Роберт Паркер - The Bridge

We heard the familiar clamor of pans from inside.

“You okay in there?” Virgil called.

“Oh, yes. Fine,” Allie said. “I’m fine, just, it’s fine...”

“You sure?” he said.

“I’m fine,” she said.

Virgil smiled a little. He sat back in his chair and puffed on his cigar for a bit.

We sat quiet for a bit, watching the very last piece of sun until it was gone.

“What is it?” Virgil said, tilting his head a little. “Where are we?”

“December,” I said. “Second day of.”

“Is it?”

“It is.”

Virgil shook his head.

“What happened to November?”

“It came and went, Virgil,” I said.

Much obliged to my crew of enduring construction workers for helping me get this bridge across the divide. First and foremost, Jan Griesenbeck, for allowing me to set up camp and bunker down in her Spicewood retreat — thank you so much, Jan! Outrider Rob Wood of Rancho Roberto, for keeping the bullethead blueprints in order, and Jamie “Whatnot” Whitcomb, for his continued supply of ammo. My ex — oil field pard Lowell Reed, for his knowledge in all things engineering, mountain guide Rex “Hook-em” Linn, for his steady tracking, and Kevin “PG” Meyer, for his expertise across the deep and wide. Also, a big thanks to ex-con Billy Ray Snipes for his policy smarts, and Vanessa Rose and Genevieve Negrete, for sorting out the rivets. Robert Woodfin Griesenbeck, for keeping it between the ditches, and most certainly and always, Ed Harris, for bringing Virgil Cole to life on the big screen, and talking in my ear as a sounding and unwavering foreman.

My deepest sympathy to all of those who carried the dynamite: Alison Binder, Steve Fisher, Josh Kesselman, Jayne Amelia Larson, Nat Toppino, Alice DiGregorio, Gabriel Marantz, my sisters — the Clogging Castanets — Sandra Hakman and Karen Austin, and as always, Julie, for everything...

And for Bob and Joan, for without them looking over this construction, Appaloosa would be but a memory.