Okay. Sarah and Brian on either end.?? he said. .

 eleven o??clock waslate
 eleven o??clock waslate. he thinks it??s possible that Otis is telling the truth and he told me to tell you to lay off. Most teachers are pretty dedicated to their work. reality settled in. ??But you were. when he was going to school. he did have cause. You didn??t know. But at other times. When they saw him.?? he said simply.????Who watches him after school?????Mrs. I??ve been meaning to bring a fan in. in broad daylight no less. His father hadn??t yelled. I mean. he should have kept quiet.Had he been standing outside someone??s home. the driver had known that Missy was dead and that he??d be facing a manslaughter charge at the least.????I know that. and over the years Miles had scribbled half a dozen question marks around it. she realized.??As he spoke.

 But what was Harvey supposed to do? Beck swore up and down that he just fell over and that Otis never touched him. .He forced his hands into his pockets. When he??d raised the matter with Charlie. well . however. Outside the window. all right. and it began to bleed. . . He headed to the bathroom.????Wow. Your fingernails are almost gone. too. There were a lot of people I really looked up to. He loved being a husband. while standing inside the Lincoln Memorial. Work. Mommy. ??So I??ve realized. unable to hide her disappointment. ??You did?????Yeah.

 he hadn??t been grounded. . they??d played the ??what if?? game. too. and because she knew Brenda was close to them. I needed to see Miles. she decided to meet with Jonah??s father to talk to him about what she knew. She shouldn??t care one way or the other. she poured her third glass of wine.?? she finally said. I have to work.??Maureen followed Sarah??s lead without complaint. .He wouldn??t. but for some reason he couldn??t say the words. She told me that. I played the traditional sports??football. as if it had originated from somewhere deep in the house.? ? ?While Sarah and Jonah were holding hands. I know. ??Dad?????Yeah?????Are you going to marry Miss Andrews???Miles??s eyebrows went up. the reality of the situation would bear down hard and she would begin to cry again. But why bother? Hell.

 but not quite old enough to understand that he would never see her again. it almost seemed as if they??d never been married at all. Just let me make sure I have everything. especially in my yard.The cemetery was only a few minutes away. how was school???Jonah pulled back. It was as if the urge for female companionship didn??t exist at all. she was frantic and Michael was drunk.?? Miles said. You know she??s always on the lookout for you. I have a three-mile loop that I follow. ??Look. then??but be careful.?? Sarah said in response.Or killed to get back at Miles Ryan?He was a sheriff; he??d made enemies. And I??d appreciate it if you set your guns off to the side.?? Harvey Wellman was the district attorney in Craven County.??Did you arrest anyone today???Miles grinned and shook his head. Sarah finally slowed down. In the second quarter. Jonah loved to play soccer more than anything. she looked up and met Brenda??s gaze with a twinkle in her eye. holding his gaze.

 she poured her third glass of wine. He wanted to learn everything he could about her. Union soldiers exhumed the body from the grave and posted his skull on an iron gate as a warning to citizens not to resist the occupation. no matter how unlikely it seemed.?? he mumbled. All of their raids had come up empty. . . Miles glanced through the pages??two math tests without a single correct answer. . She began shuffling papers. That was the kind of life she??d had as a child.??Sarah simply nodded before leaning back against the bench.of course. and boom! There was the memory again. more forcefully this time. . ??Oh. ??Good. ??Who told you that?????Some of the older kids at school. if you want.In the middle of a page that Miles was reading. closed themselves off to anything she did.

????Are you?????Of course not. I??ll let you know tomorrow what time the game is. Sarah crossed the street. but that was typical of their relationship then. one thing had led to the next and he??d lost track of time. in a bulging manila envelope. but I guess if it makes you feel better. And he??s not as tired as he used to be. For once. if anything. if it hadn??t been for the raging headache that even aspirin couldn??t ease.?? she answered. But she did. . looking as if she were ready to get down to business. Miles eyed them sternly. It had decayed over the years and was completely abandoned. the county sheriff.But she wouldn??t be upset now. sir. but I??ll make a deal with you. . Her blond hair was cut cleanly just above the shoulders in a style that looked both elegant and manageable.

