Night Tide
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What! for?! Laying! low?! If! you! think! someone’s! after! you! why!
come!back?!Why!are!you!here?”!
!
“To!find!Wink.”!
!
“Wink?”! He! frowned,! then! his! eyes! slowly! widened.! “The!
kid!you!grew!up!with?”!!
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!
I! nodded! and! told! him! that! Wink! was! out! of! jail,! but!
missing.! That! the! FBI! was! looking! for! him! and! thought! Wink!
might! have! been! in! touch.! I! told! him! what! I’d! learned! on! my!
trip! from! Holden! and! at! SIU! from! Waldron! and! the! library!
search.!The!only!things!I!didn’t!tell!him!about!were!Keely!and!
the!theories!bouncing!around!my!head.!
!
“You’ve! been! busy,”! he! said! quietly.! “Who! else’ve! you!
pissed!off!lately?”!
!
I!frowned!at!him,!decided!he!couldn’t!be!that!slow.!Asked!
him!a!question!instead.!“You!know!Ned!Collins?!Retired!cop?”!
!
He!scratched!the!crown!of!his!head.!“I’ve!heard!the!name.!
Don’t!know!him.”!
!
“Collins!worked!‘The!Ave’!when!he!was!a!beat!cop.!Forty!
years!ago.”!
!
Charlie!looked!puzzled.!“What,!the!’Sixties?!What’s!that!got!
to!do!with!anything?”!
!
“Try!to!follow!me,!here.!You!remember!me!telling!you!why!
Wink!went!to!jail?”!
!
“He! set! a! bomb! on! some! campus.! Back! when! we! were!
maybe!sophomores,!juniors.”!
!
I! nodded.! “Okay,! so! ten! years! later! when! AFIS! comes! on!
line,!FBI!flags!a!fingerprint!found!at!the!scene,!and!ties!it!to!a!
guy!Collins!knew!here!back!in!the!’Sixties!who!was!an!agitator!
for! student! radical! groups.! The! guy! followed! a! couple! of!
protestors!out!from!the!University!of!Wisconsin!in!Madison,!a!
married!couple!he!got!to!be!friends!with.!Collins!busted!him!a!
few!times!back!then.”!
!
“Okay,”! he! said! slowly.! “I! still! don’t! know! where! you’re!
going.”!
!
“The!guy’s!name!was!Sebastian!Fitch.!Ever!hear!of!him?”!
!
He! stiffened,! then! shifted! on! the! bed! with! a! grimace! as!
though!in!pain.!
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!
“Nah,! doesn’t! ring! a! bell.”! His! eyes! slowly! met! mine.! “So,!
what,!Collins!thinks!this!guy!might!be!good!for!that!bombing?!
Maybe!your!friend!gets!a!pardon?”!
!
“Maybe.”! I! waved! impatiently.! “Guess! I’m! not! explaining!
this! right.! I! forget! who! I’ve! talked! to! about! what.”! I! took! a!
breath! and! put! my! thoughts! in! order.! “Like! I! said,! Fitch! was!
tight! with! a! married! couple! back! in! the! ’Sixties.! They!
supposedly!split!for!Canada!when!things!got!too!hot!here!after!
the! riots! in! ’seventy.! Twenty! years! later,! Fitch! leaves! a!
fingerprint! at! the! scene! of! a! bombing! at! SIU,! for! which! my!
childhood! buddy! Wink! goes! to! jail.! Fitch,! of! course,! is! long!
dead.”!
!
He!started,!eyebrows!arching.!
!
“Right,! sorry,”! I! said.! “Something! else! maybe! you! didn’t!
know.! He! died! in! a! motorcycle! accident! not! long! after! the!
bombing.!But!here!it!is!twenty!years!later,!Wink!gets!out!of!jail,!
disappears,! and! all! hell! breaks! loose! around! here.! You! don’t!
think!that’s!a!little!strange?”!
!
Confusion! played! across! his! face,! and! he! looked! away,!
brows!knitting!in!concentration.!
!
“I’m!still!not!tracking.!What!are!you!talking!about?”!
!
“Your! parents! are! gone,! Charlie.! The! men! who! shot! you!
and!tried!to!kidnap!them!tried!to!blow!my!head!off!a!few!nights!
ago.!They!didn’t!come!after!you?”!
!
The!thought!hadn’t!occurred!to!him.!“Why!would!they?”!
!
