“So far.”
2 1 3
R O B E R T B . P A R K E R
“God, you’re cautious about this,” Molly said.
“I worry that I’ll do it again,” Jesse said.
“Do what?”
“Whatever drove her away last time.”
“Maybe she did something,” Molly said.
“I mean I know she did things, cheated on me and stuff, but what did I do to cause it.”
“Maybe nothing,” Molly said. “Maybe it was her fault.”
Jesse shook his head.
“Course,” Molly said. “If it’s her fault you got no control over it. Your fault, you do. You can be very careful.”
Jesse continued to look out the window.
After a time he said, “Thanks, Molly.”
And Molly left.
2 1 4
45
W hen I’m stuck,” Healy said, “I go over it.”
“All of it,” Jesse said.
“Start at page one of my notebook and
go page by page all the way through.”
It was Sunday. They were on his balcony looking at the harbor. Healy had a can of beer. Jesse was drinking Coke.
Jenn was in the production office looking at videotape. On the floor of the patio a thick-bodied, middle-aged Welsh corgi lay on his side, his eyes closed, his nose pointed at the ocean. Jesse had put a soup bowl full of water near him. The soup bowl was white with a blue line around the rim.
R O B E R T B . P A R K E R
“I know,” Jesse said.
“But you don’t want to,” Healy said.
“I don’t.”
“I’ll do it with you,” Healy said. “A second set of ears.”
“On a Sunday?”
“Sure.”
“It’ll take all day.”
“Not a problem,” Healy said.
“Something bad going on at your house?” Jesse said.
“My wife’s younger brother is visiting with his wife,”
Healy said. “They have young children.”
“You don’t care for young children.”
“Neither one of us,” Healy said. “But it’s her brother.”
“And the dog?”
“They annoy the hell out of Buck,” Healy said. “When he can, he bites them.”
“So it wasn’t all about helping me when you dropped by.”
“It was nothing about that,” Healy said. “Why don’t you get your notebook.”
Jesse went to his bedroom and got the notebook and brought it back.
“You want another beer?” he said.
“No,” Healy said. “I’m fine.”
Jesse always marveled at people who could nurse any drink. He had already finished his Coke.
“Okay,” he said. “She washes ashore near the town wharf. . . .”
2 1 6
S E A C H A N G E
And they went through it. Incident by incident. Interview by interview. Day by day.
“Cruz broad sounds pretty good,” Healy said at one point.
Jesse nodded.
