Frozen in place, unable for the moment to think of anything to say, Dave Heinrich stared at the man on the cot. Apparently, Larry was done with his amazing, tragic tale; he was hunched silently on the mattress, eyes closed tightly, fingers rubbing his temples. Though he hadn't stated that his story was over, there was an air of finality about him, a sense of completion and exhaustion.
As he stared at the man, Dave felt dazed. Surprisingly, he wasn't overjoyed or relieved now that he'd won, now that he'd finally forced the truth from Larry. There was no swell of satisfaction or self-congratulation, no rush of pleasure in his success.
Instead of euphoria, Dave was enveloped in sadness, a sympathetic sorrow for Larry Smith. He was no longer angry with the man; having heard Larry's trag
