by Mike Sherer
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Night&Tide&
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By&
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Michael&W.&Sherer
2&
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Night&Tide&
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Chapter&1&
!! The! smell! of! gas! hung! on! the! porch! of! the! ramshackle!
house!like!a!bookie’s!leg6breaker,!heavy!and!oppressive,!full!of!
menace.! I! backed! away! cautiously,! nose! full! of! the! rotten6egg!
odorant! in! the! gas.! Finding! a! spot! where! polluted! air! left! off!
and! fresh! air! began! was! tough.! I! tucked! the! paper! I’d! been!
holding! under! one! arm! to! dial! 96161,! told! the! operator! about!
the!leak!and!gave!her!the!address.!!
!
“What’s!your!name,!sir?”!she!asked,!her!voice!clipped!but!
polite,!all!business.!!
!
“What! difference! does! it! make?”! With! four! more! stops! to!
make! and! a! waiting! bed! after! that,! the! thought! of! hanging!
around! to! answer! questions! didn’t! thrill! me.! Besides,! for! all! I!
knew! Caller! ID! had! put! my! name! on6screen! in! front! of! her!
anyway.!!
!
“I!need!your!name,!sir.”!
!
“Sanders.!Blake!Sanders.”!
!
“Are!you!the!homeowner,!sir?”!
!
“No.!I!was!just!passing!by.!I!smelled!gas.!I!called!you.”!
!
“But!the!leak!is!at!the!address!you!gave!me?”!
!
“Yeah,! I’m! pretty! sure.! That’s! where! the! smell’s! coming!
from.”!
!
“Is!there!anyone!in!the!house?”!
!
“How!would!I!know?”!!
!
Odds! were! pretty! good! someone! was! home.! No! one! had!
stopped! newspaper! delivery.! Unless! people! planned! on! being!
gone! only! a! day! or! two,! they! usually! put! a! vacation! hold! on!
their!paper.!!
Night&Tide—Sherer&
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!
“Sir,! I’m! reporting! this! to! dispatch! now.! They’ll! have! the!
fire!department!on!scene!as!fast!as!they!can.!In!the!meantime,!
it!would!help!to!know!if!anyone’s!in!immediate!danger.”!
!
“I’ll!see!what!I!can!do.”!!
!
I!disconnected!before!she!could!think!of!more!suggestions,!
dialed!information!and!asked!for!a!listing!for!the!gas!utility.!I!
punched!my!way!through!the!prompts!to!report!a!gas!leak!and!
finally! got! a! live! person! on! the! line.! He! took! me! through! the!
same! rigmarole! without! much! enthusiasm,! his! voice! flat! and!
disinterested,!and!said!they’d!send!someone.!
!
Pocketing!the!phone,!I!stared!at!the!house!in!the!gray,!pre6
dawn! light,! debating! what! to! do! next.! The! house! stared! back,!
the!broken!slats!on!the!porch!rail!giving!me!a!snaggletoothed!
grin.!Dew!on!the!tall!grass!in!the!weedy!yard!soaked!through!
the! mesh! tops! of! my! athletic! shoes,! spurring! me! to! action.! I!
sucked!in!a!deep!breath!and!held!it,!climbed!the!few!steps!to!
the! porch! and! pounded! on! the! front! door.! No! answer.! I!
pounded!harder.!This!time!I!thought!I!heard!a!faint!voice!inside!
telling!me!to!hold!my!horses.!
!
“You!need!to!get!out!of!there,”!I!yelled,!expelling!the!breath!
I’d!been!holding.!
!
I!dove!off!the!porch,!gulped!down!more!air,!and!went!back!
to!banging!on!the!door!with!the!heel!of!my!fist.!
!
“I’m!coming!”!said!the!gravelly!voice,!muffled!by!the!door.!
“Keep!your!pants!on!”!
!
The!entry!light!blinked!on!and!the!door!opened!mid6swing.!
On!the!other!side!stood!a!disheveled!man!in!baggy!sweat!pants!
and!a!worn!bathrobe!rubbing!the!sleep!from!one!eye.!An!ample!
beer! belly! pushed! a! cotton! undershirt! out! between! the! open!
folds!of!the!robe.!In!the!yellowed!light!the!sweat6stained!shirt!
appeared! several! shades! off6white.! Scuffed! dirty! slippers!
covered! his! toes,! but! his! bare! ankles! were! mapped! with! blue!
veins.! Long,! greasy! gray! hair! hung! in! ropes! to! his! shoulders.!
