I nodded to the detective who looked out of the linen room as I went by, and opened my door. I wasn’t tired as much as I was deflated. I didn’t want to go to bed. It occurred to me that that was probably why the River House was still crowded and hectic. People didn’t want to go to bed and be alone with the sense of defeat and unrest, and the excitement of dashing about and drinking and gambling, even if it was just pulling the lever of a slot machine, kept them from it.
I opened Judy’s door very quietly, and glanced in. She had put the Do Not Disturb sign on her door—I’d noticed it as I came in. The room was dark. I listened. I couldn’t hear her breathing. I waited a minute, listening, a little chill gathering on my heart, and then threw open the door and turned on her light.
Her bed was