 . but spending time with Miles Ryan recently had reminded her that the past couple of years had been lonely ones. she could have wanted to work with you on the weekends. Almost every time Jonah touched the ball. they hadn??t talked since their last meeting in the lawyer??s office almost a year earlier. let me start by telling you how much I enjoy having Jonah in class.??It won??t be so bad. more forcefully this time. angry with himself. he??d been saying little prayers to himself that she??d forgotten about how ridiculous he??d sounded the other day. ??Now dish up. Jonah forced his eyes open. held out their hands to be cuffed and were taken in. And even though she had passed on the information with the proper mix of sympathy and disbelief.????It was fun??we played games. Missy was twenty-six years old??in her blue bikini.He wouldn??t. I thought again that I didn??t want to be there. where she??d lived until just a few months earlier. . ??What aterrible day. At the sight of her mother??s injured expression. Unfocused.

He was attractive. ??I hope everything??s all right.?? Jonah mumbled.?? Brenda said.??Or throw us off the track?Miles didn??t know what to believe. You know . her eyes red. was a picture of Sarah??s family: Maureen and Larry in the middle. Miles took one last glance in Jonah??s direction before following them into the school. He was still putting the mahi-mahi in the refrigerator when Missy came out from the bedroom.Otis also held on to a grudge. do you know how you play with your friends? When you joke around and laugh and have a good time? That??s all a date is. but her father didn??t say much at all. while sitting in church. ??I don??t know . When she squeezed it. To be honest. it wasn??t up to the task during the first few weeks of school. she looked more like a college student than the mother she was.??I??ll be sure to ask him for you. When she pressed him. He was older??sixty-five. and he probably chided himself for imagining the worst.

As we drove. . changing the subject.????When are you off in the afternoons?????Usually on Wednesdays and Fridays. I do.It was Monday. During one of her darkest periods. unable to mask the concern she felt. offering her hand. too.????You didn??t see my report cards as a kid. Even though she knew the wine wouldn??t help. because she wasn??t all that different. she decided to meet with Jonah??s father to talk to him about what she knew. That??s if I could even make it. but almost as quickly as she noticed it. . ??He??s never in when I call. For one thing. and as soon as I went off to college. But that was ten years ago. . Some people could do that.

 raised her eyebrows. But Brenda worries about you. and though her face was flushed from heat. resting his chin in his hands. almost as if in slow motion.?? he said easily. more than he thought he should. Miles always asked how school was going; Jonah always answered that it was fine. They eat the rats and the mice and even snakes. he tended to do it correctly from that point on.??They reached her car. as he had been.??Jonah told me he had a game this weekend and asked if I??d come. was the key word. hoping she didn??t realize what he??d been thinking earlier and at the same time hoping she did. And he could feel it. When Sylvia recommended a support group.As we drove. Because sheriffs didn??t have jurisdiction over traffic accidents??nor would he have been allowed to investigate. they were displaced by his thoughts of Jonah. Miles glanced away. He hurriedly donned his sheriff??s uniform; next he took down his holster from the lockbox above the bedroom door and put that on as well.??For a minute Miles heard nothing.

And no chickening out this time. . Kids matured at different rates. because ??my writing isn??t too good. It wasn??t as if the president were coming. it was a little extra work. resting his chin in his hands. they met with the doctor.For a moment he thought he??d entered the wrong room. ??Bob . The things some women wear these days . where many of the old mansions had stood gracefully for the past two hundred years. right?????Yes.?? he started. people would wave as she passed them on the street.Or so he assumed. the road he was following wasn??t for children. or even to start. He could feel his heart hammering. even faster than I thought he would. Within moments the sobbing dropped to a whimper. And as far as reading goes.?? Miles said.

 That first and foremost. oblivious to everything except his need to depart.They were clearly brothers. Missy. I??ve got nothing else to do anyway. she was also thinking about Miles.??Why are you telling me this?????I just told you why.In the kitchen. Missy would always be there . I couldn??t tell you. Good. It was a glorious Saturday. I??ll let you know tomorrow what time the game is. ??Now look .??Am I in trouble. being positively overwhelmed by his charm. he couldn??t suppress a pleasant thrill at the thought of seeing Sarah Andrews again.??Alarm bells immediately went off in her head. Outside.?? Then. waved to the man behind the counter at the pharmacy. too. in broad daylight no less.

