I intercepted her and Arthur on the far side.
“Hello, Dan,” Catheryn said coolly. “Nice of you to make it.”
I stopped several feet away, scowling as I noticed that Catheryn and Arthur were still arm in arm. “I got jammed up at work.”
“I’m sure you did,” said Catheryn, making no move toward me in greeting.
“Good evening, Detective,” said Arthur. Faced with the choice of extending his hand in greeting or leaving his arm entwined in Catheryn’s, he chose the latter.
“We need to talk, Kate,” I said. “In private.”
“In private?” laughed Arthur. “In the midst of three thousand people? I think not.”
“I’m not talking to you, Arthur. Stay out of this.”
“Hi, Pop,” interjected Allison. “You’re looking sharp tonight,” she added, apparently sensing an approaching storm and trying to lighten the tension.
“Hi, Dad,” echoed Nate. By then he had rejoined his mother, surprisingly unscathed by his game of chicken with the fountain.
“You kids take a hike,” I ordered. “I need to talk to your mom. Nate, go up to the banquet hall with Travis and Allison and get some chow. We’ll see you there.”
“We already ate,” said Nate.
“And now isn’t the time or place,” added Catheryn.
“Oh? Would a hotel room suit you better?”
Catheryn frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Before I could reply, Arthur spoke. “Listen, Detective. You’re clearly upset about something, but Catheryn and I have obligations to the Philharmonic tonight that-”
“I told you to stay out of this,” I broke in, my voice ominously flat.
“Go away, Dan,” said Catheryn, tightening her arm in Arthur’s. “I don’t want to talk to you right now. Later, maybe. Not now.”
“All right. You want to be with this turkey, go ahead. You seem to have made your choice.”
“ I’ve made a choice? That sounds strange coming from you.”
I noticed that Travis, Allison, and Nate were watching our exchange in shock. Like all married couples, Catheryn and I occasionally quarreled, but humor had always leavened our differences and rarely did we fight in the presence of our children-let alone in front of a crowd of strangers. All at once Nate, with the unerring instinct of youth, sensed the heart of the matter. Rushing forward, he squirmed between Catheryn and Arthur. “Leave my mom alone,” he said, trying to disentangle the cellist’s arm from Catheryn’s.
“This is simply too much,” said Arthur. Using his thumb and forefinger, he pinched Nate’s earlobe and dragged him out to arm’s length. “Mind your manners, boy.”
“Ow!” yelled Nate, throwing an ineffective swing. “Lemme go!”
“Arthur, don’t,” said Catheryn. “He’s just-”
My arm shot out. Without thinking I closed my fist on Arthur’s hand. Nate broke free of Arthur’s grasp an instant later, but I didn’t let go. Angrily gripping the cellist’s hand in mine, I squeezed. Arthur paled, his lips drawing back in a wordless grimace.
“Dan, no!” Catheryn screamed.
“Let him go, Dad,” pleaded Travis, tugging at my arm. Allison and Nate stood paralyzed, watching in horror.
I released Arthur’s hand and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. “You may think you can put your paws anyplace you want on my wife,” I said softly, “but keep them off my kids.”
Though my warning had been meant only for Arthur, Catheryn heard. I saw her eyes widen in comprehension. Furious, she threw herself between us. “Let him go, Dan.”
With a snarl I shoved Arthur away, sending him stumbling into a circle of stunned onlookers. Cradling his hand, he glowered at me, his face ashen. “You animal!” he spat.
I stepped forward. Catheryn moved to block me. “Arthur, get out of here,” she hissed, her eyes locked on mine. “Go find some ice for your hand.”
“Catheryn, this is inexcusable,” Arthur moaned. “If he thinks he can-”
“Leave, Arthur. Now!”
Arthur glanced at me. Swallowing whatever he had been about to say, he hurried off, still clutching his hand to his chest.
“Travis, take Allison and Nate to the buffet room,” Catheryn commanded, still eye to eye with me. “I’ll see you there in a few minutes.”
“Mom, I-”
“Do it, Travis.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
After the children left, Catheryn and I stared at each other for a long moment. At last she spoke. “Congratulations, Dan,” she said quietly. “You’ve outdone yourself this time. I didn’t think it was possible, but I guess you never know about somebody. Even your own husband.”
“Having a husband doesn’t seem like something you take too seriously these days,” I said.
“You don’t own me,” Catheryn retorted. “I’ll be with whomever I want.”
“With whomever you want, huh?” I said, reeling with surprise at her tacit admission. I had expected an excuse, a denial… something. Anything but this. “Fine. You want to be with that narcissistic bastard, suit yourself. But tell Arthur if he ever lays a hand on one of my kids again, tonight was just a prelude.”
Catheryn’s lips set in a hard, thin line. “I don’t want to see you for a while, Dan,” she said.
“No problem. I’ll be staying at Arnie’s.”
“You do that.” Eyes brimming with anger and hurt, Catheryn turned and disappeared into the crowd.
Following a sleepless night of self-recrimination and regret, I telephoned home early the following day. Allison answered. “Hi, Pop,” she said somberly. “Where are you?”
“Work, where else? Listen, kid, put your mom on.”
“I mean where did you go last night?”
“I stayed at Arnie’s. I’m bunking back there again. Is your mom around?”
“No. What’s going on, Dad? Mom wouldn’t tell me what’s wrong, but she was really upset. Why are you being so nasty?”
“Where’s your mom? I need to talk to her.”
“Answer my question first,” Allison said obstinately.
“You’re treading on thin ice, princess. Get your mom.”
“What’s that, Pop? You’re breaking up. There must be something wrong with the phone connection.”
“Damn it, Ali…”
“Hold on.” Apparently Allison slammed the receiver on the table several times, causing me to pull the phone from my ear.
“Allison?”
“That’s better,” said Allison, coming back on. “Now, where were we? Oh, yeah. The fight between you and Mom.”
“I swear, when I get my hands on you, Ali…”
“You’re breaking up again, Pop. If it continues I’ll have to hang up.”
A long silence.
“Dad?”
“I’m still here.”
“I can’t believe you’re doing this. Especially your timing. Mom just got home yesterday, and Christmas is tomorrow. At this rate the holidays are going to be just peachy.”
“Your mom and I are having a disagreement that doesn’t concern you or your brothers.”
“You’re jealous of Mr. West, aren’t you?”
“Did Kate tell you that?”
“I was there last night, Dad. Only someone with a room temperature IQ could’ve missed what was going
