four past midnight the library policeman

There were at least a dozen hand-held calculators. There were wallets-not as many wallets as purses, but still a good dozen of them, from fine leather to plastic. No bills, but easily four hundred dollars in quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. There were belt buckles and service pins and piles of pocket-change. There were Ray-Bans, Polaroids, and Foster Grants. There were prim glasses, punky glasses, and glasses with rhinestones set in the bows. There were at least sixty pairs of spectacles. From Timex to Rolex, there seemed to be at least two hundred of them, lying on seats, lying on the floor between seats, lying in the aisles. There were studs, necklaces, cufflinks, ID bracelets. His mom had a few good pieces, and some of this stuff made her best jewelry look like rummage-sale buys. There were earrings, most of them five-and-dime stuff but some which looked pretty expensive to Albert’s eyes.

Jewelry on almost every seat: wedding rings, mostly, but there were also diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. You never would have found us… the way you did… if I hadn’t been weak and cowardly.

Who had rubbed this horrible magic lamp again? Had it been him or her this time? “ I’m not blaming you. There was nothing else I could fucking do, don’t you understand that? There was nothing else I could do!” He had hoped the tears were over, at least for awhile, but here they were. “What did you want me to do? Become a goddam plumber? We would have been poor and I would have been unemployed. How could I compete?” “Blame it all on me, why not?” he asked her, dismayed to find himself on the edge of tears. She was prettier than me, smarter than me, more fun than me. Your work was your lover.” Her voice was steady, but he sensed tears buried deep inside it. All I’m trying to say is that, even when you were here, you were gone a lot. “What? I haven’t been on tour since The Delacourt Family! And that was a short one!” “I don’t want to argue with you, Mort,” she said softly. “But you were gone so much.” His eyes widened and he was instantly ready to do battle. Mean I didn’t.” “You did when you were here,” she said.

Four past midnight the library policeman