“Hell,! I! don’t! know.! Eliminate! witnesses,! maybe?! I! can’t!
think! of! why! else! they’d! come! after! me.! You’ve! got! so! many!
cops! in! and! out! of! here! maybe! they’re! just! playing! it! safe.! I’d!
watch! your! back! when! you! get! out.! Anyway,! The! FBI! and! the!
bombing!victim’s!sister!are!after!Wink!and!think!I!know!where!
he!is.!It’s!all!gotta!be!tied!together!somehow.!Don’t!you!see?”!
!
“Wait!…”!He!frowned,!sucked!in!a!breath!and!started!again.!
“You! think! Clayt! and! Connie! had! something! to! do! with! this?!
With!a!twenty6year6old!bombing?”!
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!
“You’re! the! one! who! keeps! telling! me! they! weren’t! into!
drugs.! So! what! else! could! it! be?! I! went! to! see! Collins! this!
morning.!He!kept!copies!of!old!cold!case!files.!He!showed!me!
what!he!had!on!Fitch.”!I!paused.!
!
Charlie’s!mouth!tightened,!but!he!said!nothing.!
!
“Fitch! worked! as! a! janitor! at! Ingraham,”! I! said.! “Where!
Clayt!taught.”!
!
Muscles!at!the!corners!of!Charlie’s!jaw!worked!and!his!face!
colored.!!
!
“’Cause! this! guy! worked! the! same! place! where! my! dad!
taught!school!makes!my!parents!bombers?!Terrorists?!Are!you!
out!of!your!freakin’!mind?”!
!
“He!had!to!have!known!him.”!
!
“I’m!sure!he!did.!Clayt’s!a!friendly!guy.!And!he!was!always!
nice! to! the! staff.! Just! ’cause! he! might’ve! known! who! this! guy!
Fitch!was!doesn’t!mean!he! knew!him.!And!you!think!they!hung!
out!with!him!in!the!’Sixties?!Organized!antiwar!protests?”!
!
“Like!they!didn’t?!Get!real,!Charlie.!They’ve!admitted!they!
hated!the!war.”!
!
“Big! difference! between! holding! up! a! sign! and! bombing!
buildings.! Besides,! the! time! you’re! talking! about! they! were!
living!in!Canada.!I!was!a!baby.”!
!
“What,! you! remember! that?! Or! is! that! what! Clayt! and!
Connie!always!told!you.!You!couldn’t!have!been!even!two!years!
old.”!
!
His!face!darkened!to!a!blotchy!purple,!and!his!hand!balled!
into!a!fist!on!top!of!the!blanket.!
!
“Fuck!you.!You!don’t!know!shit!about!them.”!
!
“That’s!the!problem;!neither!do!you.!Fact!is,!that’s!another!
thing! that! bugs! me.! Clayt! and! Connie! told! you! they’re! from!
Canada,! and! that’s! where! the! Wilsons! disappeared! to! after!
things!got!too!hot!here!in!Seattle.!Coincidence?”!
!
“Damn!straight.”!
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!
“Really?!Where!were!you!born,!Charlie?!Here!in!the!States,!
right?!Where?”!
!
His!jaw!worked,!
and!I!know!he!wanted!to!hit!me.!Instead,!
he!said,!“What!does!the!bombing!have!to!do!with!it?!The!war!in!
Vietnam! was! long! over.! Maybe! Fitch! was! involved.! And! sure,!
Clayt! probably! knew! him.! That! doesn’t! mean! he! and! Connie!
had!anything!to!do!with!it.”!
!
“They! ran!! They! knew! those! assholes! were! coming.! They!
had!high6tech!security!and!an!escape!route!all!planned!out.!A!
tunnel,!for!God’s!sake!!They’re!guilty!of!something,!Charlie.”!
!
“You!keep!trashing!them,”!he!growled,!“and!so!help!me!I’ll!
take!you!with!one!good!arm.”!
!
His! head! turned! at! the! sound! of! the! door,! and! I! followed!
his!gaze.!Sarah!walked!in,!the!smile!on!her!face!fading!as!she!
looked!at!each!of!us!in!turn.!
!
“What’s!going!on?”!!
!
Charlie! looked! away! quickly,! and! Sarah! swung! her! gaze!
back!to!me,!hands!on!her!hips.!
!
“Ask!him,”!I!said.!
!
“It’s!no!big!deal,”!Charlie!said.!
!
I!rounded!on!him.!“You’re!in!serious!denial!if!you!can’t!see!
it,”!I!said.!
!
“See!what?”!Sarah!said.!
!
“I! think! your! parents! were! into! something.! Something!
bad.”!
!
Sarah’s!eyes!widened.!“What?”!
!
