It wasn’t long after the stabbing of her boyfriend that Linda asked Sam to move out. And really, he couldn’t blame her. He’d have done the same thing. It was probably for the best, anyway. He’d hate to think that he might someday harm her in the same way. He would never forgive himself if that happened.

On the day of their parting, the two of them assured each other that they still loved each other. And Linda suggested that he take the empty apartment beneath hers, so really they weren’t splitting up but just giving each other a little space. Linda was kind like that.

But then a week later, Jack was mugged in the parking lot. He wasn’t stabbed this time, but rather beaten badly with a blunt object. Jack never saw his assailant, but everyone secretly suspected Sam — including himself. A week after that, Linda moved out of her apartment without so much as a goodbye.

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Sam blamed himself and started drinking to cope with his shame. He quit his job at the hospital and managed to find another one working as a mechanic for a local garage. He toyed with the idea of visiting Linda at the hospital, but he felt too much love for her to put her through that. She had always been so nice to him, even to the bitter end. She had even convinced Jack not to mention him to the police after the mugging. She was such a good lady. He would leave her alone.

He looked around the apartment as if something were missing. He called out, “Einstein, where are you? Einstein? Einstein?”