She would provide a thermos of coffee. That morning Tony came to fully appreciate the view of the drive up the coast, the wild surf and cliffs, the sudden stretches of beaches, well-spaced turnoffs where the vista expanded dramatically up and down the coastline, stunningly beautiful in both directions. As driver he’d had to concentrate on the road and never before realized how little he was seeing. He stretched out his legs and enjoyed being a passenger. The soak the night before had helped, and so had the codeine tablets he kept for just such a time. He had decided that morning to keep a couple of the tablets with him, just in case, and now they were in a little pillbox in his pocket. Pain was a private affair, and he despised how he had revealed it the night before. It seemed to be a plea for pity, and that was contemptible. Traffic was heavy on the coast road, but he didn’t care. Van was a good driver, patient and relaxed. After they turned off the coast road, heading inland, he told her what little he had learned about Delmar Oliver and Kent “Bud”
