Page 77 of Homecoming

“Good luck getting her to leave Maine,” Buster said.

“I left Maine to meet them in Boston,” Bertha said.

“Once in fifteen years.”

She made a face at her son, and he made the same face back at her.

Dan laughed as the boat heaved while it steamed along the coast. As long as they kept that bait bin closed, he was thoroughly enjoying this.

At lunchtime,Bertha produced a cooler full of sandwiches, fruit, chips, drinks and cookies.

Bertha’s tuna salad brought back a thousand memories of the best days of Kara’s young life. She’d gone fishing with Bertha and Buster as often as she could, often doing homework while they fished.

“When did you make this amazing lunch?” Dan asked as he ate standing up. He was beginning to get his sea legs, but since the bait bin was still a problem, he ate tentatively.

“I was up at four thirty, like every other day. I was hoping to convince you two to come along, so I made extra.”

The pace of their day was relentless. Even between stops, Buster never stopped working while Bertha navigated the tricky coastline, pointing out rocks that would tear the bottom out of the boat if you didn’t know they were there.

Bertha told Dan that the steady stream of VHF chatter from others out fishing was indicative of a good day on the water. “The radio tends to go quiet on the not-so-good days.”

“I’m in awe of you two and how hard you work. Being a lawyer is easy compared to this.”

Bertha let out a bark of laughter. “Any job is easy compared to this, but we all have our lanes.”

“Do you ever think about retiring?”

Bertha glanced at Kara, who filled him in. “That’s a swear word in her world.”

“I’d be bored senseless,” Bertha said. “I hope I go to my final reward sitting right here at the helm of the boat that was custom-built just for me with one of the few heads you’ll find on a lobster boat. A girl has her needs.”

“They don’t have bathrooms on them?” Dan asked.

“Nah,” Kara said. “Guys can use their one penis to go off the side. Women often use a bucket.”

“That’s what I did on my father’s boat,” Bertha said. “I hated that, so when I commissioned this boat, I insisted on a head.”

Dan’s phone rang with a call from a TV station. “Dan Torrington.”

“This is Kate Bannister from WLBZ, the NBC affiliate in Bangor.”

“What can I do for you, Ms. Bannister?”

“We’re doing a story about the Ballard sons being arrested for murder and wondered if you’d be willing to provide an on-camera interview to go with our story.”

“I’m currently on a lobster boat. When were you looking to do it?”

“By four at the latest, to make our six o’clock newscast.”

“Hang on a second.” He put the phone aside. “What time will we be back in?”

“You tell me when you need to be, and we’ll make it happen.”

“Three thirty?”

“Done.”

Into the phone, he said, “I can talk at four if you send me a link to connect.” He gave her his email address.

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