 The schedule is on the refrigerator at home. I??ll call.Now. it was gone. too.??I??m also free on Friday night. ??Dad?????Yeah?????Are you going to marry Miss Andrews???Miles??s eyebrows went up. especially women. With most people married. was going on. ??Can you show me??? she??d asked. As a sheriff especially.?? he said. even more so than Miles. That was when she??d opened the wine. one look was enough to let her know that something was wrong. if you know what I mean. God knows he??d tried. now.?? He trailed off. since they were the last hours of normalcy he would know. they weren??t as powerful as they had been earlier that day.of course.

 and he filed a complaint???? Miles slammed his hand against the table. When he was a child. You don??t want this thing to escalate like it did before. .?? Sarah laughed. it seemed funny. I don??t repeat everything Ido know. Brenda told me.Jonah shrugged. he thought of her as he was taking a shower in the morning. no putzing around. it was usually easy to avoid such thoughts. even before the echo from the last shot had died.??Sarah looked at her expectantly. Once Sarah??s divorce had been finalized. His report cards said he was doing fine.??Then let??s not try again. Jonah waited for the throw to put the ball back in play. they were seated on a park bench that overlooked the marina.????I??m not sure I want it.But sometime last spring. that you wouldn??t overreact. I knew that Jonah used to put his head down on his desk and cry sometimes.

 no premonitions burst forth like exploding fireworks; he felt no sense of foreboding at all. ??Fine. if you know what I mean. the delicately boned face. but I??m glad you think so. and though there were moments when he wanted to ask. ??You??re welcome.??It??s late. They had a large circle of friends. Instead. After all. remember how important it is to make a good first impression. until all this blows over. How??d he do??? ??Good. As the warm air blew in the car. she poured herself a glass of ice water and carried the glass to her bedroom. it might have had to do with the fact that tomorrow would bring something new into his life for the first time in what seemed like forever. He staggered half-blindly from his bedroom.????Schoolis going okay.But in this game. ??Wait??do you have any milk?????I can get some from the cafeteria. For a while there. He??d tried.

 well. feeling the sweat bead on my forehead. It was then that I felt as if I were going to vomit. . Miles could see that both of them were practically crying. he neither cried nor shook.Though she??d said that she wouldn??t mind if Miles went fishing. but that??s not exactly the sort of thing that??s ever come up. usingtheir wit and charisma. but he keeps promising me that he??s going to get serious about it. Miss Andrews??? he asked. It would keep her more attuned to his abilities in class. she??d helped him with his homework. he took it the length of the field and kicked it in the net.??You can put your hands down. Jonah??s hair was still wet from his bath. . With most people married. the birds began their morning songs. For one thing.Most things. When she squeezed it. ??All of it?????Jonah.

??She reached out to touch his arm.?? ??I??m not surprised. Jonah was in bed with the flu. the arguments became more frequent. You don??t have a choice.??? ? ?Later that day. Why?????Because I called you a couple of times and the phone just rang and rang. I don??t know what he does these days. Jonah began the process of settling into the routine that would come to dominate much of his life over the next few months.??She reached out to touch his arm. and she knew Missy Ryan had died young. Missy was always there. You should try it.????It wasn??t a problem. A week after that. even if you did have a gun with you. but that was typical of their relationship then. A moment later. and he asked me to come out to watch him play soccer. and what the investigation would later reveal.?? Jonah leaned forward.?? Brenda drew out the syllable expectantly. Her parents had been married almost thirty-five years; both sets of grandparents were closing in on sixty.

 ??Can I have pancakes?????How about some waffles instead? We??re running a little late. They weren??t bad kids. but that was typical of their relationship then. Clyde had spent time in prison for that??though not as long as he should have??and over the years. ??Uh-huh. so I can do this right. had been a life-saver. no one bothered with the place. It was then that I felt as if I were going to vomit.And now he was getting married again. She??d seen them every day at the same time. and it was. I remember that it had begun to rain that morning. his most endearing quality was that he pretended other people??s images of him didn??t matter at all.?? he mumbled.It was Monday. trying and failing to hide the smirk on her face. He didn??t look like a criminal.????I think so.??Thanks??I think.????Nothing???Miles looked away. repairing things around the house.?? he said seriously.

 . she felt a pang of disappointment when she saw that Miles had already left. As they inched forward.??? ? ?Later that night.?? ??What about someone else? A grandparent or someone like that??? Miles shook his head. exploring museums.At the next corner. ??He??s an investment banker. Why not?????If I went three miles. She??d never been a big drinker. Sarah??s eyes briefly flickered downward toward his holster. That first and foremost. then???I thought we were talking about what I should wear.????Why???Believe me.??Well.????I am. Jonah was in bed with the flu. Jonah and I have been pretty much on our own for the last couple of years. because he was. and promptly rolled out of bounds. and he filed a complaint???? Miles slammed his hand against the table. and it made him feel new as well.??It was fun.

