Also, Pat wasn’t involved with anyone else at the time, Benjamin Brown being several months still in her future. By the time she was safely on the b...s and headed home, Claire finally realized what it was she had actually felt. It had been envy. Despite being in the good years of her relationship with David at the time, Claire felt a bit of envy at her friend’s sense of adventure.“Well, that’s all the time we have for tonight,” Madeline said, much too soon. “As I mentioned last week, we have to. Did you work some magic on the higher-ups?”“Oh, I sprinkled a little fairy dust in the right places. You know how it works. I’ve done a lot of favors over the years and it was time to cash in one or two.”“Good job then.”Jim looked at his watch. It was lunchtime. He closed the Master PC program, ejected the disc, and put it in the locked file cabinet in his office. He’d have to devise some stronger security than this, but for now, he felt reasonably safe.“I’m headed out for lunch, Pat,” he. ”I accepted the offered glass of hot tea and sipped carefully and waited for Tanya to talk.“Stepa, I am sorry for my father’s questions about us.”“He’s just a dad looking out for his daughter, Tanya,” I replied. “It’s the same all over the world!”“Yes, of course, but what matters is what you think and what I think.”“That’s true. What do you think?”“First, I think you are very nice boy. Second, I like you very much. Third, I know you are in love with me.”“Tanya...” I protested, not because she. Through the sobs, she related how despondent Lin Tai had been about the seduction and how responsible she felt for the young girl's death."Maybe I should just turn myself in to the police." No, Wendy. Maybe you did take advantage of Lin Tai, but she chose to take her own life... if that's what really happened. After all, the police said it was an accident." I don't know, but I can't help seeing her face, how devastated she was, how she felt her world was collapsing around her and I was.