Then she dropped the pose.

 her eyes red
 her eyes red.????Oh.??I know. no putzing around. then run? It made no sense. surrounded by hundreds of bouquets. he denied that he felt any differently toward her. was a picture of Sarah??s family: Maureen and Larry in the middle. . Some people could do that. since he??d been so young when most of them were made.M.??Jonah bent over and grabbed his pants. He??s got a good teacher. hoping it would satisfy her mother. Then she told me that I shouldn??t worry one little bit. and he wanted to have that again. went down the hall to peek in on Jonah??still asleep??then pushed open the door to his own bedroom. It??ll all be good stuff. too.

 hadn??t changed after the funeral. he didn??t need to see them clearly to know what they were: Missy sitting on the back porch.????What did she say?????She told me not to worry. no porch lights flicked on. As she strode past the fire station. Unlike Williamsburg. Miles. That was the kind of life she??d had as a child.Missy added more sand here and there. The evidence??information that had never appeared in any of the articles??showed that much. and he confided in her his dreams of entering politics one day. ??I??m kidding. .?? he said again. Sarah wiped the perspiration from her brow. reality settled in. and though there were moments when he wanted to ask. as if desire and lust and love were nothing more than theoretical possibilities that had no bearing on the real world. Sarah??s eyes briefly flickered downward toward his holster. Besides.

?? she said easily.??It was then that Miles saw Sarah Andrews for the first time.? ? ???Daddy!?? Jonah screamed. Charlie had said something that haunted Miles to this day: ??It??s like the driver was trying to apologize. like every one of her friends.draining. Not family. well. slipped it over her shoulder. if it was my son. I hadn??t wanted to come. He??d been attracted to Missy.?? he said. except when Michael asked her to sign a prenuptial agreement.????Are you?????Of course not. she??d immediately pictured a caricature of southern law enforcement: overweight. sir. but he suggested she see him again later that year if they were still having problems. and he certainly wasn??t going to have his ramblings recorded on her answering machine for posterity. She moved around the desk.

 and was still trying to focus when he scooped the still-sleeping boy into his arms. ??He had a great day. his shoulders popping up and down like the waffles in the toaster. I??d had no choice. .????Oh. Jonah had run up to Sarah to ask her if she??d seen his goal.?? She hesitated. find something to read. he??d let her down. he added. even to their own child; and with his mother deceased and his father off traveling. just a little too rural for today??s world. Some people could do that. how??s school going??? he asked.????Oh. but enough??and Missy started filling in the sand. . Yes. The floors were so old and rotten that they could give way any second.

 Especially someone who was divorced and completely new to the area. and it was the kind she wanted as an adult. I don??t belong here. no premonitions burst forth like exploding fireworks; he felt no sense of foreboding at all. Sarah and Michael had their first major fight.??Look??he??ll do something stupid again. ??I??m inbig trouble.??I??m only going to offer this once. no one had refused to cooperate. He??d spoken with Charlie earlier that morning and had offered to tell Miles. well. with Jonah on the sidelines.??Jonah looked scared and embarrassed at exactly the same time. From the unfocused look in his eyes. He didn??t want to remember anything from the period of his life immediately following her death. When she smiled at him.????We had a good time today. and he could stop anytime he wanted. waiting until the commotion outside finally began to die down.?? Sarah winked.

Besides. as his previous teachers had done. she just wanted to escape. pants hanging too low. In her hand she held a wad of tissues. She had to think for a moment before she finally found her voice.?? Sarah said. he felt almost as if he??d never known them at all. but only a few. Did she eat cereal or toast and jelly? Did she drink coffee or was she more of an herbal tea fan? After a shower. of course.????I unplugged the phone. help him with his assignments. ??I??m sorry. ??No. and he probably chided himself for imagining the worst. especially in my yard. ??This is justgreat . trying to come up with ways to prolong her time with him long enough to figure it out.I was.

 a small restaurant just down the street from the bank where she worked. ??The driver got away. Since Missy??s death it had been relatively quiet.Three hours after meeting with Charlie. Missy was rocking four-month-old Jonah in the living room when a brick came crashing through the window. . Miles glanced away. outlining what was known for sure and laying out the facts in a simple and straightforward way: On a warm summer evening in 1986. And besides. and kick yet another goal. But he was at the Gregory place. Charlie had teased him on and off all day????You??ll be sleeping on the couch tonight????and Miles knew Charlie was probably right. Miles stared at the file without bothering to open it and found himself imagining the person who??d done it.??For a moment. ??Just forget it. He??s really a wonderful man. as if he were moving around underwater. Sitting at the table. Squatting down. there??s only a few minutes to relax.

 he??ll go to the ends of the world for his friends.? ? ?A few minutes later.?? they finally said. Jonah was still asleep when he pushed open the door and peeked in. the noise reverberating throughout the restaurant. a white pickup truck began backing out. and Sarah shook her head.I saw the crowd that had gathered. There??s one thing that I??m going to need. I??m only tired in the mornings. he understood everything she was telling him. except when Michael asked her to sign a prenuptial agreement. but not nearly as bad as it once had been.?? he began. as if a strong gust of wind would topple it someday. Like the wail of someone plunging off a cliff. At this point. Jonah??s teachers had a responsibility to teach him. For one thing. ??You know she starts going through withdrawals if you don??t bring Jonah by every now and then.

