Nobody's Fool

though he didn’t care. “He’ll never shoot,” he assured Peter, just a split second before the policeman fired.
    A warning shot was what Officer Raymer had in mind when the truck kept coming. He fired over the cab so there could be no mistake. The explosion ripped through the quiet street, however, like thunder, reverberating so loudly that Officer Raymer was not sure whether or not he heard a distant tinkling of glass up the street. When the echoes died, he was still listening in the hope of hearing that tinkling sound again. Probably wind chimes, he told himself. Anyhow, the truck had stopped.
    Inside, Sully looked over at his son, who was shielding his face with his elbow, as if against the glare of the sun. The concussion had been soloud that it had penetrated Sully’s furious trance. “Did he actually shoot?” Sully asked Peter, wanting to be sure of his facts before proceeding.
    â€œI believe that
was
a gunshot, yes,” Peter said. “I vote we surrender. If I have a vote.”
    â€œThat’s goddamn irresponsible,” Sully said, glaring at the policeman. He rolled down the window again. “You stupid prick,” he called. Then, to Peter, “Do you believe that?”
    â€œDad—” Peter began again, but Sully had already gotten out of the truck and was limping over to the policeman, who was looking at the revolver in his hand as if he were surprised to discover it there. Or as if, now that he knew it would fire when he pulled the trigger, he’d discovered its uselessness. Holding it didn’t even slow the advance of the man coming toward him. He might as well have been holding his dick, just as Sully always accused him of doing. Never, Peter thought, had a man looked so helpless. Peter rolled down his own window and called out to his father. “Dad—”
    He said it just as his father delivered a short right that caught the policeman flush on the nose. Officer Raymer didn’t even raise an arm to block the blow. His head went backward and returned red, his hat landing topside down on the roof of the cruiser. Then his knees gave and he slumped gracefully against the side of the car. Sully stood over the man for a second, then looked back at Peter, whose head was still out the window. “What?” Sully said.
    Peter shook his head, rolled the window back up.
    Sully opened the cruiser’s door then and turned the key in the ignition to off. The car shuddered and was still. Then Sully returned to the truck and got back in. “There,” he said. “Where’d Rub go?” he wondered, scanning the street. Rub was gone.
    Peter was staring at his father.
    â€œWhat?” Sully asked again.
    Peter shook his head in disbelief. “Nothing,” he said, throwing up his hands.
    â€œGood,” Sully said. “For a minute there, I thought you were going to be critical.”
    â€œYou were right about one thing,” Peter said as they passed the IGA and through the intersection, heading out of town toward the lake in pursuit of Toby Roebuck’s Bronco. “She’s the prettiest woman in Bath.”
    They’d pulled up in front of Tip Top Construction just as Toby was locking the street door. She hadn’t the slightest idea where her husband was, but she was willing to show them where the camp was located so they could unload the wood. “Won’t your husband be suspicious if you come home late?” Sully’d asked, flirtatious in such safe circumstances.
    â€œI’ll just tell him I was with you,” she replied, “since that’s always such a chaste experience. Who’s this?”
    Sully introduced Peter, who leaned across the front seat to shake her hand. Sully noticed the ease of his son’s gesture, the way Peter was able to convey through it his admiration of Toby Roebuck’s beauty without suggesting he was in awe of it, and Sully wondered where he’d learned such easy confidence. Not from Ralph, certainly. Nor even himself.
    â€œYour son, huh?” Toby had observed. “I guess that means there was a time when you weren’t such a chaste experience.”
    â€œI wouldn’t be now if I had more energy,” Sully assured her, adding, “Let’s hit the road, dolly, before the cops find me by accident and my son has to do this whole job by himself.”
    She looked at him quizzically.
    â€œYou know an Officer Raymer?”
    She