The Lesson of Her Death

that wouldn’t be a beer you got in there, would it, reason I ask is neither of you look like you’re eighteen, so if it is I sure hope you’re going to tell me that you just found those cans in the street and are about to dump them out and take them to A&P for the nickel, is that right?
    Corde has requested a hearing on the charge of destroying Jennie Gebben’s letters. Because he has been reinstated and the inquest has been canceled the district attorney tells him a hearing would be moot. Corde looks up the word “moot,” then he debates for a time and files another notice seeking the hearing. A day later he receives a call from the judge’s clerk telling him that the application was rejected and they will be sending him a notice to that effect by registered mail return receipt requested.
    Corde receives another official communication. This one is from the Missouri attorney general’s office. It thanks him for his letter and says that someone from the office will be checking on the propriety of private investigation and firearm licenses issued to one Charles Mahoney, a resident of St. Louis.
    The County Sheriff’s Department officially closes both the Gebben and the Rossiter cases. When Corde asks to see this note or whatever it is that Creth Halpern gave to Ribbon, Hammerback Ellison himself calls up Corde at home and reminds him that the cases have beendisposed of. He uses those words.
Disposed of
. Corde says he understands but could he still see the note? Ellison says sorry it’s been sent to the archive files.
    Corde goes to one of Jamie’s wrestling matches and watches the boy lose bad. The family was planning to eat out afterward but nobody is in the mood after the loss. Jamie says he’s going out with some teammates and Corde and Diane and Sarah drive home for French toast.
    Corde forms mixed feelings about Dr. Parker, who has just depleted exactly three-fifths of the Cordes’ savings account and has turned Sarah into a story-telling fiend. The girl has used up four tape cassettes with her book. When Corde asks her how long the book will be, she tells him a million jillion pages, and Corde says that’s pretty long, how long will it take to read? She answers forever. One day Corde finds her looking out over the backyard, long-faced. He asks her what’s wrong, thinking her studies are troubling her. She says she’s afraid that the Sunshine Man her wizard is gone for good. She hasn’t seen him for a long time. Corde would like to console her but he does not know what to say. He tells her to get washed up, it’s time for dinner, and she sadly complies.
    Diane is glad that Sarah is off the Ritalin since she’s just joined the Drug-Free America task force of the Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee and will be personally responsible for the Fourth of July
Just Say No!
float. One morning in their bedroom Diane paints on make-your-man-crazy red nail polish and Corde watches the color go on but what he thinks of is the smell, which reminds him of the dope he brushed on the balsa wood airplanes as a boy to stiffen the paper wings. This in turn makes him think of Philip Halpern. He doesn’t tell his wife this thought but just says my you look nice, oh, yes.…
    Diane is also his source of information about Sarah’s tutor, Ben Breck. Corde still hasn’t met him though he’d like to. Sarah has improved remarkably since they’ve been working together. Sarah talks aboutBreck often but Corde doesn’t feel jealous of this displaced attention though he thinks of the months and months of agony he himself has been through as he worked with her and here this fellow turns her around in a couple of weeks. What can you do?
    Corde goes fishing with Jamie. They get into their aluminum canoe and push off into the deep reservoir. Their permits are in order and Corde has with him a knotted length of string to make sure that the bass they take are legal. Corde hopes a big needle-nosed pike or musky has come south; he would like to trophy it for Jamie’s wall. The boy continues to be morose and uncommunicative. Corde hashes it over with himself then finally asks bluntly if he wants to talk about Philip and Jamie says no he doesn’t. Five minutes later though, out of the blue, the boy says he sort of thinks that Philip thought Jamie’d turned him in.
    They beach the canoe and sit together on a slab of steel-color rock. Corde explains that he told Philip before he was shot that Jamie didn’t turn him in at