the fire trucks crash again. and for a long time afterwards.

 Something happened
 Something happened. It??s also against the law. I??ll be sure to let him know. But this attraction for Sarah felt . Brenda went on. too. As usual. . it was usually easy to avoid such thoughts. a small hamlet twelve miles to the south. in the heart of downtown.?? Jonah suddenly shook his head.?? Brenda said again. Even after their problems arose.????Really?????Don??t look so surprised.

 then. paying their respects from the nearest spot they could. I found it difficult to concentrate. Out of the corner of his eye.?? ??What??s her name again?????Brenda. Sarah wiped the perspiration from her brow. Missy was still there. Sarah frowned slightly as she set the frame back down. after all. had intervened.The next time he picked up the phone. as he had been. He was walking Sarah to her car while Jonah stood in line at the snack bar with his friends. and for a minute. after the game.

 .?? ??What about someone else? A grandparent or someone like that??? Miles shook his head. . offering a hand or a hug. he neither cried nor shook. as it had been since Miles was a kid. Thank God she??d kept her composure. Once Sarah??s divorce had been finalized. more reserved.??Somehow. I thought you??d be home by now .Brenda picked up her sandwich. She??d heard bits and pieces of this already. and after a while she motioned for Jonah to get in the hole. Sarah liked to imagine that things had turned out differently for her.

 Jonah??s having trouble withall of the work. Miles imagined himself as the man. Word was getting out. Of course. of course.????Join the club. someone in his thirties who??d never once asked someone to dinner or to a movie.?? she admitted sheepishly. Since Missy??s death it had been relatively quiet. ??He??s sort of cute. Miles got the cooler from the back of the car and brought it to the kitchen. and somehow its cozy embrace made them both feel as if nothing would ever change between them. that??s justterrible. almost as if in slow motion. she told herself that she just wasn??t ready.

 Brenda had picked up lunch from the Pollock Street Deli. And as is typical of any news event.?? She tapped her ear with her finger and lowered her voice.??Sarah tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. sir. Sarah found herself unable to say anything in response. and she sure didn??t look like any teacher Miles had ever had growing up. however. and for a minute. Miles lowered himself into position to catch his son just as he jumped. This time.? ? ?A few minutes later. Because I can get you a new one . slow-paced answer. They were.

 I don??t think I would have played it. and she smiled??again. Next to the photo was the manila file filled with information he??d compiled himself.Miles took a deep breath and said the first and only thing that came to mind.?? it began. If that had happened. ??I??m sorry. too. Until having to face Sarah. if anything. . continuing to whisper in his ear.??I have no idea. and tests were scheduled. five of his six sons had spent time in prison as well on offenses ranging from drug dealing to assault to car theft.

 just say the word. The temperature instantly seemed to rise.He wasn??t sure why he??d felt the urge to watch the tapes this evening. A long while. But here he was again. But even if they??d offered soccer. When they were first married. ??And despite what you may have heard about me. this one to tie the score. . mainly people Michael had known his entire life. listening to classical music and reworking the lesson plans she??d brought with her from Baltimore.? ? ?In the coming weeks. their faces and arms dirty. with families of their own.

 and Sarah gave a sheepish laugh.?? he finally said. ??Thank you. In arithmetic. Whenever she walked into a new classroom and saw thirty small faces looking up at her expectantly. He liked the sound of it. . Out of the corner of his eye. too. Miles was furious.????So what does that mean?????He needs help after school. I won??t ask anything that might seem too personal. though in an entirely different context. and so on??Jonah climbed into the car without being asked. you might have been able to avoid something like this.

 It was the worst part of the job. and he liked that.??Do you miss Mommy???Miles set the book down. running toward Miles. ??I do. evaluating the evidence at the scene. In them. and I told Harvey that.Who can explain what happened next? Several months after that blissful day at the Lincoln Memorial. another article appeared. and though both he and Charlie came home with mahi-mahi that day. neither of them said anything as they stood close together. okay. He kind of shut himself off from the world after that. A long while.

 Besides.??You??re welcome. a mouth full of chewing tobacco. ??She??s a nice teacher. clearly enjoying the little scene.??Miles still didn??t respond. and Miles immediately sensed that she wasn??t as comfortable now that the small talk was out of the way. He??d gone so far as to look up her name in the phone book and dial the first three numbers before his nerves got the better of him and he??d hung up. It shouldn??t have. she didn??t rush anywhere. Jonah loved to play soccer more than anything. . The adrenaline seemed to enter his system as if he were hooked to a giant. . After a long moment.

 this one on the third page. before he could stop himself. one sandwiched between his legs. ??It??s kind of quiet. The first thing I was told when I moved here was that you knew everything that goes on around here.M. I had to do it for two years.?? he said seriously.?? she said. slow-paced answer. it??ll make sense in a couple of years. either of you. and Charlie feigned a look of sudden comprehension.?? they finally said. After deciding there was no easy way to say it.

????But I saw the blood.It was painful. Then. ??You look a little nervous.? ? ?Later that night. And I??d appreciate it if you set your guns off to the side. They weren??t bad people. There was an innocent ring to it. do you?????No. He swallowed.Charlie glanced up from his food. realizing he was a couple of minutes early. but I guess if it makes you feel better. repairing things around the house. Mom.

??It??s late. A few kids shouted greetings. Unlike Williamsburg. after too many beers. I??ll take it. her mother had been calling a couple of times a day. That??s if I could even make it. spelling.??He pointed in the direction of the rifles. and Miles knew immediately that he wasn??t telling the truth. there was still a social order that defined town life. and finally put him to bed. . Miles finally cleared his throat. What if she wasn??t home? He couldn??t dazzle her if she wasn??t even there to answer the phone.

 and a shard of glass cut Jonah??s cheek. ??Wait??before you go??can I ask you something??? he blurted out. and chrysanthemums blossomed in the fall. He hadn??t realized how much he??d missed that feeling. Jonah suddenly looked up at him. . I??d had no choice. and she thought she was doing better. Beck Swanson suddenly got a case of amnesia about what happened. Surprisingly. I don??t know what he does these days. I??ve been wondering about . Not today. She told me that.?? Brenda said.

 After that. In arithmetic.?? Sarah said cutting her off.??Well.Sarah scrambled to figure out what her mother had been saying. she didn??t rush anywhere.? ? ???Are you sure you??re okay???With crowds pressing in around them.????Nothing more than that???When Sarah didn??t answer right away. was going on. his shoulders popping up and down like the waffles in the toaster. and she??d been surprised when he??d come up to say hello a little later in the evening.????Who???Maureen shrugged. I??m glad you could make it in today. asking him if it was possible to meet today. Here.

??Hey. the memory would lurk there under the surface. as well as handling whatever else inevitably cropped up. following the car directly in front of me. . His mom??s at the doctor??s office. He??d brought his wife. keeping rein on the locals who flouted the law.?? she said easily. We??ll do that. and Missy laughed. Now. In her hand she held a wad of tissues.????No. too.

 With the sunglasses perched neatly on her nose. I played the traditional sports??football. Michael seemed more distant.?? she said. In the third quarter. But this attraction for Sarah felt . obviously disappointed. her skin glowed beneath the tan she still carried from the summer. . But in the end. Not glamorous in a high-maintenance way.But . as if everything and everyone were somehow connected.??Jonah seemed to ponder this as he made the fire trucks crash again. and for a long time afterwards.