Jeffrey thanked her effusively for her spontaneous hospitality. “You have no idea how much I’ve enjoyed this visit,” he said with sincerity.
After Jeffrey had climbed into his car, along with his briefcase, which now contained Chris’s notes, Kelly stuck her head in through the open window.
“Remember your promise!” she warned. “If you start thinking foolish thoughts, you have to get in touch with me.”
“I’ll remember,” Jeffrey assured her. He drove home in quiet contentment.
Spending a few hours with Kelly had done much to elevate his mood. Under the circumstances it amazed him that he’d been able to respond in such a normal fashion. But
he knew it had more to do with Kelly’s psyche than his. Making the final turn onto his street, Jeffrey reached out to steady his briefcase, which threatened to fall from the seat. With his hand on it, he thought of its strange contents. Toiletries, underwear, $45,000 in cash, and a pile of notes written by a suicide victim.
Although he didn’t expect to find anything absolving in the notes, just having them in his possession gave him a feeling of hope. Maybe he could learn something from Chris’s experience that he hadn’t been able to see himself.
And although he’d been sorry to say good-bye to Kelly, Jeffrey was glad to be getting home so early. He planned to go through Chris’s notes more thoroughly and pull out a few books of his own for some serious reading.
TUESDAY,
MAY 16,1989
7:49 P.M.
Jeffrey stopped just short of the garage door, got out of the car, and stretched. He could smell the ocean. As a peninsula that jutted into the
Atlantic Ocean, all of Marblehead was near to the water. Bending back into the car, Jeffrey dragged his briefcase toward him and hefted it into the air. He slammed the car door and started up the front steps.
As he walked he noted the beauty that was all around him. Songbirds were going crazy in the evergreen tree in the front lawn and a sea gull shrieked in the distance. A bank of rhododendrons was in full bloom in a riot of color along the front of the house. Having been preoccupied by his problems during the last months, Jeffrey had completely missed the enchanting tran- sition from bleak New England winter to glorious springtime. He was appreciating it now for the first time that year. The effect of having visited Kelly was still very much on his mind.
Reaching the front door, Jeffrey remembered his suitcase. He hesitated a moment, then decided he could get it later. He put his key in the front door and went inside.
Carol was standing in the entranceway, her hands on her hips. He could tell by her expression that she was angry. Welcome home, thought Jeffrey. And how was your day? He put his briefcase down.
“It’s almost eight o’clock,” Carol said with undisguised impatience.
“I’m quite aware of the time.”
“Where have you been?”
Jeffrey hung up his jacket. Carol’s inquisitional attitude irked him. Maybe he should have called. In the old days, he would have, but these weren’t normal times by any stretch of the imagination.
“I don’t ask you where you’ve been,” Jeffrey said.
“If I’m going to be delayed until almost eight at night I always call,”
Carol said. “It’s just common courtesy.”
“I suppose I’m not a courteous person,” Jeffrey said. He was too tired to argue the point. He picked up his briefcase, intending to go directly to his room. He wasn’t interested in fighting with Carol. But then he stopped.
A large man had appeared, leaning casually against the doodamb leading into the kitchen. Jeffrey’s eyes immediately took in the ponytail, the denim clothes, the cowboy boots, and the tattoos. He had a gold earring in one ear and was holding a bottle of Kronenbourg in his hand.
Jeffrey gave Carol a questioning look.
“While you are out doing God knows what,” Carol snapped, ‘I’ve been here putting up with this pig of a man. And all because of you. Where have you been?”
Jeffrey’s eyes went from Carol to the stranger and back again. He had no idea what was going on. The stranger winked and smiled at Carol’s unflattering reference as if it had been a compliment.