“What do you do out there?”

Nancy stood with her arms folded, looking out past the edge of the bluff, at the lake that reached to the horizon. She didn’t bother to answer him.

“You do some fishing?”

She gave him a look.

“I know what. You go swimming bare-ass and then he chases you around the boat.”

“Right,” Nancy said. “How did you know?”

“Come on, let’s go out. Just till dark.”

“Your wife will be wondering about you.”

“She went down to Bad Axe to visit her mother.”

“With all the little kiddies? While Daddy-what do you tell her Daddy’s doing?”

“Come on, let’s go out in the boat.”

“I don’t want to go out in the boat.”

“Then, get us something to drink. Hey, some Cold Ducks.”

“I want to do something.”

“That’s something.”

“I want to go out.”

“And ride some boys off the road?”

She was looking at him now. “You wouldn’t have enough nerve.”

“I know something better to do.”

“You wouldn’t have the nerve to take me out,” she said then. “Would you? You’ll sneak in here when Ray’s gone, but you wouldn’t take me out, would you?”

“Like where?”

“Out. I don’t know.”

“There’s no reason. You got everything you want right here.”

“I want to go out,” Nancy said. “Do you want to go out with me or do you want to go home?”

It was almost seven by the time they reached Geneva Beach. Bob Jr. said well, tell me what you want to do, you want to do something so bad. Nancy told him she’d let him know.

“Well, if we’re going driving, I got to get some cigarettes.” Bob Jr. angled-parked near the drugstore and went inside.

Nancy waited in the pickup truck, her gaze moving slowly over the people who idled past on the sidewalk. After a minute or so she sat up on the seat and began combing her hair in the rearview mirror. When she stopped, the comb still in her hair, she edged to the side, looking past her own reflection. For a moment she sat still. Then she turned so she could look at them directly: Jack Ryan and the heavyset man standing by the restaurant across the street. They moved along the sidewalk, waited for the Shore Road light, and crossed over toward the Pier Bar.