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The Colorado Kid :: Кинг Стивен
Страница: 15 из 81There’s a picture of them—probably nothing but reflected lights from Ellsworth on the low clouds that hung together just right to make circles that looked like saucers—and below them you can see the whole Hancock Lumber Little League team looking up, all in their uniforms.”
“And one little boy pointin with his glove,” Dave said. “It’s the final touch. And people all look at it and say, ‘Why, thatmustabeen folks from outer space, droppin down for a little looksee at the Great American Pastime. But it’s still just one unknown thing, this time with interestin pictures to mull over, so people go back to it again and again.”
“But not the BostonGlobe,” Vince said, “although I sense that one might do in a pinch.”
The two men laughed comfortably, as old friends will.
“So,” Vince said, “we might know of an unexplained mystery or two—”
“I won’t stick at that,” Dave said. “We know of at least one for sure, darlin, but there isn’t a singlemustabeen about it—”
“Well…the steak,” Vince said, but he sounded doubtful.
“Oh, ayuh, but eventhat’s a mystery, wouldn’t you say?” Dave asked.
“Yah,” Vince agreed, and now he didn’t sound comfortable. Nor did he look it.
“You’re confusing me,” Stephanie said.
“Ayuh, the story of the Colorado Kid is a confusing tale, all right,” Vince said, “which is why it wouldn’t do for the BostonGlobe, don’tcha know. Too many unknowns, to begin with. Not a singlemustabeen for another.” He leaned forward, fixing her with his clear blue Yankee gaze. “You want to be a newswoman, don’t you?”
“You know I do,” Stephanie said, surprised.
“Well then, I’m going to tell you a secret almost every newspaper man and woman who’s been at it awhile knows: in real life, the number of actual stories—those with beginnings, middles, and ends—are slim and none. But if you can give your readers just one unknown thing (two at the very outside), and then kick in what Dave Bowie there calls amustabeen, your reader will tellhimself a story. Amazin, ain’t it?
“Take the Church Picnic Poisonings. No one knows who killed those folks. Whatis known is that Rhoda Parks, the Tashmore Methodist Church secretary, and William Blakee, the Methodist Churchpastor, had a brief affair six months before the poisonings. Blakee was married, and he broke it off. Are you with me?”
“Yes,” Stephanie said.
“What’salso known is that Rhoda Parks was despondent over the breakup, at least for awhile. Her sister said as much. A third thing that’s known? Both Rhoda Parks and William Blakee drank that poisoned iced coffee at the picnic and died. So what’s themustabeen? Quick as your life, Steffi.
“And one little boy pointin with his glove,” Dave said. “It’s the final touch. And people all look at it and say, ‘Why, thatmustabeen folks from outer space, droppin down for a little looksee at the Great American Pastime. But it’s still just one unknown thing, this time with interestin pictures to mull over, so people go back to it again and again.”
“But not the BostonGlobe,” Vince said, “although I sense that one might do in a pinch.”
The two men laughed comfortably, as old friends will.
“So,” Vince said, “we might know of an unexplained mystery or two—”
“I won’t stick at that,” Dave said. “We know of at least one for sure, darlin, but there isn’t a singlemustabeen about it—”
“Well…the steak,” Vince said, but he sounded doubtful.
“Oh, ayuh, but eventhat’s a mystery, wouldn’t you say?” Dave asked.
“Yah,” Vince agreed, and now he didn’t sound comfortable. Nor did he look it.
“You’re confusing me,” Stephanie said.
“Ayuh, the story of the Colorado Kid is a confusing tale, all right,” Vince said, “which is why it wouldn’t do for the BostonGlobe, don’tcha know. Too many unknowns, to begin with. Not a singlemustabeen for another.” He leaned forward, fixing her with his clear blue Yankee gaze. “You want to be a newswoman, don’t you?”
“You know I do,” Stephanie said, surprised.
“Well then, I’m going to tell you a secret almost every newspaper man and woman who’s been at it awhile knows: in real life, the number of actual stories—those with beginnings, middles, and ends—are slim and none. But if you can give your readers just one unknown thing (two at the very outside), and then kick in what Dave Bowie there calls amustabeen, your reader will tellhimself a story. Amazin, ain’t it?
“Take the Church Picnic Poisonings. No one knows who killed those folks. Whatis known is that Rhoda Parks, the Tashmore Methodist Church secretary, and William Blakee, the Methodist Churchpastor, had a brief affair six months before the poisonings. Blakee was married, and he broke it off. Are you with me?”
“Yes,” Stephanie said.
“What’salso known is that Rhoda Parks was despondent over the breakup, at least for awhile. Her sister said as much. A third thing that’s known? Both Rhoda Parks and William Blakee drank that poisoned iced coffee at the picnic and died. So what’s themustabeen? Quick as your life, Steffi.