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Although the Geological Survey Center in Wrentham, MA, reports there were no temblors in New England last<br />
Tuesday afternoon, Matt and Cassie Renfrew took the opportunity to throw an “earthquake party,” which most of the<br />
street’s residents attended.<br />
Andrew Sittenfeld of the Geological Survey Center says the shaking felt by Richland Court residents might have<br />
been a surge of water through the sewer system, or possibly a military plane breaking the sound barrier. When these<br />
suggestions were made to Mr. Renfrew, he laughed cheerfully. “We know what we felt,” he said. “It was an<br />
earthquake. And there’s really no downside. The damage was minor, and hey, we got a terrific party out of it.”<br />
(Andrew Gould)<br />
Rose read it twice, then looked up, eyes bright. “Good catch, Jimmy.”<br />
He grinned. “Thanks. I’ll leave you guys to it, then.”<br />
“Take Nut with you, he needs to check on Grampa. Crow, you stay a minute.”<br />
When they were gone, he closed the door. “You think the girl caused that shake in New<br />
Hampshire?”<br />
“I do. Not a hundred percent certain, but at least eighty. And having a place to focus on—not just<br />
a town but a street—will make things a hell of a lot easier for me tonight, when I go looking for her.”<br />
“If you can stick a come-along worm in her head, Rosie, we may not even need to knock her out.”<br />
She smiled, thinking again that Crow had no idea how special this one was. Later she would think,<br />
Neither did I. I only thought I did. “There’s no law against hoping, I suppose. But once we have her,<br />
we’ll need something a little more sophisticated than a Mickey Finn, even if it’s a high-tech one.<br />
We’ll need some wonder drug that’ll keep her nice and cooperative until she decides it’s in her best<br />
interest to cooperate on her own.”<br />
“Will you be coming with us when we go to grab her?”<br />
Rose had assumed so, but now she hesitated, thinking of Grampa Flick. “I’m not sure.”<br />
He didn’t ask questions—which she appreciated—and turned to the door. “I’ll see that you’re not<br />
disturbed again.”<br />
“Good. And you make sure Walnut gives Grampa a complete exam—I mean from asshole to<br />
appetite. If he really is cycling, I want to know tomorrow, when I come out of purdah.” She opened the<br />
compartment under the floor and brought out one of the canisters. “And give him what’s left in this.”<br />
Crow was shocked. “All of it? Rose, if he’s cycling, there’s no point.”<br />
“Give it to him. We’ve had a good year, as several of you have pointed out to me lately. We can<br />
afford a little extravagance. Besides, the True Knot only has one grampa. He remembers when the<br />
people of Europe worshipped trees instead of time-share condos. We’re not going to lose him if we can<br />
help it. We’re not savages.”<br />
“The rubes might beg to differ.”<br />
“That’s why they’re rubes. Now get out of here.”<br />
3<br />
After Labor Day, Teenytown closed at 3 p.m. on Sundays. This afternoon, at quarter to six, three<br />
giants sat on benches near the end of the mini–Cranmore Avenue, dwarfing Teenytown Drug and the<br />
Teenytown Music Box Theater (where, during tourist season, you could peek in the window and see<br />
teeny film clips playing on a teeny screen). John Dalton had come to the meeting wearing a Red Sox<br />
hat, which he placed on the head of the teeny Helen Rivington statue in the teeny courthouse square.<br />
“I’m sure she was a fan,” he said. “Everybody up this way is a fan. Nobody spares a little admiration<br />
for the Yankees except exiles like me. What can I do for you, Dan? I’m missing supper with the<br />
family for this. My wife’s an understanding woman, but her patience only stretches so far.”