Night Tide (6 page)

encroaching!development!in!the!rural!area!had!cropped!up—

new,! large! houses! and! real! estate! signs! offering! land! or!

subdivided!five6acre!plots—but!forest!dotted!with!small!farms!

still! dominated.! Sparsely! populated! despite! the! growth,! the!

area!attracted!horse!farms!and!meth!labs.!

!

“How!long!have!you!lived!here?”!I!said.!

!

“Must!be!five!or!six!years!now.”!

!

“Then!it!
has
!been!too!long!since!I’ve!seen!you.”!!

!

“Not! like! the! old! days! when! Charlie! brought! you! home!

from!UW!during!the!holidays.”!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

36&

!

No,!not!like!those!days—at!least!a!decade!had!passed!since!

I’d! last! seen! Charlie’s! parents.! But! he! and! I! hadn’t! socialized!

much!in!those!years!until!recently.!

!

Connie!led!me!down!a!short!hallway!and!started!her!tour!

in! the! garage,! part! of! which! had! been! converted! into! a!

woodworking! shop.! On! the! way! back! through! the! house,! she!

showed!me!a!small!home!office,!and!an!expansive!formal!living!

room! with! large! windows! overlooking! the! back! yard.! Male!

voices!drifted!down!the!hall,!the!confluence!of!words!a!bright!

plume! of! heat! fueled! by! passionate! beliefs.! Connie! followed! a!

narrow!path!through!a!large!family!room!toward!the!kitchen.!

She!worked!her!way!around!a!large!worn!leather!recliner,!an!

oak! end! table! covered! with! magazines! and! knick6knacks,! and!

an! overstuffed! sofa,! ignoring! the! two! men.! Keeping! my! head!

down,! I! stayed! on! her! trail,! registering! Charlie’s! voice! in!

passing.!!

!

“…! so! you’re! saying! if! Clay,! or! Sam,! wanted! to! enlist! and!

serve!our!country!that!makes!me!a!bad!parent?”!

!

Connie!faced!me!across!the!island!in!the!kitchen!and!rolled!

her!eyes.!“They!might!be!at!it!a!while,”!she!said.!“Can!I!get!you!

something!to!drink?!Iced!tea?!Lemonade?!A!glass!of!wine?”!

!

“Lemonade!sounds!good,!thanks.”!

!

I!turned!and!watched!Charlie!and!Clayt!in!the!next!room,!

Charlie! on! the! edge! of! a! brown! corduroy! chair,! leaning!

forward,! earnest! and! tense.! Clayt! relaxed,! one! arm! over! the!

back! of! the! beige! velour! sofa.! One! the! spitting! image! of! the!

other,!but!a!mirror!image,!like!matter!and!anti6matter.!Charlie’s!

hair,! graying! at! the! temples,! cut! short,! Clayt’s! thin! and! hoary,!

pulled! back! into! a! short! wispy! ponytail.! Charlie! clean6shaven,!

Clayt! sporting! a! goatee.! The! same! patrician! nose! and!

prominent!high!cheekbones!on!both.!

!

Mismatched! furniture! crowded! a! room! filled! with! well6

thumbed! books! and! magazines,! rumpled! newspapers,! opened!

mail!and!scraps!of!paper!penned!with!notes,!and!pottery!vases.!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

37&

A! blocky! Scandinavian! entertainment! center! housed! a! bulky!

television!and!component!stereo!system.!Old!photographs!and!

more! books! crammed! the! shelves,! an! eclectic! range! of! titles!

reflecting!varied!interests!and!voracious!curiosity.!A!glance!at!

the!spines!nearest!the!kitchen—
The*Oxford*Book*of*Essays
!next!

to! copies! of! A.A.! Milne’s!
When* We* Were* Very* Young
,!

Shakespeare* Complete* Plays* and* Poems
,!
Das* Kapital
,!
Silent*

Spring
! and! a! worn! Bible—showed! a! complete! lack! of! any!

orderly! sort! of! catalog! system.! Framed! posters! of’60s! bands!

and! original! art! covered! the! walls,! a! braided! rug! the! floor.! A!

lighted!sand!candle!on!the!low!coffee!table!separating!Charlie!

and! his! father! emitted! a! faint! scent! of! strawberries.! Their!

voices! rumbled! on! as! the! argument! continued,! but! the! words!

didn’t!register.!

!

Clayt! finally! glanced! up! and! saw! me! standing! just! inside!

the!room.!“What!do!you!think,!Blake?”!

!

I!shook!my!head.!“Uh6uh.!I’m!not!getting!in!the!middle!of!

this.”!

!

“I! can’t! believe! we! raised! you,”! he! said! to! Charlie,! then!

called!into!the!kitchen,!“Can!you!believe!he!spent!his!formative!

years!with!us,!Connie?”!

!

“Let! a! kid! express! his! opinions! and! call! you! by! your! first!

name,!what!did!you!expect?”!I!said,!keeping!my!tone!cheery.!

!

Clayt’s! face! darkened! briefly,! but! he! matched! my! smile!

with!one!of!his!own.!

