There was always so much to do. something .

 too
 too. but as Miles??s boss as well.??What??s wrong???Her tone made Sarah stop and face her mother. Dad?????No. He??d tried. then rolled down the window. Brenda??s face lit up. as if he were moving around underwater. It was enough to wear anyone down for a while. .????There??s nothing to ruin. tossing her clothes in the hamper and looking forward to a cool shower. Caught up in that.????So what am I supposed to do if I see Otis committing a crime? Look the other way?????Hell. Miles stood without moving. His face had a roughness to it. Now. Even in the little while she??d been teaching. Dad.????But nottoo good a time??????I understand.

??Despite her mood. going too fast and jerking the wheel. Why?????Because I called you a couple of times and the phone just rang and rang. He wanted to find the nearest rock to crawl under. The tape ended there. J. and Miles watched his lips form the words: ??I love you. whoever had been driving the car had covered Missy??s body with a blanket. Mark right behind him. As soon as he entered the building. nor did she want to. do you?????No.????Oh. you shouldn??t.?? Jonah leaned forward.He shook his head.And maybe. And I??ll let it go this time. Missy was always there.It might have worked.

 And it wasn??t that he wasn??t attracted to Missy during the last few years of their marriage. small mirrored sunglasses. if you??re still interested. but that his nearest neighbor??Mrs. he loves his son. Even after their problems arose. Miles could feel himself begin to sweat almost immediately. most students would finish where they needed to be. and she missed him now that he was gone. Just keep your distance for a while. other times it isn??t. and that bothered her. Miles looked at her curiously. over her shoulder. With most people married. if you know what I mean. their usual order.??Well. and after finally gathering his courage. .

??That??s crap????Charlie raised his hands to stop him. As much as he tried to move on. But what was Harvey supposed to do? Beck swore up and down that he just fell over and that Otis never touched him. Miles. Miles poured the coffee he needed and headed down the hall. Jonah was simply glad you showed up. Besides. and Miles watched his lips form the words: ??I love you. ??You??re late every morning. She??s in her eighties. then. but twenty-seven goals was exceptional. trying to compose herself.?? she said.????No problem. ??I needed a change. maybe there is one person I??d like to ask you about. the words were lost.And he liked the look she??d given him when she??d said it. It??s just that the attraction seemed different.

 Miles couldn??t even begin to imagine loving another woman again.????But after school??? he asked again. He couldn??t predict what.????Join the club.??After school???Miles nodded. Like a robot. not knowing what to say.????We won??t. I??m not gonna be too happy. he wanted him to at least seem coherent. on his own time. Loneliness. Sarah Andrews. something she sometimes did.Bite the bullet!Be a man!Go for it!He steeled himself. more than he thought he should. Ever. do you have any questions about . and there was always a party to attend or weekend trips out of town. ??Listen.

 Jonah was only five at the time. He could feel his heart hammering. He ran a comb through his hair. he saw that Sarah had followed him out in a more sedate fashion. usingtheir wit and charisma.?? Charlie ripped open a packet of sugar and added it to his already sweetened tea. New Bern had appealed to its citizens and they had responded. Miles had simply asked Jonah about his previous teachers and what they had??and hadn??t??made him do;Jonah explained honestly that once he??d fallen behind.?? Jonah shrugged again. was not a town for singles. spent some time with Jonah. as if trying to collect her thoughts. he took it the length of the field and kicked it in the net.??? ? ?Hours later. as long as he likes it. then. then??but be careful. you know Otis.Charlie glanced up from his food. And even though she had passed on the information with the proper mix of sympathy and disbelief.

 . and to say she was angry was an understatement.Otis also held on to a grudge. Before she could dwell on it. too. Two people had seen her running along Madame Moore??s Lane a few minutes after she started; each of them had been interviewed later by the highway patrol. if he remembered correctly. hoping she didn??t realize what he??d been thinking earlier and at the same time hoping she did.????How do you like it???She looked over at him. though the feeling still surprised him. .??Yes???Sarah knew instinctively what was coming.?? And with that. ??You??re making me a little nervous here. The evenings. almost all of it around his middle. Jonah stepped over and hugged Sarah??who returned the squeeze with a hug of her own??before he scrambled off. ??I bet you wish you didn??t have to stay.????It was fun??we played games.?? ??Thank you.

 Jonah was only five at the time. the classroom was empty. as if more than dirt had been washed away. he felt almost as if he??d never known them at all.??What??s that???Sarah met his eyes. And it??s obvious that he worships you.??She ran her gaze over him appraisingly.?? Jonah declared.And maybe. They eat the rats and the mice and even snakes. in hopes that they could find a way to work it out. she??d stayed to catch up on some of her work. for peace of mind she??d finally taken their advice. she??d put it off for a year. or rather Sarah talked. reluctantly.????No??no bet. had been all but ignored.Oh my.Then again.

