Blue Diary by Alice Hoffman Page B

Dave. “Knock yourself out.” Barney knows that Dave can never get enough to eat. yet, unfair as it may seem, he’s as lean as poor Barney is heavy. As soon as Dave leaves them alone, Barney lets Ethan know that even though his practice is primarily family and estate law, the least he can do is get the ball rolling. He can access the court documents, including the Maryland demand for extradition. Barney is talking about the intricacies of the law, a subject he loves, listing the steps they’ll have to take to fight the transfer south, when he notices Ethan isn’t listening. Distracted, Ethan appears to be studying the shadows of the bars that fall across the linoleum floor. The kind of disinterest he’s displaying is never a good sign. Either he’s confused, or he’s given up, or, worst of all, he simply doesn’t care about his own fate.
    â€œI know this is a lot to take in,” Barney says. “Hopefully most of it will make sense in time.”
    Ethan’s face is unshaven and his black hair looks blue in the shadows. Remembering the coffee Barney brought him, Ethan picks up the cup. His hands shake as he removes the lid. He’s aware that Barney is trying to help, but he can’t focus on that now. “I’ve got to talk to Jorie first.”
    â€œSure.” Barney understands. “She’s coming at nine.”
    â€œYou’ve got to help me with something.” Ethan gulps his coffee, hot as it is. What difference does it make, since he’s burning anyway. He’s got the pent-up demeanor of a man who’s got to have his way. at least when it comes to the matter he wishes to discuss. “I can’t have her see me in here.”
    â€œWe can move you into the sheriff’s office for some privacy. I don’t think Dave has to worry that you’ll climb out the window and take off.”
    For the first time, Ethan looks directly at Barney, just a glance, a quick one, but it’s not the kind of expression Barney would have wished for. All the same, he claps his friend on the back.
    â€œHey, relax. I’ve been here before. You think mistakes don’t get made all the time? It will take time and money and effort, but eventually, we’ll set things right.”
    By now, Ethan has drained the coffee and is tearing the cardboard cup apart. He does it systematically. so that the pieces are all the same size. Barney doesn’t like this either. Some people become really quiet when they’re confined, but others get wired: you can see how keyed up they are and how it might be possible that they would do almost anything in order to escape: punch a police officer, bolt and run, grab an old friend and put an arm to his throat, threatening to break his windpipe with a single move. Ethan has turned out to be the wired kind, and innocent or not, this sort of behavior will not put him in good standing with anyone.
    Barney calls to Dave Meyers and explains that Ethan would like to speak to Jorie privately: This isn’t an unreasonable request, and of course the sheriff agrees. Dave’s got two children, a seventh-grade girl named Hillary, and Jesse, an athletic boy who’s just finishing up sixth grade, in the same class as Ethan’s son and Barney’s daughter. As a matter of fact. Jesse Meyers is on their Little League team. He’s a good kid, with a lot of power in his arm, and they’ll probably turn to him more and more often this season. Ethan is the one who practiced with Jesse all last year, and as a result, Jesse’s pitching has greatly improved. From Dave’s rueful expression, it’s clear that he knows about the extra effort Ethan has put in with his son.
    â€œI wouldn’t have done it this way if it was up to me.” Dave knows he should keep quiet, but he feels the least he owes Ethan is an apology. “The pressure’s coming out of Maryland, and let me tell you, these guys are a