure we’ve got the facts before going public.”
    “Is it a fact that the D.A.’s going to oppose the motion to cut Alvin DuPree loose?” Lee Ann said.
    “You’ll have to ask her.”
    “I plan to.”
    “That’s your right,” Clay said. “Even your duty. We won’t keep you.”
    Lee Ann slung her bag over her shoulder, turned to Nell. “Good to see you,” she said.
    “I’ll walk you to the door,” said Nell.
    A silent walk. When Nell returned, she found Clay in the kitchen, buttering a cracker, his hands not quite steady.
    “Those are stale,” Nell said.
    Clay didn’t seem to hear. The cracker split in half. He reached in the box for another one. “What did you tell her?” he said.
    “Nothing,” said Nell. “I’ve got nothing to tell. What’s going on?”
    Clay sat at the counter, rubbed his eyes. “I wish I knew.” He kept rubbing them, much too hard.
    “Don’t,” said Nell. “You’ll hurt yourself.” She went over to him, pulled his hands away. His eyes still had that blurry look, and