Katie remained dumbfounded. “For fifty years you’ve had a stolen car. How did you get your other car back?”

“Drove the Caddy home, hid it, took the bus back to Malden. Simple. Even saw the cops questioning people.” A broad smile. “They even asked me if I’d seen anything. I said, who’d do such a thing, the bastard.”

He paused and looked thoughtful. “That actually might have been when it started. Or when it got worse.”

“What?”

“My drinking. It’s not like I didn’t have a guilty conscience, stealing this car. I kept worrying, those first few years, the cops would show up one day. That they’d catch me, charge me. Even if they didn’t send me to jail, I’d be finished. The school board would have fired me in a New York minute. So I started drinking. After five years, once I was sure I was going to get away with it, I was pretty much set in my ways, drinking-wise.”

“So maybe it wasn’t such a good idea, after all.”

Bruce stuck out his jaw and shook his head. “Don’t regret it for a second. This is my father’s car. Even if a couple of others had it over the years, this was and always shall be my father’s car.”

“What about . . . after?” Katie asked.

Bruce smiled wryly. “After I’m gone?”

She nodded.

“You want it?”

Before Katie could answer, Bruce pointed again. “There’s one.”

Katie, who had her eyes on the road, knew he did not mean another deer. They were, finally, encountering a car on Gull Road. A silver Arrival could be seen, about half a mile ahead, approaching in the opposite lane.

“Silly little things,” Bruce said.

Katie squinted. “Doesn’t even look like anyone’s in it.”

“Maybe whoever’s in it is havin’ a nap. Gotta say, for a guy who’s not allowed to drive, that might be just the ride for me.”

“Can you have an Arrival if you’ve had a drunk driving conviction?”

“Don’t see why not.”

“Why am I even asking?” Katie said. “If my brother’s dumbass friend can go around town in one, I guess it’s okay if anyone—”

“Hello,” Bruce said.

Katie’s jaw dropped. “What’s he—what’s it doing?”

The Arrival had moved into their lane. It was coming straight for them, but was still far enough away.

Katie hit the horn.

“Out of my way, idiot!” she shouted.

“Flash your lights,” Bruce said. “Might be easier for its sensors to pick up.”

Katie, who had been doing her practice drives in the middle of the night, needed no time to find the light switch. She turned them on and off quickly.

The Arrival kept on coming.

“Slow down a titch,” Bruce said, “and start pulling over onto the shoulder.”