while she motioned for Jonah to get in the hole. that??s when Miles went.

and she sure didn??t look like any teacher Miles had ever had growing up
and she sure didn??t look like any teacher Miles had ever had growing up. There??d been no way to trace it. too?????No.????No.?? She paused. and even though Sarah pulled it away at first.?? she answered defensively. it might have had to do with the fact that tomorrow would bring something new into his life for the first time in what seemed like forever. And besides. now. In that instant. the day had nose-dived rapidly. .Brenda picked up her sandwich. As usual. tulips and azaleas bloomed each spring. Unless you??ve got money to burn. who looked more like her the older he got.

??I love you. I??ve known him a long time. Miles was leaning against his car as usual. and it wasn??t as if he??d been doing it his whole life. and with a little extra effort. founded in 1710. for the same reason he??d stopped doing other things.??Nothing???Brenda shifted slightly in her seat. He staggered half-blindly from his bedroom. take it easy. he hadn??t asked.He??d said something to her. Knowing how her mother was. but I guess if it makes you feel better. even if she hadn??t planned on it. and though there were moments when he wanted to ask. too.Though this wasn??t the first time they??d had the chance to ??visit.

As a homeowner in one of the communities just off the lane. He kept zipping and unzipping his backpack until Miles finally reached over and rested his hand on top of his son??s to stop him.?? he said finally.??Brenda paused before taking a bite. Miles could see him swerving from side to side as he made his way down the road.?? Brenda said. .??She nodded.??So . calling for Jonah as he went. ??Thank you. There were a lot of people I really looked up to. It??s also against the law. and Sarah started rummaging through her handbag for her keys. an application for a Visa card. and a teammate added one.??Instead.In the car.

she really has. Sarah began teaching second grade at an inner-city elementary school. What can you tell me about him???It took a moment for the words to sink in. okay? And don??t go wandering. Missy was rocking four-month-old Jonah in the living room when a brick came crashing through the window. He??d spoken with Charlie earlier that morning and had offered to tell Miles. . Outside. if it was my son. wondering why he hadn??t called and imagining that something terrible had happened. The structure also tilted slightly.????I know the place. ??So . . generally peppered with references to people or events that she??d never heard of before. I don??t think I??ll have to. . sir.

But I did. It was out of the way. Though he couldn??t make out the features. have you heard from Brian lately??? she asked. ??You ain??t gonna shoot us.??Am I in trouble. thinking how lovely she looked.?? Jonah mumbled. I had to stay after school when I was a kid. and Miles crossed his arms and scanned the crowd. one house at a time. In the last three elections.??She nodded. ??You??re welcome. wasn??t it? And what would happen.????I figured there was more to the story. the fan that I got you for your class. she??d spent long hours browsing through the antique stores downtown or simply staring at the sailboats docked behind the Sheraton.

as did some mothers who drove their kids home from school.Miles tapped out another cigarette. And Dad?????Yeah?????I love you. the streets had been roped off for the Flower Festival that weekend and she??d had to park three blocks away. it seemed almost as if she were flirting.??Jonah.??Now come on out. for peace of mind she??d finally taken their advice. Sarah still wasn??t pregnant.??Sarah closed her eyes and held them that way. her mother caught herself.??There was a long pause on the other end. harried by the lunchtime crowd. be careful. Miles stepped back slightly. come on. Only I didn??t have to do it for only a couple of months.Missy Ryan??s funeral was held on a Wednesday morning at the Episcopal church in downtown New Bern.

She selected one and unlocked her front door. . As the warm air blew in the car. the case file was thick and heavy. if she had nothing else going on. someone. He doesn??t stay on the phone long. it wasn??t enough to satisfy his growing curiosity. the argument went downhill fast.??Sarah simply nodded before leaning back against the bench. Around the corner was the Episcopal church. It had decayed over the years and was completely abandoned. and there was always a party to attend or weekend trips out of town. It was the same thing last year. somewhere she??d never lived before. I??ll take it. but damned if he could figure it out. I don??t care what some of those magazines say.

??Is there anything else that I should know?????Not that I can think of. and she missed him now that he was gone.??It??s fine. ??Oreos are way better. was the fact that most of the homes had been painstakingly restored over the past fifty years. though one look said they wouldn??t stay that way for long. . Miles made his way back to the school. are you in trouble at school???At this. their conversations had usually been relatively short and impersonal: where supplies were stored.????I know.?? she answered defensively.????We had a good time today. so I can do this right. but Miles started going again once she was gone. It was a good thing that she??d made the offer. as Miles had begun mentally referring to it??Miles lay in bed with Jonah.??He pointed in the direction of the rifles.

??No. Both were impossible to deal with. Even as he spoke. . ??So. But that wasn??t the reason for her anger; Miles himself had been the cause.??Somehow.As the summer wore on. She hadn??t been surprised by this; every school progressed at a different rate. . but not nearly as bad as it once had been. and she thought she was doing better. the janitor???Sarah nodded. those small faces that stared at her with wonder. the fisherman waved. why run?The only reason he could come up with was that the person was drunk. I understand.? ? ?A few minutes later.

and Brenda looked at her like a child unwrapping a Christmas gift. Otis posed the greatest danger simply because he was the smartest. . he heard Jonah rustling in his room. there??s only a few minutes to relax. . ??There are no buts. it was because he??d never found out what had really happened to Missy. They??d talked about the things Jonah was having trouble with??as Sarah had said.??Maureen reached out and took her daughter by the hand. . I grew up there. He??d heard of such people. her blue eyes seemed to radiate a freshness. Without Beck??s testimony. he??s been a lot more like the person he used to be.??Sarah eyed her over the top of her sunglasses. and it would make no difference to her.

hoping and praying that a bolt of lightning would suddenly shoot from the heavens and kill him on the spot. . officially ending the school day.????There??s nothing to ruin.Or killed to get back at Miles Ryan?He was a sheriff; he??d made enemies. and unlike some divorced couples. sir. . and always beginning with the same question. just say the word. even though he knew it was nothing but a temporary phenomenon and didn??t mean diddly squat.?? Jonah mumbled. . He kept them in a fireproof box he??d bought after the funeral; he??d watched them all a dozen times.? ? ???Still smoking.Again there was a period of silence.??I??m only going to offer this once.??But now .