“You!two!figure!it!out.”!I!headed!for!the!door.!
!
“Where! are! you! going?”! Charlie! flung! the! question! at! my!
back.!
!
I!stopped!and!turned.!“Your!place.”!
!
“What!for?”!
!
“To! get! your! other! back6up! piece.! I’m! sure! Babs! doesn’t!
want!it!in!the!house,!and!where!I’m!going!I!might!need!it.”!
!
I!walked!out!before!he!could!say!no.!
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!
&
Chapter&30(
!
!
Langford!found!the!big!house!on!Capitol!Hill!where!Molly!
lived,!and!whistled.!Someone!was!doing!well.!He!sat!in!the!old!
Scout!and!thought!about!what!approach!to!take.!Straight!in!was!
probably!best.!Maybe!fudge!the!truth!a!little,!depending.!Sweat!
broke! out! on! his! upper! lip! and! he! wiped! his! mouth! on! his!
sleeve.! The! day! had! turned! into! a! scorcher,! which! might! hide!
his!nervousness;!he!hadn’t!had!much!practice!at!social!graces!
for! a! while.! He! checked! his! appearance! in! the! mirror! and!
climbed!out!of!the!car.!
!
A! copper! blond! woman! with! a! thin,! attractive! Irish! face!
answered!the!door.!Tall!and!willowy,!she!stood!nearly!eye6to6
eye,!and!looked!at!him!curiously.!
!
“Can!I!help!you?”!she!said.!
!
“Ms.!McHugh,!I’m!sorry!to!bother!you!on!a!Sunday,!but!I’m!
looking!for!Blake!Sanders.”!
!
She!started!to!say!something,!but!he!rushed!on!before!she!
got!a!word!in.!
!
“We!were!classmates!back!in!high!school.!I’m!out!here!on!
vacation!and!thought!I’d!look!him!up,!but!the!only!information!
I!have!is!from!an!old!UW!alumni!directory.”!
!
He!saw!her!expression!change,!a!note!of!suspicion!flashing!
in!her!eyes.!He!kept!going!without!any!hesitation,!giving!her!no!
indication!he’d!noticed.!!
!
“I!assume!you!two!are!no!longer!married,!and!I!wouldn’t!
have!thought!of!disturbing!you!except!that!Blake’s!not!listed!in!
the!phone!book.!I!wondered!if!you!could!tell!me!where!I!might!
find!him.”!
!
“I’m!sorry,!who!did!you!say!you!are?”!she!said.!
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!
He!stuck!his!hand!out!and!smiled!broadly.!“Where!are!my!
manners?!Chuck!Hanson.”!
!
“How,!exactly,!did!you!find!me,!Chuck?”!Her!tone!was!cool,!
but!she!kept!a!pleasant!half6smile!on!her!face.!
!
“I! went! to! the! house! you! two! must! have! owned! on!
Ravenna!before!you!divorced.!That!was!the!address!I!had.!The!
woman!there!said!she!and!her!husband!bought!the!house!from!
you,!so!I!looked!you!up.!I!hope!you!don’t!mind.”!
!
She!relaxed!her!weight!onto!one!leg,!but!she!still!guarded!
the!doorway!uncertainly.!
!
“No,! that’s! quite! all! right.! I’d! certainly! be! happy! to! get! in!
touch! with! Blake! and! give! him! a! number! where! you! can! be!
reached.”!
!
He! let! his! face! fall.! “I! really! was! hoping! to! see! him.! See,!
we’re!only!in!town!for!the!day,!and!then!we’re!off!on!a!cruise!to!
Alaska.!I’d!love!to!drop!in!on!him.!Does!he!live!nearby?”!
!
“Not!far,”!she!said.!She!looked!at!him!and!nodded.!“Tell!you!
what,! I! suppose! it! wouldn’t! hurt! to! give! you! his! number.! You!
could!give!him!a!ring!and!see!if!he’s!up!for!a!visit.”!
!
He! forced! himself! not! to! push! it,! to! keep! his! expression!
genial,!his!voice!enthusiastic.!“That!would!be!great.!I!can’t!wait!
to! catch! up.! You! wouldn’t! believe! some! of! the! stories! I! could!
tell!you!about!what!Legs!and!I!did!in!high!school.”!
!
Her! throaty! laugh! took! him! by! surprise.! “I! haven’t! heard!
anyone!call!him!by!that!name!in!years.!I!think!the!only!one!who!
dares!is!a!cop,!and!one!of!Blake’s!friends!put!him!up!to!it.”!She!
looked!at!him!in!amusement.!“Wait!here!while!I!get!a!piece!of!
paper!and!a!pen.”!!
