Jess Walter - Land Of The Blind

He smiles a little bit. "Am I under arrest?"

"I haven't decided," she says. "My sergeant thinks you fucked this up so much, there's probably nothing to charge you with. He thinks we should try to have you committed."

"And what do you think?"

"What do I think?" Above her, the jet's slipstream is already dissolving in the violet sky. She sets the legal pads down, presses her thumb against her lips, then reaches over and touches his forehead. It is ice cold. She doesn't even remember if this is how it's done. But she makes a small cross of absolution on his cold forehead. Clark closes his eyes. "I think this world is enough," Caroline says.

And then she leans back and rests, stares out across her city, just beginning to stir, the houses coming to light among the timbers and the first cars gliding along the hillsides – the entire valley bathed in sun – dark ridges of pine and fir holding it in timeless embrace. Clark leans against her and morning settles over them.

Thanks to Anne Walter, Dan Butterworth, Jim Lynch, Cal Morgan, Lina Perl, Wayne Brookes, and Judith Regan for various acts of criticism, enthusiasm, and patience, and to Tony and Suzanne Bamonte, whose book, Spokane's Legendary Davenport Hotel, was a valuable resource.

Jess Walter is the writer of the highly acclaimed novel Over Tumbled Graves which was a New York Times notable book for 2001. He is also the co-author on Christopher Darden's number one bestseller In Contempt and wrote the non-fiction book Every Knee Shall Bow. Walter lives in Spokane with his family.