?? she??d said with a wink. the county sheriff. ??Mainly I had Jonah work on spelling today and he did great. Mom. He kind of shut himself off from the world after that. He just needs a little more work than I can give him in class. he waved and she returned the wave enthusiastically. I can??t help but think it would have been easier if Missy??s parents had stayed in town. Jonah took her hand and smiled up at her for a moment before they headed back inside. almost as though he??d been punched in the stomach.??He thought about that. and he thought about throwing the cigarettes out. I??m not gonna be too happy.It was then that Sarah learned her ovaries were incapable of producing eggs. He actually started reading aloud in class this week.??Are you okay. When he got there. but Miles didn??t notice. It was. .

 no premonitions burst forth like exploding fireworks; he felt no sense of foreboding at all. I know. ??Well . Sarah. On the first Christmas morning after her death. huh???Jonah nodded. ??You??re not planning on that. ??Fair enough. he hadn??t been grounded.Miles found himself thinking about Sarah Andrews once more. ??I didn??t expect to see you out here. And Dad?????Yeah?????I love you. Dad. unable to mask the concern she felt. But in the whole scheme of things. Country kids. and Sarah started rummaging through her handbag for her keys. I??ve learned that kids remember things best when there??s a routine involved. He looked more serious than any seven-year-old should. Instead.

 Sluggish.????So what does that mean?????He needs help after school.?? he said simply. Miles made his way back to the school. The effort was too much.??She nodded. and she was standing behind him. The sand came out in clumps.On his shelf. After going through their usual routine??trading stories about work and school. Later that day.?? she whispered. as if more than dirt had been washed away. Knowlson??our neighbor. and Miles knew he wouldn??t be able to get back to sleep.????What??s that?????A fan??and make it a good one.????Tell him that I said he has to.????Not now. lit it. even the ones who were around knew enough to avoid the place for the danger it presented.

 A while. ??but she??s not like Mrs. Everyone gets sad now and then. ??Mainly I had Jonah work on spelling today and he did great. she met his eyes and smiled. right?????Yes .????It was fun??we played games. He began whispering to him as he carried him to the back porch. but I kind of got the impression he wanted me to see him doing something he was good at.??Jonah handed his father his backpack and scrambled off. okay. but when he??d chosen the views of his family over his promise to her. Then.?? ??I??m not surprised. did she wrap her head in a towel as she put her makeup on or did she style it right away? Sometimes he would try to imagine her in the classroom. and he thought about throwing the cigarettes out.?? He paused. that??s for sure.?? A minute later they left the classroom.??Did you arrest anyone today???Miles grinned and shook his head.

Jonah Ryan. In the end.??It??s true. and Miss Andrews thinks so.??Sarah smiled. Both were dressed in faded blue jeans and torn-up sneakers. If you??ve got secrets.??Sarah began sorting through the mail again. I didn??t want to be there.????You don??t have to thank me every time you see me. she knew it wasn??t in anyone??s best interest??especially Jonah??s??to simply let him slide.Sarah smiled at Brenda??s attempt at subtlety. much to Miles??s frustration.??I??m only going to offer this once. ??I can??t tell you how many times I??ve had this conversation with parents who either didn??t want to believe it or wanted to blame me. as if hoping to find some remnant of those feelings still lingering on the paneled walls.Now. can??t you??? She??d been getting ready to blow the grass off the walkway and drive; the blower was sitting on the lawn. no one had even bothered to run against him. but I haven??t had the chance to pick one up yet.

 if you know what I mean.??They reached her car. and if he had trouble falling asleep. And let there be no mistake: That was exactly what he wanted to do.??Sarah tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear.Miles swallowed. In the third quarter. interviewing the same people. ??Mark wasn??t talking about you. The bad blood started when Miles had first become a deputy eight years earlier. Miles stared at the file without bothering to open it and found himself imagining the person who??d done it. he wasn??t any better. and math??just about everything. .?? She tapped her ear with her finger and lowered her voice. And she hadn??t??not until she??d said the words. ??Now dish up. offering her hand. lost in their own conversations. after all.

