Authors: Sandi Perry
"I
remember
using
language
a
lot
more
colorful
than
that.
Sorry
to
subject
a
lady
such
as
yourself
to
that,
but
hey,
we
got
results,"
he
said.
"Allison,
we're
going
to
leave
now.
Alex
will
be
in
later
to
take
you
back
to
the
hotel.
I'm
going
to
head
back
to
New
York
first
thing
tomorrow;
Michael
has
a
business
trip
scheduled
and
he
needs
the
jet.
Feel
well.
I
love
you,"
her
mother
said
as
she
slipped
from
the
room.
Allison
sat
on
an
Adirondack
chair
on
the
large
wraparound
porch
of
the
hotel
overlooking
the
Atlantic
Ocean
the
next
afternoon.
Her
head
turned
when
Alex
approached.
"Hey,"
he
said.
"Hey,"
she
responded
as
she
looked
pensively
out
onto
the
water
as
the
sun
was
beginning
to
set.
"You
know,
there's
a
spot
on
Cadillac
Mountain
in
Acadia
National
Park
where
you
can
go
and
watch
the
sun
set.
Apparently
it's
the
first
place
it
sets
anywhere
in
the
East.
We
went
one
summer
and
stood
there
for
what
seemed
like
hours.
There
were
tons
of
tourists
there,
and
being
that
I
was
so
small,
I
didn't
even
get
to
see
it.
This
view
is
much
better."
Alex
nodded
his
head
slowly.
"If
this
were
a
movie
this
would
be
the
moment
where
I
walk
along
the
sand
and
reflect
on
all
that
just
happened
to
me.
It's
supposed
to
be
a
pivotal
moment,
but
it
feels
flat."
"You're
numb,"
he
said.
"Give
yourself
some
time."
"Now
you
sound
like
my
Jewish
grandmother.
I'm
not
going
to
break,
Alex,
why
don't
you
have
a
seat?"
He
eyed
the
chair
next
to
her,
"It
doesn't
look
all
that
comfortable,"
he
said
suspiciously.
"Whoa!"
She
smiled
as
he
sat
down
and
slid
toward
the
back
of
the
chair.
"I
know
they
take
some
getting
used
to.
You
see,
we
North-Easterners
only
know
how
to
relax
when
we're
forced
to,
so
some
genius
designed
a
chair
that
makes
you
put
your
head
back
from
the
sheer
force
of
gravity."
He
nodded
and
looked
out
over
the
water
silently.
"Whatever
happened
to
Paul?
Did
the
police
arrest
him?"
she
asked
quietly.
"His
car
was
found
off
1A.
He
had
a
bullet
wound
to
the
forehead."
"Well,
that
sounds
about
right,"
she
said
slowly.
"Suicide
is
the
ultimate
selfish
act.
I
feel
sorry
for
his
children.
They
deserved
better."
"Let's
not
talk
about
Paul,
he
isn't
worth
our
breath."
"Okay,
then.
How's
the
damage
to
the
cottage.
Did
you
just
come
from
there?"
"I
did,
how
did
you
know?"
"I
think
I'm
feeling
more
connected
to
it
than
I
expected.
What
condition
is
it
in?"
"Not
bad,
considering
the
goal
was
to
burn
it
down.
It
seems
as
if
Paul's
original
intention
was
to
shoot
you
and
he
abruptly
changed
plans.
When
he
decided
to
burn
the
place,
he
only
had
a
cigarette
lighter
with
him.
He
set
the
wood
kitchen
cabinets
on
fire
and
left.
It
was
enough
to
make
it
very
smoky,
but
absent
furniture
and
curtains,
the
fire
never
raged
and
the
police
and
fire
department
got
there
in
enough
time."
"I'm
thinking
of
holding
onto
it,"
she
said
softly.
"I
think
that
would
be
a
nice
idea.
I
also
think
we
should
go
inside
and
get
something
to
eat,"
Alex
said,
"In
a
minute,"
she
responded.
"Tell
me
something
about
yourself
that
I
would
be
surprised
to
hear."
He
looked
at
her
startled,
"Um,
let
me
think...I
play
classical
violin."
"Really?
I
never
would
have
guessed
that.
When
I
was
back
at
the
cottage,
watching
Paul
trying
to
set
it
on
fire,
I
had
some
time
to
think.
Almost
like
I
was
trying
to
put
my
affairs
in
order,"
she
said.
"Allison,
please,
don't
do
this,"
he
interrupted.
"But
I
have
to,
just
listen
to
me.
I
realized
that
there
were
a
lot
of
things
I
didn't
know
about
you
and
it
made
me
sad."
He
closed
his
eyes
as
he
relived
the
waves
of
panic
that
he
had
felt
the
day
before
when
he
thought
she
was
dead.
"I
thought
the
same
about
you.
How
we
were
on
the
brink
of
something
good,
really
good,
and
had
never
had
the
chance."