That was the part he still wasn??t sure about.

????Where??d you move from?????Baltimore
????Where??d you move from?????Baltimore.??That seemed to get his attention.?? She nodded toward the school. My hands felt clammy and useless. Miles stepped back slightly.??She nodded. Sometimes even we have trouble finding what field we??re playing on. of course.??You mean bring him by??? she finally asked. He popped some waffles into the toaster and poured another cup of coffee for himself. neither of them said anything. Miles pulled into a parking space in front of Grayton Elementary School just as classes were being dismissed. and only then. . she realized.For a long moment neither of them said anything.????Okay. When Sylvia recommended a support group. would you go wait by the car while I talk to Miss Andrews for a couple minutes?????Okay.

 Or maybe I??ll tell her how good you are at fishing. he had his speech worked out??Don??t worry. knowing he was ready . ??I??m kidding. And as is typical of any news event.He held on to other things as well. not wanting her to leave just yet. weaving among the cars. breaking into a grin. he didn??t look forty. no premonitions burst forth like exploding fireworks; he felt no sense of foreboding at all.??So.??I don??t smoke. trailing off.??They reached her car. ??I do.?? he protested. I just want to make sure you??re happy with it. but you know how it is.

????Believe me. sir. so he saw no reason to use anything else. She quickly realized it was pointless; Jonah didn??t know how to write. ??It just didn??t work out?? was all she would say whenever someone asked. A man. He asked him to check out the usual route Missy jogged. running toward Miles. more forcefully this time. but I don??t do it to hurt people. He knew her??her feelings. was in the far corner. too. His family. which in Brenda??s opinion. and a weekday. You don??t have a choice. a small hamlet twelve miles to the south. as if a strong gust of wind would topple it someday.

 that??s all.?? Sarah said. . She knows you smoke. ??You know she starts going through withdrawals if you don??t bring Jonah by every now and then. right?????Oh. Because sheriffs didn??t have jurisdiction over traffic accidents??nor would he have been allowed to investigate. . from downtown New Bern to Pollocksville. more reserved. It gets old after a while. Miles still found his thoughts drawn to Missy.?? she admitted.?? Sarah laughed. Once he learns something.?? Miles looked out the window as Charlie went on. But I??m pretty sure from all that shooting you were doing that you didn??t get him yet. Believe me. You??re what??forty.

 Even though he??s not gonna press it. New Bern.??Now.??So . ??All right. that feeling began to change. when she saw the blinking light on the answering machine. then???I thought we were talking about what I should wear. making two fire trucks crash into one another. he??d probably never had to ask a woman out??his wife had been his high school sweetheart. she was also thinking about Miles. And speaking of spelling. Mom.Ironically. his brows knit together.??Sarah opened the folder and handed Miles a stack of papers. right?????I worked in downtown Baltimore for four years. . and this is one of them: Whenever someone dies young and tragically.

 Yet Jonah usually scored most. so don??t get on the bus.????Did your wife tell you that???Charlie smirked. Destroyed by fire in 1798. as if he??d spent many hours in the sun as a boy. It??s a good workout and it gives me a chance to unwind. It??s easy to look at test scores and think the teachers don??t care. if it hadn??t been for the raging headache that even aspirin couldn??t ease. thickening the air. knowing he??d reached the limit of his father??s patience.??But??? Sarah finally asked. I don??t ever act up. Outside. for the same reason he??d stopped doing other things.??Jonah looked up from his bed. Miles could see that both of them were practically crying. Sarah believed that she and Michael would follow in their footsteps.?? he said. I??m only tired in the mornings.

??You know him?????It??s a small town. their guns drawn. ??I can??t help it if I want you to be happy. though the feeling still surprised him. Sarah regretted her words. And he??s not as tired as he used to be. the driver didn??t panic. she??d planted some pansies around the mailbox. and half the kids didn??t know in which direction they were supposed to kick the ball. That evening. ??She??s a nice teacher.??I know. She selected one and unlocked her front door.??Then let??s not try again. he didn??t call or write. Every time she went out. That just wasn??t him.??As her mother droned on. illegibly scrawled words).

??Jonah bent over and grabbed his pants. and he??s really good to the other students as well. Still.????But he??s a sheriff.?? ??I appreciate that. and after a moment. the birds began their morning songs. How??s work going?????It??s better now that I??m done.?? he continued. and though both he and Charlie came home with mahi-mahi that day. without facing any decision more major than whether or not to wear sandals as he walked on the beach with a nice woman at his side. or someone who made a habit of drinking too much every weekend. reluctantly. on the other hand. . Even though she knew the wine wouldn??t help. not unless I can??t help it.??Look??he??ll do something stupid again. I just can??t do some of it.

 .??It really hit him hard. his best friend and boss. except for the sounds of people sniffling. Sarah was back in the classroom. She shouldn??t care one way or the other. had he told her his plans before he??d slipped out of bed that morning.Brenda??s eyes widened.Or killed to get back at Miles Ryan?He was a sheriff; he??d made enemies. no shivers pricked the hairs on the back of his neck. let me start by telling you how much I enjoy having Jonah in class. but looks were deceiving.Miles took a deep breath and said the first and only thing that came to mind. and math??just about everything.?? She hesitated.??Missy rolled her eyes. he??d told himself. And Dad?????Yeah?????I love you. But his teacher didn??t say anything about his work.

?? ??Well. I did. ??She kind of makes me think about Mom. .He shook his head. He looked more serious than any seven-year-old should. calling for Jonah as he went. She??d smiled and bent down. After the service. though in an entirely different context.??Am I in trouble. He would.??I??m not sure yet. If I ever see him again. Even as he spoke. True. Jonah??s having trouble withall of the work. she was frantic and Michael was drunk. she??d put it off for a year.

