فصل 01 - بخش 04

FOOTSTEPS AND CANTALOUPE

July 18th–July 20th 1

Because Ralph hadn’t told Jeannie about his darkest suspicion concerning the Flint County prosecutor – that he might have hoped for a crowd of righteously angry citizens at the courthouse – she let Bill Samuels in when he appeared at the door of the Anderson home on Wednesday evening, but she made it clear that she didn’t have much use for him.

‘He’s out back,’ she said, turning away and heading back into the living room, where Alex Trebek was putting that evening’s Jeopardy contestants through their paces. ‘You know the way.’

Samuels, tonight clad in jeans, sneakers, and a plain gray tee-shirt, stood in the front hall for a moment, considering, then followed her. There were two easy chairs in front of the television, the bigger, more lived-in one empty. He picked up the remote from the table between the two and muted the sound. Jeannie continued looking at the television, where the contestants were currently munching their way through a category called Literary Villains. The answer onscreen was She demanded Alice’s head.

‘That’s an easy one,’ Samuels said. ‘The Red Queen. How is he, Jeannie?’

‘How do you think he is?’

‘I’m sorry about the way things turned out.’

‘Our son found out that his father’s been suspended,’ she said, still looking at the TV. ‘It was on the Internet. He’s very upset by that, of course, but he’s also upset because his favorite coach was gunned down in front of the courthouse. He wants to come home. I told him to give it a few days and see if he doesn’t change his mind. I didn’t want to tell him the truth, that his father isn’t ready to see him yet.’

‘He hasn’t been suspended. He’s just on administrative leave. With pay. And it’s mandatory after a shooting incident.’

‘You say to-may-to, I say to-mah-to.’ Now the answer onscreen was This nurse was wretched. ‘He says he may be off for as long as six months, and that’s if he agrees to the mandatory psych evaluation.’

‘Why would he not?’

‘He’s thinking of pulling the pin.’

Samuels raised his hand to the top of his head, but tonight the cowlick was behaving – at least so far – and he lowered it again. ‘In that case, maybe we can go into business together. This town needs a good car wash.’

Now she did look at him. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘I’ve decided not to run for re-election.’

She favored him with a thin stiletto of a smile that her own mother might not have recognized. ‘Going to quit before Johnny Q. Public can fire you?’

‘If you want to put it that way,’ he said.

‘I do,’ Jeannie said. ‘Go on out back, Mr Prosecutor For Now, and feel free to suggest a partnership. But you should be ready to duck.’