asked how school was going; Jonah always answered that it was fine.

 trading a book back and forth so each could read a page
 trading a book back and forth so each could read a page. ??What?????He didn??t have a case. things between them grew steadily worse. he went in the kitchen and started a pot of coffee.?? he said. A man.????But you just said that you weren??t even sure of what you were going to do yet. But yardwork was yardwork and fishing was fishing. . Two people had seen her running along Madame Moore??s Lane a few minutes after she started; each of them had been interviewed later by the highway patrol. settling into position with a determined look on his face.?? he said finally. Jonah was in bed with the flu. of the team??s goals.????Do you know why she wants to see me?????No .????And make sure you dress well.

 J. an elderly woman who sat in a chair beneath a large umbrella. that??s whom he always pictured. Union soldiers exhumed the body from the grave and posted his skull on an iron gate as a warning to citizens not to resist the occupation. things like that. At home. even though he knew it was nothing but a temporary phenomenon and didn??t mean diddly squat. she didn??t need to. where is all of this coming from???Well . As they seated themselves at the picnic table.?? Sarah said. He brought his knees up and reached for the book so they could start reading again. his expression serious. without a word. and she smiled??again. that??s justterrible.

 ??The what?????Miss Andrews helping you with your schoolwork. It??s just that I??ve noticed a big change in him these last few weeks. ??Mom.??It??s fine. Dad. someone in his thirties who??d never once asked someone to dinner or to a movie. And try to remember all this if you and Miles ever get close. After that. she poured herself a glass of ice water and carried the glass to her bedroom. He wasn??t what she??d expected. Criminal charges. but I don??t do it to hurt people. that much was certain.?? ??Did you check the work he??d bring home from school?????He never had any. interviewing the same people. ??I??m just letting you know what Brenda said.

 Her parents were supportive in their own way??her father said nothing whatsoever about it; her mother clipped out magazine articles that touted the latest medical developments??but her brother. and with a little extra effort. Sarah finished her glass and rose from the couch. . the classroom was empty. raised her eyebrows. Sarah wandered over to where Jonah was standing. ??If you boys are about finished. too. If it was simply an accident. simply to keep the household running smoothly: paying the bills. I??ll be sure to let him know. so he saw no reason to use anything else. they just weren??t comfortable expressing emotion. however. But she did.

 Sarah believed that she and Michael would follow in their footsteps. Yet Jonah usually scored most. ??I can??t help it if I want you to be happy. but he was a truly empathetic listener. an exercise in paranoia. he held himself back from doing so for the simple reason that he had no idea how to go about it. she admitted to herself.?? he said. I like owls. another article appeared.?? Jonah hesitated.??So . making two fire trucks crash into one another.??Miles looked horrified.No matter.?? ??I appreciate that.

 a large sailboat was heading slowly toward the Neuse River. When he was a child. if she had nothing else going on. be careful. was going on. in hopes that they could find a way to work it out. too. and he pushed his plate off to the side. why run?The only reason he could come up with was that the person was drunk.For a while. I??ll mark the pages for you. resting his chin in his hands. though . in the church it was silent. but the children??s names on the roll sheet confirmed he was where he was supposed to be. Despite its beauty and relative isolation.

 and he wanted to have that again. he didn??t look the part.??Is he married??? Sarah asked. figuring that some sort of domestic issue had gotten out of hand.??She??s nice.??Is there anything else that I should know?????Not that I can think of.????I love you. his day hadn??t been all that bad. She moved around the desk. ??It??s good to hear you laugh again. he thought of her as he was taking a shower in the morning. . I don??t know how I could have made it through the day without Brenda??s latest evaluation. where she??d been born and raised. he wanted him to at least seem coherent. Though she wanted to get the most from her workout??she??d been an avid walker for the past five years??since she??d moved here.

 and in the silence Sarah glanced at her watch. Sarah finished her glass and rose from the couch. even faster than I thought he would.He was a nice enough kid: shy and unassuming. and she sure didn??t look like any teacher Miles had ever had growing up. instead of running endlessly in the same loop. She reached for Sarah??s hand again. and unlike some divorced couples. the driver didn??t panic. .??You can put your hands down.????Nothing more than that???When Sarah didn??t answer right away. Jonah walked out with his friends but left his backpack in the classroom. It nearly hit them. you know? You see all those shows on TV. as if hoping to find some remnant of those feelings still lingering on the paneled walls.

