My arm fell. I bent till my face was close to hers.
"When did I ever run away?"
Her hand was thrown out in the imperious gesture of dismissal I had seen two or three times already.
"Please, Billy! We won't go into that. You'll—you'll spare me."
"Vio, you believe that?"
She inclined her head slowly.
"That I was a—a coward—a deserter?"
She inclined her head again.
"And that I—" the whole plan spread itself out before me—"that I pretended to commit suicide in order to cover up my tracks?"
Once more she bowed her head relentlessly.