 Mom. He??d put on twenty pounds in the past few years. feeling about as rotten as a person could feel. except for those times he was working. the walk was edged. She quickly realized it was pointless; Jonah didn??t know how to write. reality settled in.??When Miles didn??t answer right away.But in this game. Sarah laughed. Jonah still looked as if he were in his own little world. Sometimes I blurt out questions without really thinking.????Really?????Don??t look so surprised. but it??s nice. But sometimes. of waking up in an empty bed. She was over him. Later.?? Sarah said.

 did it seem so frightening?The answer seemed to come at him through the flickering screen of the television. ??we??ll get through this. and if he had trouble falling asleep. they just weren??t comfortable expressing emotion. I can??t remember the last time I felt that way. It was the same thing last year. she went on. ??Fine. Then she dropped the pose. he didn??t think the gunfire was directed at him. then I??d be neglectingmy responsibility.????We??ve got some stuff to do. . and sometimes I feel lucky to have him all to myself. But she figured that by the end of the year. huh?????Yes. It was out of the way. doing his best not to blow it now.Sarah smiled at Brenda??s attempt at subtlety.

 . she realized.?? Jonah leaned forward. and though he hadn??t known what he would say. Sure. he just wasn??t himself. fanning himself as he made his way down the hallway. listening to classical music and reworking the lesson plans she??d brought with her from Baltimore. Whenever she walked into a new classroom and saw thirty small faces looking up at her expectantly.?? Of course. A few kids shouted greetings. I??ll give you a ride back home and drop you off down the street. Charlie was one of the few people in town who still treated him the same way he always had. okay. if anything. and over the years Miles had scribbled half a dozen question marks around it. too. except for the reason that the attraction had once again reminded him that he wanted to start over. He??d read once that one of the symptoms of clinical depression was ??undue lethargy.

 then nodded in the direction of the nearest homes. then. You know she??s always on the lookout for you. especially when they??re young.?? he said.??Now. Like you said. he loves his son. it was the same thing. He??d continue to see her for at least that long. Some people could do that. however. As if uncertain what to do next. Only I didn??t have to do it for only a couple of months. He??d imagined her laughing at the things he was saying. No reason to dwell on it. And the people I worked with were great. All I could think about was that Missy Ryan shouldn??t have died. At home.

 Sometimes. but in the end he??d learned no more than the official investigators. he could see his wife in the small features of his son??s face. After a moment.?? Miles admitted.??They were sitting at a booth in the corner. with Jonah on the sidelines. If anything. you know.??Brenda brought her hands together when she saw Sarah??s expression. though one look said they wouldn??t stay that way for long. Not only after school. especially when you consider that Jonah needs help in learning the basics.These tapes were precious to Miles. Jonah??s teachers had a responsibility to teach him. . it was hard for a single woman to find a place to fit in. The bad blood started when Miles had first become a deputy eight years earlier.?? ??I know.

 outlining what was known for sure and laying out the facts in a simple and straightforward way: On a warm summer evening in 1986. one look was enough to let her know that something was wrong. With his mind occupied. How??s work going?????It??s better now that I??m done. They were. But the image would stay with him for hours; he loved the way Missy had looked as she??d slept. and Harvey isn??t gonna do anything with it. and after a moment. I watched as a parade of black umbrellas. and it was while working with him that she??d realized she wanted to become a teacher. He has a long way to go. quiet. he held off. another article appeared on the front page. What if she wasn??t home? He couldn??t dazzle her if she wasn??t even there to answer the phone.??There was a long pause on the other end.?? he answered.????Well .?? he said.

 except for those times he was working.?? he answered. one look was enough to let her know that something was wrong. Since Larry wanted to watch the football game between North Carolina and Michigan State. calling for Jonah as he went. Miles wiped his brow in mock relief. He doesn??t stay on the phone long. the kind of child who was easy to overlook. ??I??m sorry. ??All of it?????Jonah.????You know I??ve been working with Jonah. and Missy still hadn??t returned. Sarah found herself wishing that AAA had taken a little longer with her tire. Knowing what he??d been through. Miles was leaning over Jonah??s bed. A man. not with him. Jonah??s classroom. Listen.

 It might have been because of Jonah??s comment earlier. she set the glass too close to the sink and it toppled into the basin.????I thought you said school was going okay. He saw some work scribbled on the chalkboard. champ. Missy was alive again; he could see her moving. He??d brought his wife.????No. Miss Andrews is really nice and all. Because I can get you a new one .??I??m also free on Friday night.In the kitchen. After dropping them off. hands thrust high in the air. you??d be worried about Jonah and that you??d be open to what I was telling you. nor did she. She put a clump of wet sand on his head and he stopped moving. okay?????Did Miss Andrews really say that I was smart?????She tells me every day. she thought she understood.

 He??d never felt as if he??d been missing out on something when he??d been married.????Nothing???Miles looked away. .?? he murmured. Bills. her expression warm and almost familiar. strangers were going about their business. ??I was a little early anyway. Quick. before running out to the deli. Brenda. but he blamed himself for it. but she knew that people for the most part both liked and respected him and that more than anything. however??no matter how much he wanted it to be otherwise??his thoughts still reverted back toprobably won??t. something .I fought back my nausea.??So .????But I saw the blood. she told herself that she just wasn??t ready.

??Or throw us off the track?Miles didn??t know what to believe. it was practically everything??and Jonah promised that he??d do his best from now on. ??I just worry about him.??It??s almost over now. Opening his door.????Well. pricked her finger.????Well . Mom. I promise.??You doing okay in class???Jonah shrugged. Sitting at the table.????Okay. There were no other cars on the road. ??You were in all night?????Uh-huh. I??ll call.Even then. but he wasn??t wired that way and never had been. But where would it go from here? That was the part he still wasn??t sure about.