Cade arched an eyebrow. “Bargain? What kind of bargain?”

“I’m going to give you money, Cade, and you’re going to walk away forever.”

Cade’s teeth flashed as he laughed. “Walk away? From what?”

“Your son, your grandson. And this place.”

Cade gestured to the desolate land. “This piece of paradise? Now why would I want to do that, Louie?”

“Because I have your Tokarev automatic.”

Cade froze. He was still smiling, but it had turned twisted in the blue light. Canned laughter drifted out of the trailer’s jalousies, mixing with the whine of the mosquitoes in the humid night air.

“That little shit,” Cade whispered.

Cade turned away. He walked in a slow, tight circle around the patio. “That little shit,” he said louder. “I knew something was going on with that-”

“Cade,” Louis said sharply.

Cade looked back at him.

“You’re going to take the money and you’re going to leave,” Louis said. “You’re going to leave Ronnie and Eric alone, you hear me? That’s the bargain.”

“Why should I leave? I’m going to sue! I got big money coming,” Cade said. “They owe me, goddamn it, they owe me!”

“It isn’t going to happen that way,” Louis said.

Cade’s jaw was clenched. And his fist was too. Louis could see it in the blue light. He braced for Cade’s swing, but then, suddenly, Cade seemed to go limp, almost swaying on his feet.

“You’re right,” he said, shaking his head. “It ain’t gonna happen. I knew it. I always knew it. That’s why I shot the fucker.”

He was talking about Duvall. “You knew about the statute of limitations, didn’t you? You knew you couldn’t sue?” Louis said.

“Not until he told me that day I went to see him,” Cade said. “He told me I would never get a dime.”

Cade cocked his head at Louis. “And then you know what he says to me? That cocksucker lawyer was just sitting there behind his big desk, sitting there looking up at me, and you know what he says? ‘I’m sorry this had to happen to you.’ ”

The blue light flickered over Cade’s face. “That’s why I went back and shot him. If I wasn’t gonna get money, I was gonna get some justice.”

A splash of headlights on the trees made Louis look out toward the dark road. But it wasn’t Ronnie’s truck. Louis looked back at Cade.

“Make a decision, Cade,” Louis said.

Cade had been staring at the ground. When he looked up at Louis, his face was slack. “How much money?”

“Twenty-five thousand dollars.”

“Twenty-five. . for twenty years,” he said quietly.

“That and your freedom.”

Cade stood there for a moment, his eyes taking in the dark grounds and the decrepit trailer. “So I go free and that cocksucker lawyer does my time?” A slow smile tipped Cade’s lips. “I like your style, Louie.”

“You going or not?”

“I’ll go tomorrow.”

“You go tonight, before Ronnie gets back.”

Cade shook his head sharply. “Fuck that. I’ll go when I’m ready.”

“You’ll go tonight. Right now. Go get whatever you need and get out. Now.”

Louis could see Cade’s muscles tense. Louis braced himself again. But then Cade’s eyes drifted down to the gym bag under Louis’s arm.

He turned and went back into the trailer. Louis waited, watching the dark road, hoping Ronnie didn’t come back. When Cade came out, he was dressed and carrying a small canvas bag and a jacket.

Cade held out his hand. Louis tossed him the bag. Cade caught it against his chest. He unzipped it, poked inside, and zipped it back up.

“It’s there,” Louis said. “Start walking.”

Cade slung the bag over his shoulder. “See you around, Louie.”

Cade started walking. Louis watched him turn down Mantanzas Trail and disappear into the darkness.

Chapter Forty-Eight

He was sitting on the ground, under a gumbo limbo tree, a few feet from his front porch. He was digging a small hole, scooping out the cool sand with his hand.

It was one of those perfect Florida days he had come to appreciate. Sun-drenched but humidity free, a fine, tangy breeze blowing in from the gulf. He could have given himself over to it, lost himself in the feel of the sun on his neck and the rush of the waves breaking on the beach, but his head was too full of things.

When he thought the hole was deep enough, he reached back for the Tokarev.

It was still wrapped in Jack Cade’s clear plastic bag. Louis picked up a second plastic bag, a thick-ply evidence bag. He placed the gun inside, then added an envelope. Inside, was a letter, explaining everything.

He put the bag in the hole and started pushing back the sand. He took his time, hoping that maybe he would begin to feel as if he was burying more than just the gun, but it didn’t come.

“Louis?”

He turned to see Susan standing by the side of his cottage. She was wearing a blue cotton dress that swirled with the breeze. She looked different. Brighter, softer. He had to squint to look up at her.

“What are you doing?”

“Just burying something.”

“Good God. Did your cat die?”

“What? No, no.”

Benjamin ran up next to her. “Can I go swimming?” he asked.

“Not in your shorts,” Susan said. “Don’t go in the water and stay where I can see you.”

Benjamin ran off. Susan was still looking at the fresh mound of sand.

“What are you doing out here, Susan?” he asked, standing up and dusting the sand off his hands.

“I came to ask you about something.”

Louis nodded toward the porch and they went to sit down on a step. Susan was looking out at the beach, keeping an eye on Benjamin, who was playing tag with the waves. She hiked her billowing skirt up over her knees and slipped off her sandals, digging her toes in the sand.

“I went out to the Cade place yesterday,” she said. “Ronnie told me Jack ran off. Did you know about this?”

Louis stared off at the water, watching Benjamin play.

“No.”

“He didn’t tell me either,” Susan said. “But then Ronnie told me Cade left them twenty-five thousand dollars. They found it in Eric’s bedroom, in a dresser drawer. Funny, isn’t it? A man like Jack Cade having any money, let alone leaving it to Ronnie and Eric. Where do you think he got it?”

Louis drew up his knees.

Susan reached into her bag. “Ronnie asked me to give you this,” she said, handing Louis an envelope.

Louis took it and looked inside. There were five hundred dollar bills inside.

“I don’t need this,” he said.

Susan pushed the envelope back. “He needs you to have it. It makes things right for him.”

Louis closed the envelope. “How’d Eric seem?” he asked.

Susan shrugged. “He was fine. He was talking about getting a Nintendo.”

“Did he seem happy?”

“Yes. Seemed like a different kid,” Susan said.

He could see Benjamin picking up shells. Maybe Eric had a chance now. Maybe he could somehow rediscover the hope and innocence kids should have, the things Benjamin had.

“Susan,” Louis said suddenly. “You’ve done a good job with Benjamin.”

She seemed surprised at his comment. “Well, thank you, but sometimes I don’t think I do enough. It’s hard being alone.”

He looked at her profile. She was staring off toward the beach.

“You don’t have to be alone all the time,” he said. “You could bring him back here. I mean, any time he wants to come.”

She looked at him quickly, then away just as quickly, blinking. He knew she understood what he meant. Not just to come back and let Benjamin play in the water, but for her to come back and spend time with him.

“Maybe,” she said.

Louis didn’t press it. They fell quiet, watching Benjamin.

“Oh, I saw something posted in the courthouse the other day that might interest you,” she said.

“What?”

“Fort Myers is hiring three officers next month.”

Louis turned away, looking out at the gulf.

“Are you going to apply?”