Amerikan Eagle

He squeezed his hands on the guardrail, thinking of his time in the labor camp, recalling all the things he had learned, remembering most the correct way to cut down a tree. Funny, in a time like this, with so much at stake, that you remembered how to slice at the trunk with an ax, knowing it was a delicate job no matter how clumsy it looked, hammering away at the tree, for how you cut it meant how it would fall.

If you judged wrong, a couple of tons of lumber were coming down straight at you, so you learned pretty quick which way to jump to save your life.

He resumed his walk into his old hometown, heading back to Curt’s place. Which way to jump. Except what do you do when there’s no safe place to jump?

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The next morning Sarah had toast and coffee for breakfast, while he and Toby had cream of wheat. He and Sarah talked about random things—including a request for him to take the boy to school, since Sarah had to go check on her aunt Claire, who was feeling sickly yet again—but Toby kept on kicking his feet against the table legs while working on a drawing.

Finally, Sam said, “Kiddo, you knock that off right now and get ready for school or you’ll lose your comic books for the week. Savvy?”

“But I wasn’t doing anything!”

“What, you think I can’t hear? You’ve been kicking the table all morning, so cut it out.”

Toby said, “Fine!” and clambered off the chair, heading to his bedroom. “What is up with that boy?” Sam asked. “For the past month, he’s been a handful. Notes from school, the bed-wetting, and now this. What’s going on?”

Sarah poked the crumbs on her plate and didn’t meet his eyes. “I don’t know. I wish I did, Sam, I wish I did. If I could, I’d tell you.”

“Sarah, look, it’s—”

She reached over, touched the back of his hand. A nice surprise. “I’m sorry about yesterday. Sorry about not telling the truth. It won’t happen again. But… please… just tonight. I swear it’s over.”

“Sarah, Tony’s out.”

“What?” Her face grew pale. “Paroled?”

“No, escaped.”

“Oh, Sam,” she said, drawing her hand back. “That’s why you went out last night.”

“He left a signal for me. Something from our Boy Scout days. I went to see him at Pierce Island.”

She kept quiet for a moment. Then she said, “You’re not turning him in, are you?”

“For God’s sake, what do you think? I can’t believe you asked me that.”

Her eyes moistened. “I’m sorry. It’s just that… lately I don’t know what to think. There’s a teacher at the school, he has a son who’s in the National Guard, was about to get promoted. The son found some anti-Long flyers in a closet in his father’s office, and the son turned him in. Can you believe that? The son turned his own father in! Just so his promotion would go through.”

“Tony and I, we’ve had our rough patches. We’re not like those fun brothers you see at a Mickey Rooney movie. Sometimes I think I don’t even like him much. But I’d never betray him.”

“Then what’s going to happen?”

“I offered him a place to stay. He said no. He said he’d be leaving in a few days. It’s just that— Dammit, is there any way you can cancel tonight’s visitor?”

“No, I can’t, Sam. You know how dangerous phone calls can be. Messages sometimes get passed hand to hand, through couriers. There isn’t time.”

“We could lock the bulkhead door.”

“And do what?” she said. “Force him to sleep in the bushes? Try his luck at the hobo camp? Picked up, maybe, by one of your brother officers for loitering? He’s my responsibility.”

“All right. The last one. And Tony—forget I mentioned him. Officially, he’s still in prison. Any questions from anyone, that’s all you know. I’m sure the FBI or somebody will be checking up on him. You haven’t seen him, you don’t know where he is. And that’s the God’s honest truth.”

“Days like this, you surprise me, Inspector. Just when I’m going to give up on you and think you’ve been seduced by Long and his people, you come back and stand up for something.”

Sam thought of Tony’s critique of him and said, “I’d rather be seduced by you than anyone else, Sarah Miller, and that includes the President. Don’t forget about that rain check.”

Sarah looked tired but pleased, may be because the argument about their upcoming guest was over. “Oh, sweetie, that’s one rain check that will never expire. Here, I’ll even show you where it’s being stored.” She brought her hands to the hem of her skirt, slowly drew it up past her thighs. He moved his hand under her skirt, on the smooth stockings. He slid his fingers up, past her thighs. Sarah played a little game with him, squeezing her thighs tight, but as he pushed ahead, past the top of the stockings and the garter snaps, she moved her legs open. The skin of her thighs was soft indeed, and he heard her take a sharp breath as he moved his hand higher and—

Toby thumped out, carrying his book bag, eyes downcast. His parents straightened up, Sam breathing hard. “I’m sorry about kicking the table, Dad. I’m ready for school. And here. See? I finished my drawing. What do you think?”