Page 51 of The River We Remember

“The wrong kind of talk can be a virus, Jack,” Charlie said. “It spreads and it poisons.”

“Yeah, but in this case it’s not far off the mark, Counselor,” Landis said.

“You really think Noah Bluestone did it, Gordon?” Mimi Fowler looked troubled by the idea. “When he checks out books from the library, he’s always so polite.”

“He’s Indian,” Landis replied. “Let me tell you two things you need to know about Indians, Mimi. They haven’t got an honest bone in their bodies. And never turn your back to ’em. They carry knives.”

“I think that’s enough of this kind of talk,” Loretta said. “It’s time for dessert.”

IT WAS DARK when they left the Wicklow home. Brody drove slowly through town, as if reluctant to end the evening.

“That Gordon Landis, there’s a piece of work,” Angie said. “I don’t know what Mimi sees in him.”

“She’s forty, never married,” Brody said. “Maybe she thinks this is her last best shot.”

“You shouldn’t get married just to get married. Especially to a man like Gordon Landis. Even when you marry for love, there are no guarantees.”

“I know what you mean. Just look at Sam and Loretta,” Brody said. “My God is she hard on him.”

“If they’re so unhappy with each other, why don’t they just divorce?”

“Catholic,” Brody said.

Angie smiled, a little wickedly. “I hope he does write that book, just to show her.” Then she said, “What do you think about Noah Bluestone and Jimmy Quinn?”

“I think we’d all be better off not talking and gossiping about it.”

“You don’t have an opinion?”

“I think it was a terrible accident, and I think it doesn’t do anybody any good to speculate differently at this point.”

She felt the anger in his words and didn’t quite understand where it came from, but it was obvious he preferred to steer clear of the subject. Which was fine with Angie. She didn’t want the evening to end on a sour note.

The Wagon Wheel was empty and unlit, but lights blazed in the house behind it. Brody pulled to the curb, got out, and opened her door. He escorted her up the walk, and they stood together a long, awkward moment, until she finally took the bull by the horns, leaned to him, and kissed his cheek.

“I had a lovely evening,” she said. “Thanks for the ride.”

“My pleasure.” But he didn’t leave. He looked away briefly, then back. His face was illuminated by the glow from inside the house, and a little fire from that glow danced in his eyes. “Would you like to do this again? Not this, I mean, but another evening out together, just the two of us?”

“I’d like that very much,” she said.

“Good,” he said. “Good.”

And then, in that last moment before he left her, he did it. Kissed her gently, full on the lips. He turned without another word and strolled back to his cruiser.

Inside, she found Ida sitting in the living room looking pensive.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Scott,” Ida said.

All of Angie’s happiness fled in an instant. “What about him?”

“He should have been home long ago.” Ida broke into tears. “Oh, Angie. He’s gone, and I don’t know where.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

JEWEL HAD A movie theater on Main Street called the Rialto, which had been operating since the days of silent films. By the late fifties, the Rialto was open four days a week, Thursday through Sunday. Every Sunday night, after the final showing had begun, Scott Madison met Del Wolfe in front of the theater to change the marquee for the next week’s offering. Neither boy received money for this. Instead, they were allowed to watch any movie they wanted as often as they liked for free. This included the Saturday matinees, which tended to be Scott’s favorites, since they were often war movies or Westerns or grade-B horror films like The Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Thing from Another World. The matinee offerings never shared the marquee, which was devoted to first-run films—The Bridge on the River Kwai, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Jailhouse Rock (Del’s favorite), Old Yeller (which had made Scott cry, and he was glad Del wasn’t there to see him)—but the boys always knew what the Saturday morning showings would be and sat in the balcony together, munching on popcorn and Necco wafers. Lots of households in Jewel had television sets, but neither boy’s home had one. Scott’s mother believed television was a waste of time and preferred that he read instead or occupy himself with hobbies. Del’s family couldn’t afford a set. So it was movies that gave them the broader world. Movies and books.