Perfect Justice

70.

BEN SAT BY HIMSELF on the bank of the lake near his former campsite. The morning was still gray; the first rays of the sun were just beginning to peek out over the mountaintops.

He stared into the water and tried to clear his head of all the noise, all the confusion, all the regret.

All the sadness.

He heard a car chugging up the dirt road just outside the campground. A few minutes later Christina strolled up and sat beside him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

She shrugged nonchalantly. “Thought you might like some company.”

“You were wrong.” He turned away and stared across the lake. “But since you’re here, how are you feeling?”

“Fine. Fit as a fiddle. Totally recovered.” She cocked her head to one side. “How are you?”

He considered the possible answers. Fine? Fit as a fiddle? Somehow they didn’t ring true. And he wondered if he would ever be totally recovered.

“Mind if I play some music?”

Ben saw her removing her harmonica from its velvet case. “Must you?”

“I’m in the mood.” She began to play.

Ben did his best to ignore it. But the melody caught his ear. It seemed very familiar. When the shark bites …

It was difficult not to grin. “Did you learn that just for me?”

“Nah. ‘Mack the Knife’ has always been in my repertoire.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Hey, you’re smiling.”

“Sorry. I won’t do it again.”

“Okay. Me neither.” Her expression became preposterously grim. “Is this better?”

“Look,” Ben said, “I know you’re trying to cheer me up, but it’s no use, okay?”

“Oh, well then. I won’t waste my time trying.”

“Good.”

“I’ll just sit here silently and not say a word.” She made the motion of zipping up her lips.

“Much appreciated.”

She remained quiet for about half a second.

“I just have one question,” she said. “Your testimony about Belinda’s hesitation, her change of heart. Was that true, or did you make it up to prevent her from getting the death penalty?”

“Christina, perjury is a criminal offense.”

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“Good. I won’t.”

Christina sighed. She pointed toward the horizon. “Look! It’s the sunrise.”

“Big deal.”

“Au contraire, c’est…” The orange rays crept across the mountains and reflected off the clear blue water. “C’est magnifique!”

“Not interested,” Ben said. “I’ve seen it before.”

She took his hand and squeezed it tightly. “You have to see it like you’re seeing it for the first time.”