can.”
I start to tell him he’s wasting his time, but instead I pocket the card and remind myself that he’s still my boss’s date, and I need to be nice.
“Thanks,” I say. “I appreciate it.”
“Call anytime. I mean it.”
We don’t say anything else until we get to my street. I tell him where to turn, and as we come around the corner toward my house I say, “Third one from the—”
I stop. No one says a word.
Detective Nolan’s cruiser is sitting in my driveway.
Walter pulls up in front of the house.
“Is everything okay?” Anne asks.
It takes me a moment to find my voice. When I do, I tell her everything is fine, even though I know better.
I grab my bottle off the seat and open the door.
Walter says, “Call me if you need anything.”
I barely hear him.
I close the door then step up onto the sidewalk.
Detective Nolan is sitting on my porch. When he sees me, he gets up and starts across the lawn to where I’m standing.
I don’t move.
Walter pulls away, slow, and I watch them until their red tail-lights disappear around the corner. I watch them because I don’t want to look at Nolan.
I know what’s coming.
The dead leaves on the lawn hiss under his feet as he walks. Then there’s silence, and he’s in front of me.
“Mr. Reese?”
Now I look at him.
I see it in his face, and I’m sure he sees it in mine. I wait for him to say something, and I don’t wait long.
He says, “I’m sorry, Jake.”
– 13 –
I’m riding in the passenger seat of Nolan’s cruiser with the bottle of Johnnie Walker on my lap. I don’t know where we’re going, and I don’t ask.
All I know is I’m supposed to identify Diane’s body.
When I saw Nolan outside my house, he tried to tell me what had happened, that Diane had been in a car accident. When I didn’t respond, he stopped talking.
I wasn’t ready to hear about it.
Now I am.
“Her car went off the road on highway one sixty. It happened late last night, and no one found the vehicle until this evening.”
I don’t say anything.
“She must’ve fallen asleep while she was driving, probably on her way to Arizona.”
“How do you know she was going to Arizona?”
“I don’t,” Nolan says. “But that’s where the road leads, so I assumed—”
“Who reported it?”
“A retired couple was hiking through the canyon and saw the car. It doesn’t look like anyone actually witnessed the accident.”
I nod, not surprised.
“The rescue team took her to the county coroner in Fairplay. We’ll see her there, then I’ll drive you home.” Nolan looks at me, then back at the road. “There was nothing anyone could’ve done. It was just an accident.”
“You believe that?”
Nolan hesitates, says, “Don’t, Jake.”
“Do you believe that?”
“Yes, I do.” He looks at me. “I believe this was an accident, because that’s what it was.”
I take the bottle from my lap and break the seal.
“Not in here,” Nolan says.
I stare at him. “Are you kidding?”
He frowns, doesn’t speak.
I take a drink.
Soon the city lights are behind us and the road narrows. We follow it into the mountains. I stare out my window at the endless blur of passing pine trees, dark against the darkness.
We don’t say anything else, and by the time we get to Fairplay I’ve put a good-sized dent in the bottle, and I can feel it.
Nolan turns off the highway and drives through town. All the shops are closed, and the light from the streetlamps reflects white against black windows. There are a few couples outside, walking slowly along the sidewalks, hand in hand.
The county building is at the end of the street, tucked out of sight behind a line of aspen trees. There are no lights in any of the windows.
“It looks closed,” I say.
“It is.”
Nolan pulls into the parking lot and drives around to the back of the building. There is a single bright light mounted over a short flight of stairs leading down to a green metal door.
He
I start to tell him he’s wasting his time, but instead I pocket the card and remind myself that he’s still my boss’s date, and I need to be nice.
“Thanks,” I say. “I appreciate it.”
“Call anytime. I mean it.”
We don’t say anything else until we get to my street. I tell him where to turn, and as we come around the corner toward my house I say, “Third one from the—”
I stop. No one says a word.
Detective Nolan’s cruiser is sitting in my driveway.
Walter pulls up in front of the house.
“Is everything okay?” Anne asks.
It takes me a moment to find my voice. When I do, I tell her everything is fine, even though I know better.
I grab my bottle off the seat and open the door.
Walter says, “Call me if you need anything.”
I barely hear him.
I close the door then step up onto the sidewalk.
Detective Nolan is sitting on my porch. When he sees me, he gets up and starts across the lawn to where I’m standing.
I don’t move.
Walter pulls away, slow, and I watch them until their red tail-lights disappear around the corner. I watch them because I don’t want to look at Nolan.
I know what’s coming.
The dead leaves on the lawn hiss under his feet as he walks. Then there’s silence, and he’s in front of me.
“Mr. Reese?”
Now I look at him.
I see it in his face, and I’m sure he sees it in mine. I wait for him to say something, and I don’t wait long.
He says, “I’m sorry, Jake.”
– 13 –
I’m riding in the passenger seat of Nolan’s cruiser with the bottle of Johnnie Walker on my lap. I don’t know where we’re going, and I don’t ask.
All I know is I’m supposed to identify Diane’s body.
When I saw Nolan outside my house, he tried to tell me what had happened, that Diane had been in a car accident. When I didn’t respond, he stopped talking.
I wasn’t ready to hear about it.
Now I am.
“Her car went off the road on highway one sixty. It happened late last night, and no one found the vehicle until this evening.”
I don’t say anything.
“She must’ve fallen asleep while she was driving, probably on her way to Arizona.”
“How do you know she was going to Arizona?”
“I don’t,” Nolan says. “But that’s where the road leads, so I assumed—”
“Who reported it?”
“A retired couple was hiking through the canyon and saw the car. It doesn’t look like anyone actually witnessed the accident.”
I nod, not surprised.
“The rescue team took her to the county coroner in Fairplay. We’ll see her there, then I’ll drive you home.” Nolan looks at me, then back at the road. “There was nothing anyone could’ve done. It was just an accident.”
“You believe that?”
Nolan hesitates, says, “Don’t, Jake.”
“Do you believe that?”
“Yes, I do.” He looks at me. “I believe this was an accident, because that’s what it was.”
I take the bottle from my lap and break the seal.
“Not in here,” Nolan says.
I stare at him. “Are you kidding?”
He frowns, doesn’t speak.
I take a drink.
Soon the city lights are behind us and the road narrows. We follow it into the mountains. I stare out my window at the endless blur of passing pine trees, dark against the darkness.
We don’t say anything else, and by the time we get to Fairplay I’ve put a good-sized dent in the bottle, and I can feel it.
Nolan turns off the highway and drives through town. All the shops are closed, and the light from the streetlamps reflects white against black windows. There are a few couples outside, walking slowly along the sidewalks, hand in hand.
The county building is at the end of the street, tucked out of sight behind a line of aspen trees. There are no lights in any of the windows.
“It looks closed,” I say.
“It is.”
Nolan pulls into the parking lot and drives around to the back of the building. There is a single bright light mounted over a short flight of stairs leading down to a green metal door.
He
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