"The blade was very sharp, obviously. Whoever was at the other end of it must have been very strong and moderately knowledgeable in the anatomy of the heart, for the path of the knife travels through the ribcage into the pericardial cavity. The septum is pierced through and mitral and tricuspid valves severed. Death, I'm sure, was expeditious."

Nigel took a break to swallow a mouthful of burning coffee. Maggie had barely touched hers, though she clung to the cup so hard her knuckles were white. For long moments the ticking of the clock on the wall and the muted sounds from the café kitchen were the only sounds. Maggie stared at her coffee; Nigel took the opportunity to watch her face. She was no soul mate, but she was something else he couldn't name. It was nearing one in the morning, he should go. Still he sat, his long legs cramped beneath the small table.

"We were having an affair."

Maggie's suddenly spoken words surprised him, but he did not show it. He merely nodded and waited for her to go on.

"I knew it was wrong. I had a good fiancée who loved me. But when I met Adam the world just seemed to stop. He knew me- he saw me. He knew more of who I was in five minutes than most of the people who have known me my whole life. Do you know what that feels like, Dr. Townsend?"

"I know exactly," he replied softly, each glimpse of her green eyes tearing at him.

"I tried three different times to leave him. Each time it nearly killed us both, and I'd always go back. My fiancé, Jonathon, knew something was wrong, and I felt so guilty I told him everything. He wanted to break off the engagement of course, but I begged him to stay. As much as I loved Adam, the thought of losing Jonathon was something I could not bear. It wasn't just him- it was a way of life. He represented everything I had ever known or believed in and I found in the end that was something I could not let go of."

She was fighting to keep her voice steady against the tears that constantly rose to the surface. Nigel slid his hand across the table and she gripped it fiercely, her small fingers wrapped around his thumb like a child's.

"Even if it sacrificed the knowledge of your own heart and soul?" Nigel asked quietly.

Maggie nodded, obviously fighting hard for control. Her tale must be told, and she couldn't rest until it was finished.

"When I went to see Adam, he told me he was dying of cancer. At first I thought it was some trick to keep me with him. But everything I knew about him confirmed that it was true. I had been so blind not to see it before. Still I could not stay, and he knew it was really goodbye. I have never seen a grown man cry like he did, it was terrible. I couldn't stand it and fled. The next day this was mailed to my house."

She pulled a folded piece of paper from her coat pocket and handed it to Nigel. Gently taking his hand from hers, he unfolded the sheet to reveal a poem penned in a man's hand. His eyes drifted over the lines and he read them out loud:

Sudden sharp steel against my flesh-

A gasp of pain, then another,

And the worst is over.

Cover my body with yours,

Leave your kisses on my lips,

Warm me as death leaves me cold.

"God," Maggie whispered, her eyes seeing another time and place, "How could I have done it?"