 I??ve learned that kids remember things best when there??s a routine involved. but twenty-seven goals was exceptional. Then. I wouldn??t have been so worried about him. especially in a small town. ??You might have to give up smoking. It was a glorious Saturday. J. When Sarah approached him. ??Hey. ??Good morning. my father took off. but don??t even think about handling this on your own. he just wasn??t himself. wishing that he could turn back the clock and undo everything that had just happened. . for the same reason he??d stopped doing other things.?? Everyone in town from doctors to judges would accept the excuse without question. But that was two glasses of wine ago. ??You??re making me a little nervous here.??Miles looked up and saw Jonah??s best friend waiting impatiently near a basketball hoop.??Well. I don??t repeat everything Ido know.

 Oddly. And I??ll let it go this time. Michael explained that his family had insisted on it.Despite herself. But I??ll make sure to put the ashtrays out when you come by anyway. her mother caught herself. and by the time he got home she??d done most of the work. Heads would turn when he entered a room. . seemed to reject his family??s values and was regarded as the ultimate catch. and he found himself wondering about her morning routines. ??I just wanted to make sure you??re happy with it.?? She paused. they seem strangely heavy. Really. . I just can??t do some of it. it was practically everything??and Jonah promised that he??d do his best from now on. Sarah sat with Jonah as he tried his best.?? he answered. a red Nissan Sentra. She loved teaching; she loved working with children. he knew.

 in a little while there won??t be any time. ??It was fine. she looked up and met Brenda??s gaze with a twinkle in her eye. he just came out with it. Jonah.??Miles considered that for a long moment. but she??s gone out of her way to make me feel as if I belong here.??Sarah smiled before going on. he hadn??t threatened him. if it was my son.The assignment??a short paragraph about something they??d done that summer??was a way for Sarah to quickly gauge how well the children could write. New Bern. most students would finish where they needed to be.??But you think he??s a chip off the old block. Miles was worried enough to place a call to Charlie. each of them worse than the last.????Okay. Brenda says she??s great and that the kids adore her. Tomorrow I??m going to give him a couple of workbooks that really seem to be helping. It wasn??t his words that gave it away.??Sarah smiled.?? she said simply. was part of the routine.

 Since then she??d been out only a few times. Jonah??s eyes were heavy.Despite herself. Miles took one last glance in Jonah??s direction before following them into the school.??So . as well as handling whatever else inevitably cropped up. And then he pulled the pillow over his head.?? He paused.This fact had never made the papers. he loved the stability that had come with all that.????We won??t. ??Do you think about her?????All the time. she found his good-bye adorable. A few days later. It was exactly what she needed. a mouth full of chewing tobacco. and half the kids didn??t know in which direction they were supposed to kick the ball. a red Nissan Sentra. Maybe he suspected something. the trill whistles filling the air.??Miles looked her over carefully. now. but he suggested she see him again later that year if they were still having problems.

 But why bother? Hell.?? ??Fair enough. making sure she had everything she needed. Though yellowed and wrinkled. and she missed him now that he was gone. As she searched for them. Still. not knowing what to say.Had he been standing outside someone??s home.?? Jonah suddenly shook his head. ??But you were.Not much. Since Larry wanted to watch the football game between North Carolina and Michigan State. All I could think about was that Missy Ryan shouldn??t have died. Though New Bern didn??t have a big problem with vagrants.What he didn??t realize was that his father wasn??t finished yet. you know? But I can??t really see it all the time. Once everyone was on the buses and the cars were pulling out.??I mean. maybe I did hear a couple of things. she realized. In the first two years of their marriage. and Missy clenched her jaw.

 so I can do this right. Whatever it was. feel free to ask. you see. Jonah??s having trouble withall of the work. she??d never felt so insignificant in her entire life. and so on??Jonah climbed into the car without being asked. however.?? Just as he was getting ready to start his speech. Then:??How??s Daddy?????The same. . Oh yeah. I want to thank you again for everything you??re doing for Jonah. ??Missy??s parents moved to Florida after she died.?? she said. ??Missy??s parents moved to Florida after she died. looked across the table at his friend just as Miles took his place at the table. slowly. When he got there.????Okay. Sarah and Brian on either end.?? he said. .