The Whale's Footprints - Rick Boyer Read Online Free Page B

nodding,
grinning. 'Yeah, he's a good one to fill in for now. Great choice,
Joe,' they're sayin'. 'Couldn't be a better one.' "
    "Good God, Joe. Look: I'm not interested."
    "Well, okay then. But you might think about it.
It's only for a month or so."
    "All right, I'll think about it. But it's hard
right now to think about anything except the late Andy Cunningham."
    "Jesus, doesn't this remind you of that other
kid? Friend of Jack's? What was his—"
    "I don't want to talk about that, Joe. I mean
it. just please shut up about that, okay?"
    I realized I was on my feet, glaring right down at
him.
    "Okay, okay," he said softly. "I
didn't realize it was so, uh, personal."
    "Of course it's personal, Joe. And you know why.
Allan Hart would still be alive today if it weren't for me." I
took a gulp of the Scotch and let it slide down my throat, burning
all the way down. Joe lighted a Benson and Hedges and leaned back in
the sofa, looking at the fire.
    "Know what it is, Doc? It's the goddamn curse.
My goddamn curse is rubbing off on your family. That's what."
    "Aw, c'mon. Don't get going on that shit again.
Give it a rest."
    So we sat there for maybe ten minutes, not saying
anything, each of us feeling sorry for himself because he was such a
jinx. We were a fine pair. The door opened and Mary came in.
    "What the hell's this? What's with you two?"
    We told her, and she ripped into both of us.
    "Goddammit! You guys piss me off," she
hissed. "I see you need the stronger sex to get you on your feet
again. First you, Charlie. It was almost three years ago when I found
you sitting on the pier up in Wellfleet Harbor, moaning and groaning
about how you'd killed Allan Hart. Well BULLSHIT! How were you to
know that there were murderers and psychos aboard that trawler? Now
you did not kill Allan Hart. What you did was track down the guys who
killed him. You set things right, Charlie, even getting that monster
as he climbed up the wall to get you. Now I'm not going to go through
it all again, goddammit."
    Her obsidian eyes bored into mine. Her jaw came
forward, and she frowned. Satisfied she had made her point, she
turned on her brother.
    She walked over to him and put her arms around his
delicate nineteen-inch neck and kissed him on his stubbled cheek.
Lucky if she had any lips left afterwards.
    "Joey."
    His eyes drooped like a hound dog's and he looked
wonderful sad.
    "C'mon, Joey.” He put his big arms around her
and rocked slightly. I went into the kitchen and washed my hands.
When I walked back, Mary was talking softly to her younger brother,
who was breathing in deep, ragged sighs.
    Some vacation down on the Cape, eh?
    "I know that you can't stand to think about it,
Joey. But sometimes you can't help it, and it won't let you alone. If
I had lost my family, I don't know if I could believe in God anymore.
But it was over twelve years ago, and you've done fine. And you've
got to go
on, Joey. Charlie and I both need
you. And now Jackie needs you, too."
    "But it seems that everywhere I go I—"
    "No. That's not true, and deep inside you I
think you know it. You've had some real bad times. I think they'd
have killed most people. But you've come through them, kid, and
you're gonna be fine. Now come sit with me in front of the fire. Do
you want another drink? Okay .... "
    Before she even looked around to find me, I was there
taking Joe's empty glass and going back into the kitchen to refill
it. Looking out the window, I saw an Eastham Police cruiser pull into
the drive. Jack and the officer got out and were heading for the
house. I stopped back in the living room and gave Joe the drink. He
and Mary were sitting close together on the couch, talking softly. I
was outside, heading off Jack and the officer, before they reached
the front door. He introduced himself as Officer David Klewski. I led
them around the back way, which was the ocean side, and we went into
the screened porch off the deck. Everything out there was dripping
wet. I led them into