seconds, however, the sound faded and she realized it had probably just been her imagination. She knew the Border was too well isolated from the main part of town to ever leak through. It had been that way forever, and there was no reason to think it would ever change.
She pulled the door shut and started the engine, before easing the car out of the parking lot.
***
“It has been an absolute honor to spend one more day here,” Mac said as he and Jack made their way to the newspaper office’s front door. “Thank you for indulging an old man’s nostalgic whims. I’m sure you were petrified that I’d keel over.”
“You seem fitter than me,” Jack replied, holding the door open for him as Mac hobbled out on his cane. “Be honest. If I wasn’t going home and locking up right now, you’d stay ‘til midnight, wouldn’t you? Just like the old days.”
“Damn straight.” Stopping, Mac leaned on his cane for a moment as he turned to Jack. “Let me tell you something. A warning, maybe. This is the kind of job that never really leaves you. One day, God willing, you’ll be a little old man, just like me, and you’ll get shuffled out the way by some new young hotshot, and you’ll realize that I’m right. Most people, they retire and they get to enjoy themselves. Men like us, Jack, we retire and we feel like half our soul is suddenly gone. Maybe even more.”
“Drop by any time, Mac. We can always use you.”
“And trust your instincts,” Mac replied. “I can’t imagine how hard it is for you to know that your brother’s a monster, but it doesn’t help if you deny the truth. That boy needs serious help, the kind he can only get if he’s locked away. Maybe that’s a harsh thing for me to say, but it’s the truth, and the truth is always non-negotiable.” He paused. “I went by the diner earlier. I was fetching some lunch to bring back to the office. It’s just a coincidence, maybe, but do you know what I saw? I saw your brother talking to the girl who died. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now…”
“Are you sure?” Jack asked.
“I debated whether or not I should tell you. I just saw them through the window, she didn’t seem keen, she was hurrying into the bathroom, but he was trying to start up a conversation with her. Do you think that’s a coincidence?”
“It could be,” Jack said cautiously.
As Daniel, the intern, followed them out and turned to lock the doors, Mac patted Jack’s shoulder. “The paper’s in fine hands, Jack. You’re a better editor than I ever was. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get going. Believe it or not, there are people who will still miss me if I’m away for too long.”
“You were always the life and soul of the party.”
“Give my regards to your wife,” Mac added. “Tell her to throw you a bone now and then, just to spice up the paper. Tell her it might be against the rules, but it’s the way the world works. Tell her to be imaginative.”
“I’ll tell her,” Jack replied, smiling as Mac turned and began to make his way along the sidewalk. “See you around!”
“He asked me to explain what the internet is,” Daniel said after a moment. “I tried, but I really don’t think he got it. He still thinks there are tubes involved somehow.”
“Everything I learned about the newspaper business,” Jack replied, “I learned from that man. He’s the finest, most upstanding person I’ve ever met, and he’s certainly not an idiot. I’d bet good money that he was trolling you” He watched as the old man headed around the next corner, out of sight. “We could all do with being a little more like Mac Crutchlow,” he added finally. “What a guy.”
***
“I’m really sorry about this,” Jane said as she followed Beth through to the kitchen. “Jack said he was going to look after the kids while I worked late, and then I found out he’d dumped them on you and that he’d stayed at the office. I thought for one
She pulled the door shut and started the engine, before easing the car out of the parking lot.
***
“It has been an absolute honor to spend one more day here,” Mac said as he and Jack made their way to the newspaper office’s front door. “Thank you for indulging an old man’s nostalgic whims. I’m sure you were petrified that I’d keel over.”
“You seem fitter than me,” Jack replied, holding the door open for him as Mac hobbled out on his cane. “Be honest. If I wasn’t going home and locking up right now, you’d stay ‘til midnight, wouldn’t you? Just like the old days.”
“Damn straight.” Stopping, Mac leaned on his cane for a moment as he turned to Jack. “Let me tell you something. A warning, maybe. This is the kind of job that never really leaves you. One day, God willing, you’ll be a little old man, just like me, and you’ll get shuffled out the way by some new young hotshot, and you’ll realize that I’m right. Most people, they retire and they get to enjoy themselves. Men like us, Jack, we retire and we feel like half our soul is suddenly gone. Maybe even more.”
“Drop by any time, Mac. We can always use you.”
“And trust your instincts,” Mac replied. “I can’t imagine how hard it is for you to know that your brother’s a monster, but it doesn’t help if you deny the truth. That boy needs serious help, the kind he can only get if he’s locked away. Maybe that’s a harsh thing for me to say, but it’s the truth, and the truth is always non-negotiable.” He paused. “I went by the diner earlier. I was fetching some lunch to bring back to the office. It’s just a coincidence, maybe, but do you know what I saw? I saw your brother talking to the girl who died. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now…”
“Are you sure?” Jack asked.
“I debated whether or not I should tell you. I just saw them through the window, she didn’t seem keen, she was hurrying into the bathroom, but he was trying to start up a conversation with her. Do you think that’s a coincidence?”
“It could be,” Jack said cautiously.
As Daniel, the intern, followed them out and turned to lock the doors, Mac patted Jack’s shoulder. “The paper’s in fine hands, Jack. You’re a better editor than I ever was. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get going. Believe it or not, there are people who will still miss me if I’m away for too long.”
“You were always the life and soul of the party.”
“Give my regards to your wife,” Mac added. “Tell her to throw you a bone now and then, just to spice up the paper. Tell her it might be against the rules, but it’s the way the world works. Tell her to be imaginative.”
“I’ll tell her,” Jack replied, smiling as Mac turned and began to make his way along the sidewalk. “See you around!”
“He asked me to explain what the internet is,” Daniel said after a moment. “I tried, but I really don’t think he got it. He still thinks there are tubes involved somehow.”
“Everything I learned about the newspaper business,” Jack replied, “I learned from that man. He’s the finest, most upstanding person I’ve ever met, and he’s certainly not an idiot. I’d bet good money that he was trolling you” He watched as the old man headed around the next corner, out of sight. “We could all do with being a little more like Mac Crutchlow,” he added finally. “What a guy.”
***
“I’m really sorry about this,” Jane said as she followed Beth through to the kitchen. “Jack said he was going to look after the kids while I worked late, and then I found out he’d dumped them on you and that he’d stayed at the office. I thought for one
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