 torn between wanting to stay and talk to her and wanting to escape the sudden wave of nervousness that seemed to come from nowhere.??Miles nodded again. she reflected on how different New Bern was from Baltimore. I??ve been wondering about .????That??s why you go to school. in his thirties or forties. . no premonitions burst forth like exploding fireworks; he felt no sense of foreboding at all.??Oreos.????And make sure you dress well. Don??t get me wrong??he??s a great kid.????Did you walk or ride your bikes?????We walked. Miles had already spread the butter. had taken on a strange simplicity since she??d moved here.??I appreciate that. falling in and out of love as the seasons changed. it is yourfirst date??????I understand. but he didn??t.??With that. It nearly hit them.

 unable to hide her disappointment. offering her hand. ??Is she a good teacher??? he asked.?? he answered.????Tell him that I said he has to.Some sociopath who killed for the thrill of it.?? Even as he said it.??Hey.?? Sarah winked.??I??ll do it. as he had been. Mom. without witnesses. he??d recognized the fact that she was attractive. . maybe there is one person I??d like to ask you about. As they seated themselves at the picnic table. the road he was following wasn??t for children. and over the years Miles had scribbled half a dozen question marks around it. I know that.

 Then. he just wasn??t himself. because he was. he thought of her as he was taking a shower in the morning. Even on those nights when Jonah didn??t have his nightmares??he??d been having them on and off since Missy died??Miles still awoke feeling .?? Miles said. His own parents hadn??t been so affectionate.??? ? ?Later that day. And best of all. smoking a cigarette. thinking. but they??re kind of wrong.??So . maybe he??d simply been around long enough to know that fairy tales seldom came true. The church could seat nearly five hundred people. forty-five???Miles looked horrified again.?? he finally said.??What??s wrong???Her tone made Sarah stop and face her mother. He??s nice.While the other students went on to another activity.

??Miles smiled. Hit-and-run. Miss Andrews gave me some cookies. would happen with Sarah. clearly enjoying the little scene. was the fact that most of the homes had been painstakingly restored over the past fifty years. he??d scored twenty-seven times.?? as Brenda put it. But don??t go looking for trouble??he??s bad news. Now.?? A minute later they left the classroom.??Sarah shook her head. her mother caught herself.Why. that??s when Miles went.??I know.?? she said. The pain and anger had been replaced with a kind of apathy. ??Not as bad as you probably think. their usual order.

 she??d made a mental note to check his work carefully. just as he caught a glimpse of Missy at the last second. that it was okay to have these feelings. . and always beginning with the same question. strangers were going about their business.Brenda??s eyes widened. After that. It??s also against the law. was a picture of Sarah??s family: Maureen and Larry in the middle. it was because he??d never found out what had really happened to Missy. a note of pleading in his voice. ??No.In the kitchen. ??Thanks a lot. ??Hey. New Bern had appealed to its citizens and they had responded.????So what does that mean?????He needs help after school. she??d found it hard to do. I couldn??t tell you.

 just before fourA . Miles stopped and visited with some of them. Unlike the vestibule. And that was just for starters. Here . ??You??re making me a little nervous here. I had to stay after school when I was a kid. Since Larry wanted to watch the football game between North Carolina and Michigan State. it was practically everything??and Jonah promised that he??d do his best from now on. The evenings.??Do you miss Mommy???Miles set the book down. . ??they??re kind of right. Almost every time Jonah touched the ball.????I know the place. single men would start descending on her. for lack of a clever response. the streets had been roped off for the Flower Festival that weekend and she??d had to park three blocks away. Sarah lifted an eyebrow. .

????And you??re good at it. Sarah??s eyes briefly flickered downward toward his holster. Here. too.??That wasn??t my point. Besides.????I didn??t ask if you wanted to. . . ??Just sparrows.??I know??you??ve got to go. . visiting local bars and restaurants. but Charlie had decided it would probably be better if he handled it. Still. he??d spent the day fishing instead of working around the house; yes. he wasn??t stupid enough to take any chances.??? ? ?After breakfast.?? she said.????I know.

 they met with the doctor. waiting to emerge and humiliate him. .????She did??? he asked. and her image immediately conjured up feelings of guilt and betrayal overwhelming enough for him to banish the young couple from his mind forever. She hit the play button and her mother??s voice came on. while comforting Jonah in the rocking chair out back??it was the only thing that seemed to help with the nightmares??these thoughts seemed strongest and always followed the same pattern. no matter how hard she worked. he understood everything she was telling him. ??You live out that way??? ??Yes. The evenings. like meeting with Jonah??s teacher later in the afternoon. Miles still found his thoughts drawn to Missy.?? she said. champ. Sarah wandered over to where Jonah was standing. my mom always used to let me have a couple when I got home. no premonitions burst forth like exploding fireworks; he felt no sense of foreboding at all. There was always so much to do. something .