At ten thirty a.m., Jenner was dictating his report on the rib injuries when he looked up to see David and Marie Carter and Richard Flanagan in his doorway; he’d never seen Flanagan in a tie before.
“Time to go?” Jenner put down the microphone and turned to slip his new jacket off the hanger on which he’d carefully hung it.
They filed into his office somberly, and Flanagan shut the door.
They’d designated David Carter to do the talking; Carter clearly found it difficult.
“Dr. Jenner…”
Jenner nodded. “What’s going on, David?”
“When I was driving here to pick Marie up, I passed by the chapel. It’s a…a zoo out there—reporters, news vans, at least twenty TV cameras. And Amanda Tucker is outside right now…” He shook his head.
Jenner said, “Go on.”
Marie Carter broke in. “Dr. Jenner, Eye on Port Fontaine showed the report about you from the Amanda Tucker show this morning, and then they had Diane Sales from the sheriff’s department saying you’re leaving next week. They said you had problems in New York, and there are problems with your work here.”
David Carter raised a hand dismissively. “We want you to understand all of us know that’s completely wrong—we’ve worked with you, and we’ve seen your dedication, and the great work you’ve done here.” He hesitated. “But this has got really political now. If you go to the Roburns’ memorial, it’ll be all about you—they’ll ask Sheree about you, they’ll talk to the sheriff about you. And when you show up, they’ll ask you all sorts of questions. Let’s face it: they’re going after you—you know that, don’t you? They’re making you the fall guy for everything that’s gone wrong.”
He paused, then said, “And if you go, Marty and Bobbie will get lost in the shuffle.”
Jenner put his new jacket down on the desk. “I see.”
Flanagan said, “Doc, we hate to ask you. We know you were closer to him than any of us. And we know you’re getting a bum rap here. But you show up, it’ll be like Clown Day at the circus.”
Jenner looked down at his notes. Then he nodded, and said, “You’re right. Of course I don’t want to get in the way.”
He didn’t look up as they left.
Jenner picked up his speech, folded it in half, in quarters, then across into eighths. Then he lobbed it into the bin.