Night&Tide—Sherer&
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Several! days’! growth! of! beard! in! matching! gray! covered! his!
face.!He!dug!two!fingers!into!it!and!scratched,!scowling.!
!
“What!the!fuck!do!you!want?”!he!said.!
!
“You!can’t!smell!that?”!
!
“Smell! what?”! He! took! a! step! toward! me,! stuck! his! head!
through!the!doorframe!and!sniffed.!
!
“You’ve!got!a!gas!leak.!You!need!to!get!out!of!the!house.”!
!
He!peered!at!me!suspiciously!and!sniffed!again.!This!time,!
his!eyes!widened!in!shock.!!
!
“Jesus,! mister,! you! weren’t! shittin’! me,! were! you?”! He!
stepped!onto!the!porch.!
!
“I! called! 96161! and! the! gas! company.! Fire! department!
should!be!here!any!minute.”!
!
On!cue,!a!siren’s!wail!drifted!over!the!rooftops!and!down!
the! city’s! grid! of! canyons! between! houses! and! buildings.!
Absently,! he! wrapped! the! robe! over! his! belly! and! cinched! it!
tight.! Dazed,! he! shuffled! down! the! steps! onto! the! walk.! I!
followed!him!down!and!steered!him!toward!the!street!with!an!
arm!around!his!shoulder.!
!
“You’re!Mr.!Donato?”!I!said.!
!
He! glanced! at! me.! “Yeah.! Phil! Donato.! That’s! me.! How’d!
you!know?”!
!
I!held!up!the!paper!and!put!it!in!his!hand.!“You’re!on!my!
route.!Is!there!anyone!else!in!the!house,!Mr.!Donato?”!
!
He! shook! his! head,! matted! locks! barely! budging.! “I! live!
alone.”!
!
The!sirens!grew!closer,!burped!once!and!went!silent!as!an!
SFD! engine! and! a! squad! vehicle! pulled! onto! the! block! with!
lights! flashing.! The! engine’s! crew! jumped! down! and! busied!
themselves!running!out!lengths!of!hose!and!climbing!into!their!
gear.!A!lieutenant!got!out!of!the!squad!car!and!walked!over!to!
us.!His!nametag!said!“R.F.!Hinckley.”!
!
He!looked!at!us!both!and!settled!his!gaze!on!me.!“You!the!
one!who!called!it!in?”!
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!
I!nodded.!
!
“And!this!is!the!homeowner?”!
!
“Mr.! Donato,”! I! said.! “He! says! there’s! no! one! else! in! the!
house.”!
!
He!wrinkled!his!nose.!“Lucky!you!came!by.”!
!
Donato!stared!at!the!house!as!if!he!hadn’t!heard!us.!
!
Hinckley! le
aned! toward! him.! “It’s! all! right,! sir.! Gas!
company!is!on!the!way.!Soon!as!they!find!the!leak!and!fix!it,!you!
can!go!back!to!bed.”!
!
There! was! no! response.! The! lieutenant! shrugged! and!
turned!away!to!check!on!his!men.!I!watched!them!set!up,!antsy!
now,!wondering!when!the!utility!would!show!up.!Then!again,!
I’d!done!my!part.!I!had!no!reason!to!stay.!
!
Before!I!made!up!my!mind,!a!gas!company!truck!rolled!up,!
nosed! in! to! the! fire! engine! and! parked.! As! the! driver! got! out,!
one! of! the! firemen! yelled! over! the! low! rumble! of! the! engine,!
diverting!my!attention.!
!
“Hey!!Don’t!go!in!there!!Hey!you!”!
!
I! turned! to! see! Donato! partway! up! the! walk,! already! a!
dozen!yards!away.!
!
“My!cat!”!he!said.!“I!forgot!my!cat!!She’s!in!there.”!
!
“Wait,”!I!said,!taking!a!step.!“You!can’t!go!back!inside.”!
!
He! didn’t! stop.! As! soon! as! he! spotted! me! moving! toward!
him!he!broke!into!a!shambling!run,!losing!a!slipper!on!the!way!
up!the!walk.!I!went!after!him!with!a!burst!of!speed!that!elicited!
a!groan!from!the!titanium!and!ceramic!joint!in!my!hip.!I!hooked!
an!arm!around!his!stooped!shoulders!as!he!reached!the!steps!
and!changed!direction,!dragging!him!aside!toward!the!bushes!
fronting!the!house.!Planting!his!feet,!he!bent!at!the!waist,!and!
my! looped! arm! suddenly! held! air,! not! his! shoulders.! The!
abrupt! lack! of! resistance! sent! me! over! the! edge! of! the! porch!
arms! churning! like! a! wind! turbine! in! a! steady! breeze.! As! the!
bushes!rushed!up!to!meet!me,!I!twisted!to!avoid!a!branch!in!the!
eye!and!saw!the!old!man!disappear!into!the!house.!