!

Charlie!swiped!a!hand!over!his!face!and!stood,!looking!like!

he!had!a!bad!case!of!heartburn.!“I!need!a!beer.!Join!me?”!This!

last!he!directed!at!me.!

!

Without!waiting!for!an!answer,!he!stepped!through!double!

doors!leading!to!a!patio!off!the!back!of!the!house.!!

!

I!glanced!from!Clayt!to!Connie.!Connie!shooed!me!toward!

the! door! with! a! small! smile.! I! went! gratefully.! As! much! as! I’d!

hoped! a! holiday! barbecue! would! provide! a! welcome! respite!

from! the! insanity! of! the! past! week,! I! also! wanted! to! corner!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

38&

Charlie!and!get!his!take!on!the!visit!I’d!had!from!Drucker!and!

Taylor!and!what!I!should!do!about!Wink.!I!didn’t!like!the!idea!

of!Wink!being!in!the!wind!out!there!somewhere,!not!knowing!

what! he! was! up! to! or! what! grudges! he! might! hold.! Charlie!

might!have!advice!on!the!best!ways!to!find!out.!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

39&

!

!

Chapter&8&

!

!

Outside,! Charlie! stood! stiffly! next! to! a! gas! grill! on! the! far!

side!of!the!patio,!fingers!curled!into!his!palms.!Bending!down,!

he!fished!in!an!ice6filled!cooler,!brought!up!two!brown!bottles!

dripping! moisture,! and! tossed! one! at! me.! I! managed! a! one6

handed!grab!without!spilling!any!lemonade.!Charlie!twisted!the!

top! off! his! and! took! a! long! pull,! throat! muscles! rhythmically!

working!the!cold!liquid!down!his!gullet!as!he!gazed!out!across!

the!back!yard.!The!terrace!extended!twenty!feet!out,!ending!in!

a!low!stone!curb!to!keep!people!from!tumbling!down!a!small!

embankment.!In!the!center,!the!pond!of!slate!drained!down!a!

set! of! wide! shallow! steps! into! a! broad! lawn! that! climbed! a!

gradual!rise!to!the!edge!of!the!forest!a!long!wedge!shot!away.!!

!

I!looked!for!a!way!to!ease!into!the!conversation.!“Where’s!

Babs,!and!the!boys?”!!

!

His!answer!was!muffled!by!the!breeze,!but!distinct!enough.!

“Down!in!Portland.!At!her!mom’s.”!

!

“That’s!a!surprise.”!

!

He!faced!me.!“To!you,!maybe.!Where’s!Molly?”!

!

The! sword! cut! both! ways.! “Up! in! Friday! Harbor! with! her!

latest.!A!doctor.!Jane!set!them!up.”!

!

“You!don’t!approve,!I!take!it.”!

!

“She’s!an!adult,”!I!said.!As!much!as!I!might!have!wished!it,!I!

no! longer! held! any! claim! on! Molly.! “You! changed! the! subject.!

Why!is!Babs!in!Portland,!not!here?”!

!

He! took! a! few! steps! and! sat! heavily! in! a! patio! chair,!

absently!rubbing!a!thumb!against!the!label!on!the!bottle!in!his!

hand.!I!ducked!under!the!umbrella!unfurled!over!the!table!and!

sat!opposite!him,!uncapped!my!beer!and!poured!half!into!my!

lemonade.!He!wouldn’t!meet!my!gaze.!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

40&

!

“I’m!taking!the!sergeant’s!test,”!he!said.!

!

My! eyebrows! rose.! “You’ve! been! a! beat! cop! for! fifteen!

years.”!

!

“That’s!right.”!He!thrust!out!his!lower!jaw.!“A!damn!good!

one.! I! did! it! for! Babs! and! the! kids.! You! work! a! beat,! you! go!

home,! simple! as! that.! After! a! while,! you! pick! your! hours.! I!

worked! it! so! I! could! spend! a! lot! of! time! with! the! boys.! Pick!

them! up! from! school.! Coach! their! ball! teams.! Help! with!

homework.”!He!fell!silent.!

!

“But!…?”!

!

“They’re! growing! up.! They! don’t! need! me! around! as!

much.”!

!

“Bullshit.!What!are!they,!sixteen!and!fourteen?!They!need!

you!more!than!ever.”!

!

“You!know!what!I!mean.”!He!paused.!“Okay,!so!I’m!doing!

this!for!me.!It’s!time.!I!deserve!it.!And!the!boys!are!old!enough!

to!understand!that.!Besides,!I!can!still!work!out!my!schedule!so!

I!spend!time!with!them.”!

!

“And!Babs?”!

!

He!drew!a!long!breath.!“She’s!not!happy!about!it.!It!means!

more! responsibility.! And! more! pay.! I! don’t! get! why! she! can’t!

see!this!is!good!for!her,!too.”!

!

I! shrugged.! “It! means! change.! Besides,! don’t! cops’! wives!

worry! about! everything?”! He! didn’t! answer.! “You! guys! are!

okay,!right?”!