Besides. I don??t repeat everything Ido know. and because she knew Brenda was close to them. ??But before you worry too much. . It touched her to know that Miles had people in his life who cared so much about him. he didn??t tell her at the time. and then turned off the lights on her way out. When she squeezed it. Sometimes grown-ups like to do that. but as Miles??s boss as well. and after a while she motioned for Jonah to get in the hole. Jonah was finishing an ice-cream cone. she thought she understood.?? ??I didn??t say impossible. and only then. Don??t let her leave yet. I mean?????No.

He took it as his own failure. no older than three. albeit a small one. after the game.? ? ?In the coming weeks. ??Mark wasn??t talking about you. feeling about as rotten as a person could feel. she told herself. He was still sitting in bed. They weren??t bad people. all these kids look the same. okay?????Did Miss Andrews really say that I was smart?????She tells me every day. But not really. Miles started in on his own waffle. .. Dad . Sarah felt the tears coming.

regular patterns again. but then it didn??t matter whether he did or not. He??d heard of such people. watching as the rising sun slowly changed the morning sky from dusky gray to orange. listening to classical music and reworking the lesson plans she??d brought with her from Baltimore. Sarah finally slowed down.??Look. I needed to see Miles. The adrenaline seemed to enter his system as if he were hooked to a giant. It??s more like a picture.?? she said easily. no one had even bothered to run against him. Would you mind??? ??No. feeling those little butterflies. You used to do that a lot. ??Thanks a lot.????Okay. ??Now.

????You ready for some breakfast???He stretched his arms out to the side. Tomorrow I??m going to give him a couple of workbooks that really seem to be helping. a look of concern on her face. Charlie had said something that haunted Miles to this day: ??It??s like the driver was trying to apologize. listening to classical music and reworking the lesson plans she??d brought with her from Baltimore. In his mind??s eye.?? she said absently. then others certainly knew it as well. are you??? he called out. and when he looked up. I??ll call. ??They did the same thing at lunch today. ??Well . he??d told himself. do you know how you play with your friends? When you joke around and laugh and have a good time? That??s all a date is.But he would find the driver.??Well. regular patterns again.

she persisted until Sarah relented. Miles looked at her curiously. doing her best to keep a steady pace. but it was long enough to finally make Jonah nervous. maybe they were the ones who actually did it. he went in the kitchen and started a pot of coffee.After she??d gone inside to change. will you? If I let you go. ??Hey.??Sarah looked at her expectantly. ??What kind of cookies??? he asked skeptically.?? he started. . ??I know. Though yellowed and wrinkled. But don??t make any special plans. Jonah??s having trouble withall of the work. listening to classical music and reworking the lesson plans she??d brought with her from Baltimore.

was in the far corner.??As Miles tried to work it out. surrounded by hundreds of bouquets.?? he said seriously.?? she admitted. reality settled in.??Yes???Sarah knew instinctively what was coming.?? Miles said. Yep. I have a three-mile loop that I follow. All of their raids had come up empty. ??I know. ??This is justgreat . Like a robot.?? Sarah looked around.It was almost enough to make her life seem worthwhile.?? Sarah winked. everyone was confident that the case would have a resolution.

no more than ten minutes after she??d walked in the door. of course. . okay???It took a moment before Miles finally sighed. The soft flannel material scrunched back and forth in a seamless rhythm. a white pickup truck began backing out. but that??s not the way it is.?? He bent lower and met his son??s eyes.????I??ll be fine. most likely a twenty-two??and he suspected there was a simple explanation. this one on the third page. And despite himself. Just because I??m having dinner with Miss Andrews doesn??t mean we??re getting married. they??d begun to seem almost interchangeable.????Okay. ??Sparrows.M.??Sarah simply nodded before leaning back against the bench.

of course.?? He hadn??t expected to say it. she??d found it hard to do. he still had a little time.??He looked so small in his bed.?? He took a sip from the glass. his shoulders popping up and down like the waffles in the toaster. and this is one of them: Whenever someone dies young and tragically. his mind processing everything in slow motion. After a year. and the waitress. No one expected him to live the rest of his life alone; in the past few months.??I??m fine. would it help if I told you to try to look on the bright side?????There is no bright side.Sarah. much to Miles??s frustration. If you??ve got secrets. ??You??re making me a little nervous here.

three days after meeting Miles Ryan. thinking.Now.?? Charlie said. changing the subject. ??Hey. I??m glad you could make it in today. you two stay together.??He??s been married for fifty years. he caught himself staring at a young couple walking hand in hand as they moved down the sidewalk. He was still sitting in bed.?? she might say. but as with many of his fishing trips.??Why are you telling me this?????I just told you why. She didn??t want to hear about Michael. he??d inherited speed. and after a while she motioned for Jonah to get in the hole. that??s when Miles went.