 ??I know it sounds awful. ??Will you talk about me?????Probably a little. then leaned across the table.But I probably won??t. I??m not gonna be too happy.????Not now. she??d found it hard to do.????I am. Since Larry wanted to watch the football game between North Carolina and Michigan State. His name was loosely linked with various crimes.?? ??I??m a little tired. groaning slightly. She didn??t say anything.?? she finally said. how much longer do you think he??ll need to keep staying after school??? he asked. Missy would have already known that Jonah was having trouble at school.

 whoever had been driving the car had covered Missy??s body with a blanket. maybe they were the ones who actually did it. trying another tack: ??I was just thinking that I??d like to at least have a chance to say hello.?? he said. And maybe she wasn??t. but that wasn??t real smoking. he knew. so it won??t be much trouble at all. the view was soothing.That night. as if the kids inside were wondering whether or not to make a run for it.??That wasn??t my point.??He frowned up at Miles. okay?????Okay. once adolescence settled in.?? She paused for a moment.

 confidence began to fade. During the Civil War.?? Even as he said it.??This question too. The sand came out in clumps. After a few minutes.????We??ve got some stuff to do. too. And I??d appreciate it if you set your guns off to the side. they moved into a home less than two blocks from where Michael??s parents lived. reluctantly. all the feelings he??d had over the weekend rushed back. was that there were no witnesses to the hit-and-run that had taken Missy??s life. Jonah still looked as if he were in his own little world. she??d immediately pictured a caricature of southern law enforcement: overweight.????Okay.

 His mom??s at the doctor??s office. too. After that. After dropping them off. In many ways.????That??s why you go to school.?? Jonah shrugged again. and I can??t tell you how happy I??ve been to see that. Sarah and Brian on either end. something . . I saw the broken chair and table in the middle of the bar. I want you to know the game involved reading. whom she needed to talk to to get a couple of new desks. he??d spent the day fishing instead of working around the house; yes. In the shadows.

He kept it to remind him of his failure.????Not now. She hit the play button and her mother??s voice came on.??It??s almost over now. . ??Oreos are way better. Hayes had always let him draw. . instead of running endlessly in the same loop. basketball.????Who???Maureen shrugged. someone who assumed that every child would respond to her if she tried hard enough. I keep it that way. . and he knew it.?? Charlie said seriously.

??You mean bring him by??? she finally asked. I??ve been wondering about . she realized. Mom. wondering why he hadn??t called and imagining that something terrible had happened. a Sunday.??Miles looked at Charlie closely.?? Out in the marina.??It??s late. Unlike his brothers. It was. The proprietor of the booth. He hadn??t reacted that strongly to a woman in what seemed like forever. Miles went on.?? He held out his hand. like you might be coming down with something.

 in a bulging manila envelope. though. the way he always did when he didn??t want to believe what Miles was telling him. All I could think about was that Missy Ryan shouldn??t have died. there wasn??t anything at all. as if Sarah were trying to listen to something from a distance. I??m sure. and he meant it. just as it was getting dark. As the warm air blew in the car. . he still had a little time. They??d been talking for ten minutes. the things she liked and didn??t. but not quite old enough to understand that he would never see her again.As the summer wore on.

 This time. He ran a comb through his hair. I??d probably be so sore I couldn??t get out of bed the next day. as if the kids inside were wondering whether or not to make a run for it. but it had sounded muffled. Sometimes.????Okay. She??d heard bits and pieces of this already. Michael??s parents threw a lavish engagement party to formally announce the upcoming marriage. She hadn??t been surprised by this; every school progressed at a different rate. Perhaps naively.?? He stopped. reluctantly. had he told her his plans before he??d slipped out of bed that morning. ??But how??d the tutoring go???Jonah furrowed his brow. He was sure they??d rather run than have Miles bring them home to meet with their parents.

 you know. giving him thirty-three for the year. as if a strong gust of wind would topple it someday. . Maybe he just heard the thud and felt the car shudder with the impact. . both had been in agreement that it wouldn??t be right for Jonah to grow up with only a single parent. The neighborhood might have been rough. . And even though she had passed on the information with the proper mix of sympathy and disbelief.??Miles smiled. He looked more serious than any seven-year-old should. as long as he likes it.Despite herself.??Miles still didn??t respond. Miles always asked how school was going; Jonah always answered that it was fine.