!
Excitement! pulsed! through! him,! pushing! aside! his!
nervousness.!Blake!Sanders,!after!all!these!years…!!
!
She! reappeared! in! the! doorway,! this! time! pushing! the!
screen!open!and!stepping!onto!the!porch!in!front!of!him.!She!
handed!him!a!slip!of!paper.!
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!
“Here! you! go—Chuck,! is! it?”! she! said.! “He! may! not! be! up!
yet.! He! works! nights! and! tends! to! sleep! in,! so! he! should! be!
home.!But!I’d!call!first!to!give!him!a!little!warning.”!
!
Langford! looked! at! the! paper! in! his! fingers.! “Thanks,! I!
really!appreciate!this.”!
!
She!shrugged.!“Wish!I!could!be!there!to!see!the!look!on!his!
face.”!
!
Langford!gave!a!little!wave,!turned!and!headed!down!the!
steps,! suddenly! aware! that! she! hadn’t! looked! all! that!
enthusiastic! when! she! made! that! last! comment.! He! glanced!
over! his! shoulder.! She! swung! the! door! shut! with! one! hand,!
eyes! on! the! cell! phone! in! her! other! hand.! He! quickened! his!
pace.!
*!*!*!*!*!
!
Babs!wasn’t!happy!to!see!me.!More!like!surprised.!
!
“Charlie’s!still!in!the!hospital
,”!she!said!when!she!opened!
the!door.!
!
“I!know.!I!just!came!from!there.!He!told!me.!I’m!sorry.”!
!
Sadness!rippled!off!her!like!tendrils!of!mist!wafting!from!a!
block!of!dry!ice,!her!frown!of!resentment!and!disapproval!cold.!
!
“It’s!not!like!I!wanted!this,”!she!said.!“He!should!have!seen!
this!coming.”!
!
“I!had!no!idea!how!bad!it!was!between!you!two,!Babs.”!
!
“I’m! not! taking! him! back.”! Her! voice! rose! in! pitch.! “You!
can’t!talk!me!out!of!it.!He!shouldn’t!have!sent!you.”!
!
“He!didn’t.!I’m!not!here!for!Charlie.”!
!
“Oh.”!Her!shoulders!fell,!and!the!emotion!drained!from!her!
face.!!
!
“May!I!come!in?”!
!
She!looked!at!me!blankly!and!stepped!back.!The!interior!of!
the!boxy!split6level!was!dim!and!cool!as!a!morgue.!Shrunken,!
her! face! lined! with! fatigue,! Babs! couldn’t! fill! the! quiet! and!
empty!house.!Without!the!boys!home,!she!would!rattle!around!
the!space!like!a!pea!in!a!tin!pot.!And!their!presence,!for!a!long!
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while!at!least,!would!likely!be!a!reminder!of!the!hole!in!all!of!
their!lives.!Divorce!does!that,!much!as!people!think!they!want!
it.!Molly!popped!into!mind!unbidden.!!
!
“Why!are!you!looking!at!me!like!that?”!Babs!said.!
!
Molly’s! visage! slowly! dissolved,! replaced! by! the! more!
careworn! lines! of! Babs’! puzzled! face.! She! was! a! year! or! two!
younger!than!Molly,!but!the!creases!and!dark!circles!etched!by!
worry! and! sleepless! nights! made! her! look! a! decade! older.! An!
inch! of! gray! showed! at! the! roots! of! her! dark! hair,! and! she!
hadn’t!taken!the!time!to!put!on!makeup.!
!
“Sorry,”!I!said.!“I!was!just!wondering!if!this!is!really!what!
you!want.”!
!
“Of!course!this!isn’t!what!I!want.”!Her!voice!was!shrill.!She!
held! her! arms! rigid! at! her! sides,! holding! herself! together.! “I!
want!a!husband!who!talks!to!me!about!his!day,!who!buys!me!
flowers! for! no! reason,! who! takes! me! to! dinner! someplace!
special!on!my!birthday,!not!some!stranger!I!see!at!odd!times!of!
the! day! and! night! between! shifts.! A! husband! who’s! home! at!
night,!safe!with!me!and!the!boys,!not!someone!in!the!hospital!
with!a!bullet!wound!in!his!chest.!God!damn!it,!Blake,!what!do!
you!think!I!want?”!
!
Tears! rolled! silently! down! her! cheeks.! She! sniffed.! “I’m!
sorry,!you!didn’t!need!to!hear!all!that.!It’s!not!like!me!to!just!fall!