He said with conviction, “When he finds out how she’s deceived him, he’ll walk out on her. It will hurt for a while, but he’ll walk out.”
I said, “You’re wrong. He won’t find out. Personally, I’m going to get something to eat. I’ll see you in about twenty minutes.”
I walked out and left him alone with Bertha.
I strolled down the street to a bar, got a toothpick, and came back to Bertha Cool’s room. She was alone. “Where’s Whitewell?” I asked.
“Gone to get some things together. You really shouldn’t have handled him that way, lover. You’ve always had a chip on your shoulder with him.”
“I gave him a break with that amnesia business, and he was too dumb to realize it,” I said.
“No, not dumb. Just confident that Philip will do exactly what he expects him to do.”
“Philip is in love.”
“Donald, what about that letter he sent. What was in it?”
“Nothing much.”