Ann sat facing the monochrome image of James and the river trailing behind them. He seemed to be absorbed by the river, but she knew he was only brooding over something and not really looking at anything at all. He seemed like more of a stranger now, the person he’d become after leaving Traitor Bay and joining the navy. She could see now that things hadn’t changed for him much. He’d left behind everything to take a different path and was just as unlucky with it as any other he’d tried. Everyone said going away would help him grow into a fuller person, but he’d just been led around in another circle. It seems like he can’t ever catch a break, Ann thought.
“How far do you think we should go?” she asked.
James turned from the river and looked into her eyes. She could see that he was simmering inside, not ready yet to open up. It always took him longer than most people. He’d grown up fearing he’d somehow light his father’s short fuse, until he met Ann and began to stand up for himself. Ann had always thought it was the true reason his mother didn’t like her anymore.
“I was thinking we’d pull off just before the jetty and take the beach back to get help.”
“It will be light before we get into town. They’re going to see us.”
“Look at the fog rolling in, Ann. It’s supposed to stick around all day, thick and soupy.”
“And then what do we do?” Ann said. “If we still can’t call the cops?”
“We find a place to hide for a day or two. I was thinking we could look up Coach, since he’s got a place right on the beach.”
“I didn’t think you liked coach,” Ann said.
“I don’t. But I have to admit he’s honest. Maybe we weren’t on the best of terms when I was in school, but I think he was just worrying about what I was going through with my mom and dad fighting all the time. I was stupid because I couldn’t see until later how much it tore him up inside.”
“Are you planning to see your folks?”
“Not sure if I will yet. Have you seen them around much?”
“Your mom stops in once in a while. She acts like she’s in a hurry to get somewhere. Mostly just pays, nods and leaves. With her it’s like we’re not much more familiar strangers.”
“And my dad?”
“I saw him at the 101 one night last fall and he stopped by my table to say hello. He’d just been elk hunting with some of his buddies and wanted to brag about a ten pointer he’d bagged. He was feeling pretty good and wanted to tease me, knowing how I’d feel about it. When I asked him if he’d heard from you he kind of switched gears and went back to join his friends. I guess it must have been around the time you up and went to Mexico.”
“Did he sell the boat?”
“Not sure.”
James lit another cigarette and stared up at the bridge they’d passed under before. He noticed swallows nests beading the concrete belly-small, upside down jugs of dried mud where black specks darted to and from. The swallows’ pre-dawn chirping was still frenzied despite having driven off the chick-stealing crows. Maybe they were celebrating their victory, he thought. But the crows would be back. He was sure of it.
A dense mountain of fog had begun to devour the bridge a piece at a time. Just great, James thought, we’re heading right into it. Pretty soon we’ll be in the soup too, and I won’t be able to see a damn thing. When he glanced up to watch the last fragment of bridge disappear, he thought he saw three figures peering down at them from the steel railing, their outlines limned by headlights of a vehicle left idling.
“Ann, look,” James said. But when Ann raised her eyes, the men on the bridge were already hidden by a sweeping arm of fog.
“What is it?”
“I think it was them. I’m sure it was them. Who else could it be?”
“What are we going to do?”
“We’ve got no choice but to drift into the fog. They’ll only be able to guess where we’re going after that.”
“But it’ll only be a matter of time before they find us again.”
“Unless we’re able blow town without them catching us first. If we have a decent head start we could get to a bigger city where they’d never find us.”
“I can’t leave. My aunt depends on me. I can’t go anywhere now.”
“It’s up to you what you do. All I’m saying is that since Duane is a pile of stinking ashes…”
“So that’s the real reason you’ve come back?”
“Of course it is. Do you really think I came back to make peace?”
“I don’t know James. A few minutes ago I was feeling sorry for you. But I guess I’ve forgotten how much you hate it here.”
“But you do remember what we agreed on?
“I remember.”
“Then would you please tell me why the money’s not where we left it?”
“You went to get it?”
“How else would I know it got moved?” James said.
Fresh tears burned against Ann’s cheeks, making her conscious of how chilled she was. She wiped her face, fought back the sudden urge to bum a smoke. Her hand drifted down into her pocket. The.38 was cold against her palm.
“I got scared, James. When I didn’t hear from you I thought something might have happened…”
“So you thought you’d move the money just in case someone else came looking for it?”
“Yes.”
“And you expect me to believe you?”
“That’s up to you. All I know is that you’re here to get what’s yours. And even if Duane is sitting in an urn at his crazy mother’s house, he kind of isn’t dead if we’ve still got problems.”
James leaned forward and studied Ann’s face as it was being swallowed by fog. “Well look at you. You haven’t even left town and you’ve grown so smart. I have to believe you, Ann, I’ve got no choice. Now will you to tell me where it is?”
Chapter 25
