The Anniversary by Amy Gutman Read Free Book Online Page B

10
    writing.
    11
    Her subject was Winnie Dandridge, the Houston socialite killer, 12
    a charming woman who paid her mobster lover to knock off her 13
    wealthy husband. The pair’s ties to organized crime had caused 14
    Diane some concern. Especially after two anonymous letters 15
    warned her off writing the book. And it wasn’t just the issue of 16
    safety, though that preyed on her mind. There were problems 17
    with the story itself, in how she wanted to tell it.
    18
    Then, suddenly, March was almost over, her June 1 deadline 19
    looming. It was then that she’d thought of Maine, of her parents’
    20
    house on Blue Peek Island. The island would be all but deserted, 21
    the perfect place to work. Just a handful of year-round residents, 22
    mainly fishermen. Three days later, she was packed and gone.
    23
    Only two people knew where she was, her editor and her agent.
    24
    She’d arrived in Maine about a week ago, determined to get 25
    down to work. But much to her chagrin she’d found that the 26
    change of scene wasn’t helping. She took long walks, stared at 27
    the sea, and worried about her deadline. Every afternoon at five, 28
    she ran a three-mile loop, the daily ritual reminding her how lit-29
    tle she’d accomplished. She’d mastered the art of excuses, blam-30
    ing circumstances. Light had become an obsession, its absence or 31
    profusion. During the day, she blamed the bright sunlight; at 32
    night, she blamed the darkness.
    33
    Of course, she knew deep down that this was all in her mind.
    34
    If she’d really wanted to work, nothing would have stopped her.
    35 S
    She’d worked under far worse conditions for many, many years.
    36 R
    Once she’d written all night in a motel room while a couple made 3 6
    2nd PASS PAGES
    13713_01_i-vi_001-344_r4jn.qxd 4/21/03 8:03 AM Page 37
    T H E A N N I V E R S A R Y
    love next door, their cries and moans mingling in her mind with 1
    those of the story’s victims. Death and sex. Sex and death. How 2
    often they came together, the explosion of hate following love in 3
    some sort of cosmic dance. She’d written in a sort of trance, for-4
    getting where she was. Then there were the years of reporting, 5
    when she’d written in a noise-filled newsroom, colleagues on the 6
    telephone, editors screaming for copy. No, if she were ready to 7
    work, the words would be right there.
    8
    In the distance she saw the ferry chugging back to the main-9
    land. She might as well pick up the mail now, get that out of the 10
    way.
    11
    The post office was just down the street, a demure white clap-12
    board structure with a sprightly American flag. Nothing had 13
    changed since childhood, when she’d spent her summers here.
    14
    She remembered waiting at the counter for stamps, unable to see 15
    the top.
    16
    A bell tinkled as she opened the door.
    17
    “I’m still sorting, Diane. It’ll be at least ten minutes.” Jenny 18
    Ward, a sturdy island native, was a few years younger than Diane.
    19
    She’d taken over as postmistress when her mother retired.
    20
    “That’s okay. I’ll wait.” The room was bright and warm, smelling 21
    of coffee and glue. Rows of small brass-fitted boxes lined the long 22
    front wall. Diane sat on a wooden stool tucked beneath a win-23
    dow.
    24
    “So how’s the book going?” Behind the counter Jenny was 25
    working, her hands flying through the mail.
    26
    “Oh . . . it’s okay.” Diane’s lips curved in the same false smile 27
    she smiled at her friends in New York.
    28
    “Well, I hope you finish it fast ’cause I can’t wait to read it. I 29
    don’t know how you write all those words, I really don’t.”
    30
    Neither do I, Diane thought. Believe me. Neither do I.
    31
    Jenny kept up a stream of chatter, a running commentary on is-32
    land life. Lobster season. A new baby. Last year’s property tax in-33
    crease. She seemed so utterly at ease with her life. Diane envied 34
    that. Though at this moment she might have envied anyone who S