!

He!looked!stricken!for!a!moment,!then!seemed!to!shake!it!

off.!“Who!knows?”!He!stared!at!something!over!my!shoulder.!“I!

need
!this.!I!didn’t!spend!all!that!time!in!college!just!to!work!a!

beat.! I! swear! I! can! feel! my! brain! atrophying! as! we! speak.!

Fifteen!years,!the!same!thing,!day!in,!day!out.!Christ,!I!feel!like!

I’m!sleepwalking!most!of!the!time.”!

!

“There’s!more,!isn’t!there?”!

!

Like!a!tug!on!a!marionette!string,!the!question!jerked!his!

head!around.!His!eyes!narrowed.!!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

41&

!

“Babs! wouldn’t! freak! out! over! a! promotion,”! I! said.! “I’m!

sure!she’s!glad!for!the!extra!money.”!

!

He!grunted.!“I’m!taking!the!detectives!exam,!too.!Putting!in!

a! transfer.! Homicide,! if! I! can! get! it.! More! hours,! and! less!

predictable!ones!when!you’re!on!call.”!

!

“But! less! likelihood! of! getting! yourself! shot! out! there! on!

the!street.!I’d!think!Babs!would!be!thrilled.”!

!

One! of! his! shoulders! rose! and! fell.! “Go! figure.! Seventeen!

years!married!to!this!woman,!I!still!don’t!know!what!makes!her!

tick.”! Before! I! manufactured! a! suitable! response,! he! gave! my!

shoulder!a!nudge.!“Time!to!put!you!to!work.!There’s!a!cooler!in!

the!back!of!the!truck.!Go!get!it!while!I!fire!up!the!grill.”!

!

“What’re!we!having?”!

!

“
I’m
! having! baby6back! ribs.! You’re! welcome! to! share,! or!

you!can!have!the!tofu!dogs!Connie’s!got!planned.”!He!glared!at!

me.!“What?!It’s!not!like!I!don’t!eat!right!at!home.!You!see!any!

spare!meat!on!these!bones?”!He!did!a!decent!runway!turn.!“Just!

once,!I’d!like!a!serious!cholesterol!fix.!And!what’s!a!Memorial!

Day!backyard!barbecue!without!barbecue?”!

!

I!raised!my!hands!in!surrender!and!headed!for!his!truck.!

!

“Grab!the!oven!mitts!off!the!front!seat,”!he!called.!

!

I! waved! and! nodded,! already! lost! in! rambling! thoughts.!

The!mid6afternoon!sun!blazed!hotly,!hurting!my!eyes,!colors!so!

bright!they!shimmered!surreally!like!animated!cells!flickering!

on! a! movie! screen.! The! darkness! of! the! world! I! normally!

inhabited!leached!the!color!from!everything.!In!the!light!of!day,!

the! surroundings! took! on! hundreds! of! shades! of! green—

celadon,! emerald,! sage,! evergreen! …!
Kermit* green
.! Blossoms!

and!flowering!shrubs!splashed!the!tableau!with!Kool6Aid!hues!

of!pink!and!purple,!filling!the!air!with!fragrance.!
God,*I*loved*the*

scent*of*Molly’s*neck*after*she*showered.*How*long*had*it*been?
!

Somewhere! in! the! treetops! overhead,! a! bald! eagle! trilled! and!

cackled,! answered! by! the! whistles! of! her! chicks.!
Bee,* again.*

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

42&

Busy,* busy.* Tofu* dogs?* Wonder* what* Molly’s* doing* now?* Why*

doesn’t*she*dump*that*dog*of*a*boyfriend?
!

!

I! reached! over! the! side! of! the! truck! bed! and! hefted! the!

cooler.!
Ribs—pig*for*the*Pig.
!
Bright*out*here.*Wish*I’d*brought*

shades.*When*had*my*future*stopped*being*so*bright*I*no*longer*

had* to* wear* them?*
Ten! steps! past! the! hood! of! the! truck! I!

stopped! dead.!
Damn,* forgot* the* mitts.
! I! set! the! cooler! on! the!

grass,!backtracked,!pulled!open!the!driver’s!door!and!leaned!in.!

There*they*are.
!I!scooped!them!up!with!one!hand!and!raised!my!

head,!Charlie!visible!through!the!open!passenger!door!window,!

fiddling!with!the!grill.!Beyond!him!…!!

!

“Gun!”!I!shouted,!the!word!still!reverberating!in!my!head!

at!the!sight!of!it.!

!

A!figure!all!in!black!rounded!the!far!corner!of!the!garage—

black!fatigues,!black!boots,!black!ball!cap,!black!bandana!pulled!

tight!across!his!face!just!below!black6lensed!sunglasses,!black!

assault!rifle.!The!color!of!
my
!world.!!

!

The! man’s! head! jerked! toward! the! sound! of! my! voice,!

giving! Charlie! time! to! dive! over! the! low! embankment! behind!

the!grill.!The!barrel!of!the!rifle!swung!toward!me.!I!lowered!my!