Страница 14 из 54
Chapter28
THAT SUNDAY MORNING, I woke for the first time all week with a sense of hopefulness. It's the way I am… or was. It was clear and beautiful outside; the bay was shimmering as if it were thrilled, too. And it was the day of my brunch with Claire. My confession to her. Sunday mornings I had this place I always went to. My favorite place, I had told Raleigh. First I drove downtown, to the Marina Green, in my tights, and jogged in the shadow of the bridge. Mornings like this, I felt infused with everything that was beautiful about living in San Francisco. The brown coast of Marin, the noises of the bay, even Alcatraz, standing guard. I ran my usual three-plus miles south on the harbor, then up the two hundred and twelve stone stairs into Fort Mason Park. Even with Negli's I could still do it. This morning it seemed to be letting me free. I jogged past yelping dogs ru
Chapter29
BY THE TIME I HAD CALLED Claire to cancel, showered, put my wet hair under a turned-back Giants cap, and thrown on some clothes, Raleigh's white Explorer was beeping me from below. When I got downstairs, I couldn't help but notice him looking me over- wet hair, jeans, black leather jacket. "You look nice, Boxer," he said. He smiled as he put the car in gear. He was casually dressed, in crumpled khakis and a faded blue polo shirt. He looked nice, too, but I wasn't going to say it. "This isn't a date, Raleigh," I told him. "You keep saying that," he said with a shrug, then stepped down on the gas. We pulled up to the Napa Highlands I
Chapter 30
THE HONEYMOON COUPLE had received no unusual visitors, scheduled no conflicting side trips. The reservation at the French Laundry had been for just two. What made this all the more grave was that they had missed their scheduled flight to Mexico. While Raleigh poked around outside, I made a quick check of their room. There was this enormous redwood bed neatly turned down, a suitcase laid out, clothes stacked, toiletries. Lots of flowers- mostly roses. Maybe Becky De George had brought them from the reception. There was nothing to indicate that the De Georges weren't set to board that plane the next morning. I caught up with Raleigh outside. He was talking with a bellhop who was apparently the last person who saw the De Georges leaving. When it was just the two of us, Raleigh said, "Two of the