Night&Tide—Sherer&
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!
Something!inside—furnace!or!water!heater,!maybe!an!old!
thermostat—sparked!and!ignited!the!gas!with!an!ear6splitting!
whump! and! ball! of! orange! flame! that! blew! out! the! front!
windows.! Shards! of! glass! rained! down! as! a! blast! of! hot! air!
rushed!over!me,!sucking!the!oxygen!out!of!my!lungs.!I!lay!in!the!
dirt,! dazed! and! blinded,! the! sudden! shock! turning! the! whole!
world!black.!
!
Night&Tide—Sherer&
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!
!
Chapter&2&
!
!
Perry!Langford!stepped!outside!the!visitors!building!at!the!
federal!penitentiary!in!Marion,!Illinois,!and!tasted!freedom!for!
the!first!time!in!more!than!twenty!years.!Even!the!air!smelled!
different! to! him! than! it! had! on! the! other! side! of! the! fence! a!
hundred!feet!away.!He!raised!his!arms!and!stretched,!lifting!his!
face!to!the!April!sunshine,!then!climbed!into!a!waiting!cab.!As!it!
pulled!away,!he!looked!back!one!last!time!at!the!hellhole!that!
he’d!called!home.! Never*again. !
!
From!downtown!Marion!he!took!a!bus!to!Carbondale,!ate!
lunch! in! a! diner! near! the! station! and! wandered! around! town!
until!the!time!came!to!board!an!Amtrak!train!to!Centralia.!The!
train! arrived! in! Centralia! two! minutes! behind! schedule.! After!
disembarking,! he! walked! a! mile! through! town! to! the! house!
where!he’d!grown!up.!It!stood!empty,!his!parents!having!died!
years!before.!
!
The! next! day,! he! met! with! his! parole! officer,! applied! for!
several!jobs!around!town,!and!spent!the!afternoon!cleaning!the!
house.! Neighbors! looked! out! their! windows! and! offered!
grudging!smiles,!glad!to!see!someone!finally!taking!an!interest!
in! the! place.! They! watched,! nodding! appreciatively,! as! he!
placed!full!trash!cans!neatly!at!the!curb.!They!waved!at!him!the!
next!day!when!he!mowed!the!overgrown!yard!and!trimmed!the!
scraggly! bushes! covering! the! windows.! They! beamed! on! the!
third!day!when!he!put!a!fresh!coat!of!paint!on!the!front!porch.!!
!
On!the!fourth!day,!the!neighbors!saw!him!leave!the!house!
dressed!in!an!ill6fitting!gray!suit.!He!never!came!back.!
*!*!*!*!*!
!
She!sat!in!the!rented!car,!cocooned!in!the!dark.!The!list!of!
names!lay!in!her!lap,!pencil!in!her!hand!resting!on!it!lightly.!She!
Night&Tide—Sherer&
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tried! to! remember! how! long! she’d! called! strange! hotels! and!
executive!apartments!home,!how!long!it!had!been!since!she’d!
driven!her!own!car,!cooked!a!decent!meal!in!her!own!kitchen.!
At! least! it! wasn’t! raining.! Seattle! had! maintained! its! dreary!
reputation!during!her!first!week!in!town,!but!recently!had!put!
on!a!sunnier!face.!She!could!see!a!swath!of!light!blue!painted!
over! the! tops! of! the! buildings! to! the! east,! and! stars! glowed!
faintly! in! the! dark! sky! overhead! promising! another! cloudless!
day.!!
!
She! stifled! a! yawn,! circadian! rhythm! thrown! off! by! the!
hours!she’d!been!keeping!lately.!Not!just!because!of!what!she!
had! to! do.! She! hadn’t! been! sleeping! well.! Good,! old6fashioned!
insomnia.!Hormones,!maybe.!Stress,!more!likely.!Soon,!though,!
it!would!all!end.!She!sensed!she!was!close.!A!muffled!blast!half!
a!mile!away!rattled!the!car!and!lit!up!the!sky!behind!her.!She!
drew!a!line!through!a!name!on!the!list,!set!paper!and!pencil!on!
the!seat!next!to!her!and!turned!the!key!in!the!ignition.!She!sat!
several!minutes!longer!with!the!engine!running!until!she!heard!
the! sound! of! passing! sirens! fade! away! somewhere! far! behind!
her!and!die!with!a!squawk.!
!
