“Yes — only — only don’t kid me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t tell me that you’re going to give me a break, and then as soon as I’ve left, call the police.”

Mason said, “As far as that’s concerned, I’ll go you one better. I know a roadhouse that’s still open. I’ll buy you a drink, and a sandwich, and you can watch me to make certain I don’t even go near a telephone.”

She hugged his arm. “You don’t know what this means to me! It — it means everything!”

Mason said, “Okay, let’s go.”

“Shouldn’t we — turn the lights off?”

“No,” Mason said. “Leave things just as they are.”

“But I’m the one who turned the lights on. ”

“All right, leave them that way.”