"It's just a momentary lull before the weekend tourist storm."
He picked up a framed photograph on the counter and studied it. "Nice. I like the parallel between the old man and the sea."
"It was taken by a thirteen-year-old kid named Isaac," Alli said. "I'm the first to show his work, but I don't think I'll be the last."
"I'm impressed." He set it down and waved his hand around the store. "I was expecting cheap souvenirs, and instead I see quality crafts."
"The local talent. We don't have an art gallery in town, so I try to show off their work."
He picked up a slightly lopsided pink elephant and frowned. "Now, this…"
"Was made by Irene Bentley, who is ninety-four years old and still thinking she might be a sculptor when she grows up."
"Maybe for the blind," he said with a wince.
"It's not that bad."
"Sure it is. But you put it out anyway. Why?"
She shrugged, not sure she could explain it to a man as worldly as Jimmy. "Because the people here matter to me. This is a small town. We look out for each other. Most of these artists will never venture even a mile down the highway, but does that make their expression any less important? And who is to judge what's valuable and what's not except the person who's looking at the piece?"
"You feel strongly about it, I can see."
"I just like to give people a chance. Everyone deserves that."
"Except perfect beautiful people like your sister?"
"Well, Tessa doesn't need a chance. She already has it all."
Jimmy didn't reply, he simply gazed into her eyes with an intensity she didn't expect from him.
"You have a nasty habit of staring," she told him.
"Just trying to figure you out."
"Forget it. I can't even figure myself out." Alli set the calculator aside. There was no point in trying to add up profits while Jimmy was within firing range.
Jimmy set his over-the-shoulder bag down on the counter and pulled something out of the front pocket. "I want you to take a look at this."
She hesitated, then took the photograph from his hand. It was of Tessa, of course, taken in her grandmother's house. Tessa was looking at something with a yearning in her eyes that surprised Alli.
"What do you see?" Jimmy asked.
"I don't know."
"Try harder. Come on, it won't kill you."
"A little girl lost." She stopped abruptly. "That was a stupid thing to say. I don't know why I said it."
He smiled encouragingly. "What else do you see?"
"She appears to be wanting something. But I can't see what she is looking at. When did you take this?"
"Last night."
"Did Tessa know?"
"She was concentrating on something else."
Alli knew he wanted her to ask what that something was, but she was afraid to ask. He was right. She didn't want to look at Tessa.
"What do you think she was looking at?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I have no idea. It could be a million things."
"It was a necklace—actually, it was half of a necklace."#p#分页标题#e#
"Oh, God," she breathed, staring once again at the photograph.
"The half she had said BEST."
"And the other half said FRIENDS," Alli finished, lost in the memory.
"This is for you," eleven-year-old Tessa said. "Because we're not just sisters, we're best friends. I'll wear one and you'll wear the other and no matter what else happens to us, we know we'll always have each other."
Alli let out a breath, feeling the pain right down to the tips of her toes. "She gave me the necklace for my birthday. It was my first birthday after our parents died. I can't believe she still has her half."
"Do you still have yours?" Jimmy asked.
She straightened, suddenly realizing she wasn't just talking to herself. "I don't know," she lied. "I haven't seen it in years." She looked past him to the two women, who were ready to make their purchases. "Can I help you?"
While Alli rang up their postcards, Jimmy wandered over to the window, taking a few shots through the glass at some activity on the pier. When the women left, Alli picked up the photograph once more, wondering why Tessa would be looking at a silly little necklace with so much heart in her eyes. Tessa hadn't cared about their friendship in years. Long before the incident with Sam, they'd been more enemies than friends.
"It doesn't make sense," she murmured.
Jimmy returned to the counter. "Do you want to keep that?"
"No," she said hastily.
"I'll take it, then."
Despite her words, Alli felt a momentary loss when he put the photograph back into his bag, as if she were losing Tessa again, which was ridiculous, because she'd lost Tessa a long time ago.