“I respect that decision, I truly do,” Oscar said. “But I’d prefer it if you stayed on with us — temporarily. The crew respects your profes-sional judgment. And the Buna situation might need your security skills.” Oscar drew a breath, then started talking with more focus and intensity. “I haven’t exactly broken this to our boys and girls on the bus, but I’ve been scoping out the Buna situation. And this delightful Texas vacation retreat that’s our destination tonight — basically, it looks to me like a major crisis waiting to happen.”

Fontenot shook his head. “I’m not in the market for a major crisis. I’ve been looking forward to retirement. I’m gonna fish, I’m gonna hunt a little. I’m gonna get myself a shack in the bayou that has a stove and a fryin’ pan, and no goddamn nets or telephones, ever, ever again.”

“I can make it worth your while,” Oscar coaxed. “Just a month, all right? Four weeks till the Christmas holidays. You’re still on salary, as long as you’re with us. I can double that if I have to. Another month’s pay.”

Fontenot wiped rain from his hat brim. “You can do that?”

“Well, not directly, not from the campaign funds, but Pelicanos can handle it for us. He’s a wizard at that sort of thing. Two months’ salary for one month’s work. And at Boston rates, too. That might swing the earnest money on your standard bayou shack.”

Fontenot was weakening. “Well, you’ll have to let me think that over.”

“You can have weekends.”

“Really?”

“Three-day weekends. Since you’re looking for a place to live.”

Fontenot sighed. “Well…”

“Audrey and Bob wouldn’t mind doing some real-estate scan-ning for you. They’re world-class oppo research people, and they’re just killing time out here. So why should you get taken in a house deal? They can scare you up a dream home, and even a decent real-estate agent.”