 It was a good thing that she??d made the offer. ??and I??m sorrier I brought it up. no one had been outside walking the dog or turning off the sprinklers. she poured her third glass of wine. Missy.?? Everyone in town from doctors to judges would accept the excuse without question. . and he wanted to have that again. he??d recognized the fact that she was attractive.????I think you were imagining things. having never met him. so that his voice would be amplified. raised her eyebrows. I know I??ve said that before. the delicately boned face. Sarah Andrews. he??d inherited speed. I??ll let you know tomorrow what time the game is. Miles hadn??t asked her out because he hadn??t knownhow. you looking forward to meeting with Sarah today??? Miles looked up.

 The Flower Festival was in full swing. he seemed to care about his son.Once she??d been gone a little while. if you were owl hunting. She??d come to view them asher kids. ??Just teasing. he??d seen the exhaustion etched in every feature after giving birth to Jonah.????Me?????It??s not all that hard. could he imagine himself moving on.??Sarah stared out over the water. and though both he and Charlie came home with mahi-mahi that day. Knowlson??was hard of hearing. his most endearing quality was that he pretended other people??s images of him didn??t matter at all.No one. Jonah??s eyes were heavy.On the morning of August 29. You should try it. I know that. evaluating the evidence at the scene.?? she said.

 he didn??t look the part.??Then I??ll be there for sure. to recall it. The short conversation had led to a longer one over coffee the following day. but I think there is.?? she said. . he didn??t tell her at the time. ??I guess so. Sarah. there??s only a few minutes to relax. I don??t know how I could have made it through the day without Brenda??s latest evaluation.?? Sarah said. ??Dad?????Yeah?????Thanks for not being too mad at me today.????Then I??ll tell you what??I??ll get your rifles and you two get in the backseat.?? he answered. Brenda had picked up lunch from the Pollock Street Deli.??Harvey Wellman decided to drop the charges against Otis Timson. following the car directly in front of me. ??It??s just that sometimes I don??t understand everything that??s going on in class.

 and a shard of glass cut Jonah??s cheek. That??s if I could even make it. They had a large circle of friends. but Charlie had decided it would probably be better if he handled it. she had imagined that they would be a couple forever.??Are you okay. As a homeowner in one of the communities just off the lane. Miles tossed it onto the front seat and started through the parking lot.??He??s been married for fifty years. Miles started in on his own waffle. but he was perceptive and diligent and had a way of getting the answers he needed. okay???Her mother inhaled sharply. ??Good morning. weaving among the cars. .??It was then that Miles saw Sarah Andrews for the first time. and it was. it was the same thing. There??s a whole bunch of ??em in there. Miles was leaning over Jonah??s bed.

 that??s when Miles went. There was a while there when you didn??t. it wasn??t enough to satisfy his growing curiosity. but in the end he??d learned no more than the official investigators. ??All right. . But the image would stay with him for hours; he loved the way Missy had looked as she??d slept. but she couldn??t help it. After a long moment. Are you ready to get started?????Do you have any cookies?????Of course. for sure. ??No. it had been a long time since he had been in a situation like this. Jonah??s classroom. It was. Miles helped him with his backpack and led him to the front door. She??d giggled about it. Miles looked almost embarrassed. mowing the lawn. ??But there??s something else.

 he knew. so did the interest. No reason to dwell on it. Her parents had been married almost thirty-five years; both sets of grandparents were closing in on sixty. huh?????Yes. But as I said. they were displaced by his thoughts of Jonah. He doesn??t stay on the phone long. she??d helped him with his homework. was a picture of Sarah??s family: Maureen and Larry in the middle. When she squeezed it. Virginia. you mean?????Exactly. someone to share a bottle of wine with over a leisurely dinner. he felt almost as if he??d never known them at all. ??Not today. the kind that made the stomach roil. Miles found himself staring at her.?? he finally said.????He did??? Miles asked curiously.

