Jernigan by David Gates

Author:David Gates [Gates, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-76589-5
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2010-09-28T16:00:00+00:00

5

Clarissa was humming a mad little tune when we pulled up in front of the house again. Something like Schoenberg to the beat of “Do You Know the Muffin Man?” The Reliant was back at last.

Martha opened the door for us. “So I’m all ears,” she said. “Do you know what time it is?”

“I’m sure you’ll get around to telling us,” I said. “I might ask where the hell you were.”

“Hey Ma?” said Clarissa. “Danny come home yet? I really have to talk to him.”

“Danny,” said Martha, “came in two hours ago and went right up to bed. Now what goes on here, young lady?”

“Look, Ma, I’m real tired all of a sudden, okay?” And she was off down the hall.

“Peter, now what’s all this about? It’s almost two in the morning. I’ve been frantic.”

“I knew we’d get a time check sooner or later,” I said. “Would you mind very much if I take my coat off and sit down? And get myself a drink? This has not been a pleasant evening.” At least she’d gotten it warm in here. I took off my coat and draped it over a chair. “I trust you had a delightful time, whatever it was you saw fit to do.” I got the gin out of the refrigerator and—in deference to Martha’s sensibilities—a peanut butter jar out of the dish drainer.

“I saw fit,” she said, “to go to work. As you know.”

“What do you mean as I know?”

“We had this conversation yesterday morning, Peter. I can’t believe that you’ve forgotten.”

I shrugged. “So refresh me.”

“Peter,” she said. “Yesterday morning. You were sitting right here”—she pointed at what had become my chair at the kitchen table—“and I told you that I was going to be gone nights because I was back working at Alexander’s. For the holidays. You’ve heard of holidays? You know, Christmas? Or is that just all beneath your notice? And as a matter of fact we talked about it again this morning, because I said I wasn’t going to be home until really late because we’re open till midnight and what were you going to do about supper? Right? You don’t remember this?”

I went back over to the sink. A little water in with the gin might look less compulsive. More debonair. I stirred with my index finger. “Yeah, I don’t know,” I said. “I guess so.”

“You honestly don’t remember.”

“Yeah, right, I do remember now,” I said, sitting down at the table. I had no idea what the fuck she was talking about.

“Now what happened tonight?” she said.

“Where to begin,” I said. “Okay, first of all I had one of Danny’s little friends tell me he might be suicidal.”

“That Danny is?” she said. “Or the friend is?”

“Please,” I said, holding up my hand. “This is not the time. So first I find this out—no, actually, first I find out this friend of Danny’s has taken up residence in my house. Then I find out Danny is suicidal.”

“I wasn’t making a joke, by the way, Peter.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.