Page 34 (1/1)

"Was he doing drugs?"

"I don’t think so At least there was never any sign of it that I could see The kid drank a lot Reva thought it was that, but I don’t know He did like to party He was out ’til all hours, slept the weekends away, hung out with kids like Bobby Callahan, way above us socially Then he started dating Bobby’s stepsister, Kitty Christ, that girl was trouble the day she was born By then, I was sick of putting up with him If he didn’t want to be part of the fah, earn your own keep Don’t think you can use this place to getover atyou"

"I don’t know," I said "How can you answer a question like that anyway? Kids get off-course and then they straighten out Half the ti to do with parents Who knohat it is?"

He was silent, staring out at the horizon, his lips encircling the cigar like a hose coupling He sucked in some nicotine, then blew out a cloud of sht he was Maybe he should have seen a therapist, but how did I know? That’s what Reva says now What’s a psychiatrist going to do with a kid who has no ambition?"

I didn’t have a response to any of this so I o at that

Brief silence He said, "I hear Bobby’s all uarded inquiry about a hated rival He ood fortune at having survived

"I’m not sure he wouldn’t trade places with Rick if he could," I said, feeling itation, but I didn’t want hi the notion that Bobby was so his ass off to le

Below us, an old pale blue Ford rattled into view, spewing exhaust The driver side around e door The car nosed out of sight beneath us and, moments later, I heard the

"That’s round under our feet

Reva Bergen trudged up the steep walk, burdened with grocery sacks I noted with curiosity that Phil ht of us as she reached the porch She hesitated, her face a perfect blank Even at that distance, her gaze had an unfocused quality that seemed more pronounced when she finally came out of the back door, moments later, to join us She was a dishwater blonde with that washed-out look women sometimes acquire in their fifties Her eyes were small, nearly lashless Pale eyebrows, pale skin She was frail and bony, her hands looking as cluloves on her narrorists The two of them seemed so entirely unsuited to each other that I quickly discarded the unbidden ie of their marital bed

Phil explained who I was and the fact that I was investigating the accident in which Rick had been killed

Her s him?"

Phil interceded before I could frame a response "Come on, Reva What harm can it do? You said yourself the police-"

She turned abruptly and went back inside Phil shoved his hands down in his pockets with embarrassment "Nuts She’s been like that ever since it happened Things set her off I haven’t been a joy to live withhas torn her heart out"

"I should be onif you would I’ve been trying to figure out what could possibly have been going on back then and I’ive you any indication that Bobby was in trouble or upset? Or that he ht have had some kind of problem himself?"

He shook his head "Rick’s whole life was a proble to do with the accident I’ll ask Reva, though, and see if she knows anything"

"Thanks," I said I shook his hand and then fished a card out of et in touch with ain for lunch As I got indown at us

I headed back into town I stopped by the office to check es (none) and my mail, which was all junk I made a fresh pot of coffee and hauled out ation to that point It was painstaking stuff given the fact that I’d turned up absolutely nothing Still, Bobby was entitled to kno I’d spent my time and at thirty bucks an hour, he was entitled to knohere the money went