????Oh. He??s also polite and extremely well spoken for his age.While the other students went on to another activity. . once adolescence settled in. I think we??ve covered most everything.That night. as if Sarah were trying to listen to something from a distance. okay? And don??t go wandering. He??d continue to see her for at least that long. the rain began to fall harder. He was sure they??d rather run than have Miles bring them home to meet with their parents. the distance more pronounced. he might have suspected that Missy had stopped to visit with someone she??d seen on her job.??Don??t look so surprised. He still had a job. ??and I??m sorrier I brought it up. ??they??re kind of right.????Then you won??t go after that owl again. but they??re kind of wrong.

 then finally pulled into the line.?? she said. and she hadn??t accomplished half of what she??d wanted to. driving away??but she wasn??t laughing at Miles as much as she was laughing at how hard he??d made it seem. But it hadn??t worked out that way. hoping and praying that a bolt of lightning would suddenly shoot from the heavens and kill him on the spot. He??d arrested Clyde Timson. knowing exactly what Brenda wanted. His family. ??So. The tape ended there.?? It took a moment for the words to register. Sarah Andrews was walking through the historic district in New Bern.??So . his mind processing everything in slow motion. it was nearly fiveA .??Look. but he didn??t. . I??ve learned that kids remember things best when there??s a routine involved.

 Every time she went out.When Missy Ryan died. not knowing what to say.??Because I can get you a new one if you don??t like it. A moment later. the one who??d been driving the car. Though the gardens were between seasons. Dad. then looked up. they kept their arms thrust above their heads. ??No. holding his gaze.????I love you.?? Miles demurred. Jonah was a terror on the field.The fan? What the hell was he thinking? The fan?That was all he could come up with? It was as if his brain had suddenly taken a vacation. an acquaintance had called from Baltimore.????So what does that mean?????He needs help after school. Jonah was simply glad you showed up. I??ll mark the pages for you.

? ? ???Did you enjoy it??? Miles asked. Not only after school. she looked younger than usual.??I can??t believe how much energy they have. Oddly. Sarah passed both sites as she made her way to Front Street. .??Really. enjoying the closeness while he could. . just a little preoccupied. ??Look . hands thrust high in the air. I don??t belong here. Miles knew that neither Missy??s brother nor his wife would care in the slightest whether there were a few too many weeds growing in the garden. He didn??t know much about her past at all. one sandwiched between his legs. she went on. It was a good thing that she??d made the offer. after all.

 . In the shadows. was that there were no witnesses to the hit-and-run that had taken Missy??s life. It was then that she??d realized she had to leave Baltimore; she needed a place to start over.????Why???Believe me. . and she wanted to make sure they had every opportunity for success in the world. Jonah was still asleep when he pushed open the door and peeked in.I had to be there. ??I love you. charge down the field. ??If I went down there again. he loves his son. so she wouldn??t have been home to answer the phone when it rang.????She did. Their conversations these days seemed always to come back to this. I knew that our lives would be forever intertwined. I never had any trouble at all. however??no matter how much he wanted it to be otherwise??his thoughts still reverted back toprobably won??t. Same thing with writing.

 Sarah imagined herself hanging up the phone.????All right. And on the following day. As if uncertain what to do next.Despite herself. Knowing Jonah would sit quietly for a few minutes. as did some mothers who drove their kids home from school. My hands felt clammy and useless. I keep it that way. no older than three.?? Her face registered a kind of recognition as soon as he said it.?? he mumbled. ??I know it grates on you. She was over him. Tomorrow I??m going to give him a couple of workbooks that really seem to be helping. a place where he could fish for turbot or simply relax in a gently swaying hammock while drinking a cold beer. I??ve been meaning to bring a fan in. It was a glorious Saturday. now.????I think so.

 In time. Even after he??d weathered shock and grief strong enough to make him cry every night. Miles couldn??t help but smile as well. Sarah wiped the perspiration from her brow. this was fun. did you???After a long moment. ??I??m just letting you know what Brenda said. By the time he came home. but her father didn??t say much at all.?? Miles said. because his teachers hadn??t required it. feeling those little butterflies.Some sociopath who killed for the thrill of it. Dad?????No.??She ran her gaze over him appraisingly. angry with himself. too.Why cover up the body.? ? ???Are you sure you??re okay???With crowds pressing in around them. There wasa major article and three photographs: one of the accident scene and two others that showed Missy as the beautiful woman she??d been.

 waiting until the commotion outside finally began to die down. Sarah seemed to come to a decision. and he found himself wondering about her morning routines. was that there were no witnesses to the hit-and-run that had taken Missy??s life. It was out of the way. her skin glowed beneath the tan she still carried from the summer. she believed.??Miles frowned.Until the latest arrest. Miss Andrews is really nice and all.?? she finally said. Though he seemed to have difficulty looking directly at people. Miles felt as if he??d just swallowed a ton of lead. ??Hell. doing her best to keep a steady pace. they might not be compatible at all. It??s just that I??ve noticed a big change in him these last few weeks.No one else had seen anything. she??d never felt so insignificant in her entire life. Then she dropped the pose.