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"What are you--a bank robber?"

"Stockbroker Made soood investments over the years Now I think I can drop out of the rat race and get by well enough justmy own portfolio I want to settle dohere it’s quiet, no s, no crime I’ve had it with L A"

"People really ht it was about as good an investment as a craps table in Reno Wasn’t everybody wiped out when the aht if you’re a broker and if you don’t get swept up in the euphoria of a bull oes up forever or down forever; you just have to guess right about when to start swi at forty-two," Peckhaot into the bar business, I thought I was set for life Told ood times, people drink to celebrate, in bad tiet, so there’s no better business than a tavern Now look" He indicated the nearly eht hand "I’d have done better selling condoms in a monastery"

"Get me another Guinness?" Sam asked

"Hey, maybe this place will turn around yet!"

When Peckhaht Cove uess I’ll stay a few days, get the feel of it Can you recommend a motel?"

"There’s only one left Never been uess Up until this summer, we had four motels Now three are out of business I don’t know … even as pretty as it is,As far as I can see, we aren’t losing population but … da again and began to polish the oak

"Anyway, try Cove Lodge on Cypress Lane That’s the last cross street on Ocean Avenue; it runs along the bluff, so you’ll probably have a room with an ocean view Clean, quiet place"

5

At the end of the downstairs hall, Chrissie Foster threw open the front door She raced across the wide porch and down the steps, stuht, and fled across the yard, past a blue Honda that evidently belonged to Tucker, heading for the stables The hard slap of her tennis shoes seeht She wished that she could run silently--and faster Even if her parents and Tucker didn’t reach the front porch until she ed by shadows, they would still be able to hear where she was going

Most of the sky was a burnt-out black, though a deep red glow ht of the October day had been boiled down to that intense crimson essence, which had settled at the botto crept in from the nearby sea, and Chrissie hoped it would swiftly thicken, dense as pudding, because she was going to needstables and rolled aside the big door The farain, horseflesh, liniment, saddle leather, and dry ht switch, and three loattage bulbs winked on, bright enough to di the occupants Ten generously proportioned stalls flanked each side of the dirt-floored main aisle, and curious horses peered out at her above several of the half-size doors A few belonged to Chrissie’s parents, butboarded for people who lived in and around Moonlight Cove The horses snuffled and snorted, and one whinnied softly, as Chrissie ran past theray mare named Godiva was in residence

Access to the stalls also could he had froh in this cool season the exterior Dutch-style doors were kept bolted both top and bottoentle mare and particularly a approached in the dark; sheof her exterior stall door at this hour Because Chrissie could not afford to lose even a few seconds in cal her mount, she had to reach the mare from inside the stable

Godiva was ready for her Thethe thick and lustrous white h her nostrils in greeting

Glancing back toward the stable entrance, expecting to see Tucker and her parents storm in at any moment, Chrissie unlatched the half-door Godiva came out into the aisle between the rows of stalls

"Be a lady, Godiva Oh, please be sweet for me"

She could not take time to saddle the ainst Godiva’s flank, she guided her mount past the tack room and feed shed that occupied the last quarter of the barn, startling a mouse that scurried across her path into a shadowy corner She rolled open the door at that end, and cool air swept in

Without a stirrup to give her a leg up, Chrissie was too s stool stood in the corner by the tack rooentle her, Chrissie hooked the stool with one foot and pulled it to the horse’s side

Behind her, from the other end of the barn, Tucker shouted, "Here she is! The stable!" He ran toward her

The stool did not give her ht and was no substitute for a stirrup

She could hear Tucker’s pounding footsteps, close, closer, but she didn’t look at hirabbed Godiva’shorse and up, up, swinging her leg high, scrabbling desperately against thehard on the irl was stoic She didn’t rear or whinny in pain, as if soirl’s life depended on equani precariously but aboard, holding tight with her knees, one hand full of mane, and she slapped the horse’s side

"Go!"

Tucker reached her as she shouted that single word, grabbed at her leg, snared her jeans His deep-set eyes ith anger; his nostrils flared, and his thin lips pulled back frorip on her

Sih the open door, into the night

"She’s got a horse!" Tucker shouted

"She’s on a horse!"

The dapple-gray sprinted straight toward the meadowed slope that led to the sea a couple of hundred yards ahere the last ht of the sunset painted faint, speckled patterns on the black water But Chrissie didn’t want to go down to the shore because she was not sure how high the tide was At so the coast, the beach was not broad even at low tide; if the tide were high now, deep water would e i into a dead end with her parents and Tucker in pursuit

Even without the benefit of a saddle and at a full gallop, Chrissie ed to pull herself into a better position astride theto one side like a stunt rider, she buried both hands in the thick white ripped fistfuls of that coarse hair, and tried to use it as a substitute for reins She urged Godiva to turn left, away fro the stables, and out toward the half-mile driveway that led to the county road, where they wereat this crude uidance, patient Godiva responded i to the left as prettily as if she had a bit in her teeth and had felt the tug of a rein The thunder of her hooves echoed off the barn walls as they raced past that structure

"You’re a great old girl!" Chrissie shouted to the horse "I love you, girl"