Free The Rooster Bar by John Grisham Page B

couple of days. He was a mess, drinking, detached, and obviously in need of their attention. They were afraid to leave him alone, but he sneaked out. When Todd detailed the DUI twenty-four hours earlier, Dr. Karvey grimaced and shook his head, his first visible reaction. Mark picked up the narrative, and described his efforts to keep Gordy safe throughout the previous day. Gordy refused to talk about his condition and wouldn’t give Mark the name of his doctor. He threatened Mark if he called Brenda or his parents. He slept a lot, stopped drinking, and seemed to be rallying. They stayed with him again last night, but he managed to sneak out. When they discovered he was gone, they panicked and tried to find him. He would not answer his phone. They raced around the city and saw the emergency lights on the bridge.
    When Mark finished, he looked at Todd, who nodded. The story was almost complete and sufficient enough for the moment.
    Dr. Karvey said, “Thank you. When Gordy came home on break, he and Brenda had some serious conversations about their future, as all couples do. It was definitely a rough period, but Brenda thought they had settled things. But he left without saying good-bye and returned here.”
    “We heard some of that,” Mark said.
    Todd asked, “Did Brenda know he was off his meds?”
    “Well, we didn’t know Gordy was bipolar until a few months ago. This was one reason for their arguments. He tried to keep it quiet, which is not unusual.”
    Mark and Todd shook their heads in disbelief.
    Dr. Karvey said, “Look, I know Brenda said some harsh things a few hours ago, and I’m sorry for that. She is distraught and heartbroken. We’re just as stunned as you are. We’ve known Gordy since he was a kid and he was practically a member of our family.”
    “It’s okay,” Mark said.
    “We’re so sorry, Dr. Karvey. We weren’t sure what to do. We had no idea he was capable of something like this.”
    “You did your best under the circumstances,” Dr. Karvey said with his calming bedside manner. As Mark and Todd relaxed for the first time since entering the suite, Dr. Karvey, in an even lower voice, hit them with “Was there another girl?”
    They flinched and stared at their hands. Mark had the presence of mind to ask, “Okay, if the answer is yes, will you tell Brenda?”
    “No. It would only make matters worse.”
    “Then why do you want to know?” Todd asked.
    He thought for a moment and said, “Let’s let it pass.”
    “Good idea.”
    Eager to leave before someone emerged from the bedroom, Mark and Todd wrapped things up and said good-bye. They hurried from the suite, and the hotel, and drove aimlessly past Reagan National Airport. They worried about Zola but had no desire to return to Gordy’s apartment, not for a while anyway. They passed through Alexandria, drifted south, at some point turned east, crossed the river on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, and parked at the National Harbor Marina. The Potomac stretched before them, seemingly a mile wide and flowing south as if all was well. There were no signs of a search. They had seen two Coast Guard ships and the police boats near the airport, but nothing this far below the Arlington Memorial Bridge.
    Mark said, “Do you suppose they can project how far and how fast a body will travel in the river?”
    “You’re asking me?” Todd replied.
    “I thought you knew about these things. Didn’t you have a friend who drowned in high school?”
    “Yep, Joey Barnes. Fifteen years old.” Todd tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and thought about his old friend. “Drowning victims go under and sink to the bottom, regardless of the depth. If the water is cold it takes longer. Once on the bottom, some chemical reactions take place and these force the body to rise. Almost all of them do, usually not far from where they made a splash. There’s a chance he’ll get snagged on something and remain below.”
    They thought about this as the heater