Exhaustion!rolled!over!her!like!a!runaway!truck!on!a!steep!
grade! as! she! navigated! the! dark! city! streets! to! her! next! task.!
She!didn’t!know!how!people!could!work!nights.!The!months!of!
travel!had!taken!their!toll,!but!not!like!the!past!two!weeks.!It!
was!the!crazy!hours.!Who!in!their!right!mind!turned!their!lives!
inside!out!and!stayed!up!all!night!except!vampires?!Then!again,!
who! in! their! right! mind! would! give! up! nearly! everything! in!
pursuit! of! answers! to! something! that! happened! twenty! years!
ago?!Answers!to!questions!that!supposedly!had!been!answered!
already?!A!man!had!been!tried,!convicted!and!gone!to!jail.!Why!
was! she! still! convinced! he! wasn’t! the! only! person! who! had!
been! involved?! Because! others,! like! her! contact,! believed! the!
same!thing.!
Night&Tide—Sherer&
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!
She’d!spent!nearly!twenty!years!trying!to!forget!what!had!
happened,!but!she’d!been!drawn!back!in!until!it!had!become!an!
obsession! again.! And! now! it! had! cost! her! her! marriage! and!
maybe!her!sanity.!Certainly!she’d!lost!sleep.!She!laughed!at!the!
thought,! startling! herself! in! the! dark.! Her! smile! quickly! faded!
as!she!sat!up!and!looked!through!the!glass,!head!swiveling!to!
get! her! bearings.! She’d! arrived.! She! took! in! the! entire! street,!
&n
bsp; suddenly!anxious,!wondering!if!she!might!have!missed!him.!
!
She! was! in! it! for! good! now.! She’d! spent! nearly! eighteen!
months! tracking! down! the! first! one! on! the! list! for! them.! As!
much!as!she!wished!she!could!convince!herself!that!she!didn’t!
know!what!would!happen!once!she!found!the!man,!she!wasn’t!
naïve.!They’d!told!her!what!to!do!to!take!care!of!the!problem.!It!
wasn’t!as!if!she’d!taken!out!a!gun!and!shot!the!man.!It!wasn’t!
like! that.! But! she! knew! the! man! was! dead.! The! explosion! not!
long!before!confirmed!it.!And!this!one,!the!man!she!waited!for,!
was!supposed!to!lead!her!to!the!others.!He!wasn’t!on!their!list,!
but!she!wondered!what!would!happen!to!him!anyway.!
!
God,! she! was! tired.! So! tired.! She! shut! her! eyes! for! just! a!
moment! and! her! head! nodded! until! her! chin! nearly! touched!
her! chest.! She! lifted! it! halfway,! fighting! the! exhaustion,! but! it!
was!so!heavy!sleep!pulled!it!back!down,!dragging!her!thoughts!
with! it! into! dreamland.! Images! swirled! and! collided! in! her!
subconscious! as! she! drifted! from! one! uneasy! dream! into!
another.! No,* no,* no! ! She! had! to! be! alert! so! she! didn’t! miss!
anything.!!
!
She! woke! with! a! start,! forehead! and! nape! of! her! neck!
damp!with!perspiration!and!peered!out!the!windshield!to!get!
her! bearings! as! tendrils! of! the! dream! slipped! away.! The! sky!
outside!had!lightened!considerably.!!
!
Not! long! now.! She! shifted! on! the! seat! to! get! more!
comfortable,! remembering! now! why! she! had! to! see! this!
through.!Her!sister…!!
Night&Tide—Sherer&
10&
!
Chapter&3&
!! After!getting!a!once6over!from!an!SFD!paramedic,!I!gave!a!
statement!to!one!of!the!beat!cops!who!showed!up.!I!traversed!
the! remainder! of! my! paper! route! uneventfully,! though!
unsteadily,! ears! still! ringing! and! hair! a! little! singed,! and!
stopped!for!coffee!at!my!usual!spot,!a!restaurant!on!the!south!
end! of! Capitol! Hill.! The! place! suited! my! temperament.! The!
customers—a! swatch! of! humanity! most! of! middle6America!
encounters! only! at! the! circus—provided! a! source! of! free!
entertainment.!The!coffee!was!strong,!the!restaurant!warm!and!
dry.!
!
Charlie!Jones!and!Craig!Downing!already!claimed!a!table!in!
a!far!corner.!Craig!seemed!to!have!adopted!Charlie’s!aversion!
to!sitting!with!his!back!to!the!entrance.!I!didn’t!know!anyone!
besides! cops! and! crooks! who! seemed! to! care! much.! Seattle!