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ghway and had been run off the road into a stone wall。
Hendricks was convinced that as soon as he could get sprung from this God…forsaken midnight…to…eight shift； he would start to enjoy his work。 For the time being； though； it was a drag。 He knew perfectly well why he had the late shift。 Chief Brody liked to break in his young men slowly； letting them develop the fundamentals of police work … good sense； sound judgment； tolerance； and politeness … at a time of day when they wouldn't be overtaxed。
The business shift was 8：00 A。M。 to 4：00 P。M。； and it called for experience and diplomacy。 Six men worked that shift。 One handled the summertime traffic at the intersection of Main and Water streets。 Two patrolled in squad cars。 One manned the phones at the station house。 One handled the clerical work。 And the chief handled the public … the ladies who plained that they were unable to sleep because of the din ing from the Randy Bear or Saxon's； the town's two gin mills； the homeowners who plained that bums were littering the beaches or disturbing the peace； and the vacationing bankers and brokers and lawyers who stopped in to discuss their various plans for keeping Amity a pristine and exclusive summer colony。 Four to midnight was the trouble shift； when the young studs from the Hamptons would flock to the Randy Bear and get involved in a fight or simply get so drunk that they became a menace on the roads； when； very rarely； a couple of predators from Queens would lurk in the dark side streets and mug passersby； and when； about twice a month in the summer； enough evidence having accumulated； the police would feel obliged to stage a pot bust at one of the huge waterfront homes。 There were six men on four to midnight； the six largest men on the force； all between thirty and fifty years old。
Midnight to eight was usually quiet。 For nine months of the year； peace was virtually guaranteed。 The biggest event of the previous winter had been an electrical storm that had set off all the alarms linking the police station to forty…eight of Amity's biggest and most expensive homes。 Normally during the summer； the mid…night…to…eight shift was manned by three officers。 One； however； a young fellow named Dick Angelo； was now taking his two…week leave before the season began to swing。 The other was a thirty…year veteran named Henry Kimble； who had chosen the midnight…to…eight shift because it permitted him to catch up on his sleep … he held a daytime job as a bartender at Saxon's。 Hendricks tried to raise Kimble on the radio … to get him to take a walk along the beach by Old Mill Road … but he knew the attempt was hopeless。 As usual； Kimble was sound asleep in a squad car parked behind the Amity Pharmacy。 And so Hendricks picked up the phone and dialed Chief Brody's home number。
Brody was asleep； in that fitful state before waking when dreams rapidly change and there are moments of bleary semiconsciousness。 The first ring of the phone was assimilated into his dream … a vision that he was back in high school groping a girl on a stairwell。 The second ring snapped the vision。 He rolled over and picked up the receiver。
〃Yeah？〃
〃Chief； this is Hendricks。 I hate to bother you this early； but …〃
〃What time is it？〃
〃Five…twenty。〃
〃Leonard； this better be good。〃
〃I think we've got a floater on our hands； Chief。〃
〃A floater？ What in Christ's name is a floater？〃
It was a word Hendricks had picked up from his night reading。 〃A drowning；〃 he said； embarrassed。 He told Brody about the phone call from Foote。 〃I didn't know if you'd want to check it out before people start swimming。 I mean； it looks like it's going to be a nice day。〃
Brody heaved an exaggerated sigh。 〃Where's Kimble？〃 he said and then added quickly； 〃Oh； never mind。 It was a stupid question。 One of these days I'm going to fix that radio of his so he can't turn it off。〃
Hendricks waited a moment； then said； 〃Like I said； Chief； I hate to bother。。。〃
〃Yeah； I know； Leonard。 You were right to call。 As long as I'm awake； I might as well get up。 I'll shave and shower and grab some coffee； and on my way in I'll take a look along the beach in front of Old Mill and Scotch； just to make sure your 'floater' isn't cluttering up somebody's beach。 Then when the day boys e on； I'll go out and talk to Foote and the girl's date。 I'll see you later。〃
Brody hung up the phone and stretched。 He looked at his wife； lying next to him in the double bed。 She had stirred when the phone rang； but as soon as she determined that there was no emergency； she lapsed back into sleep。
Ellen Brody was thirty…six； five years younger than her husband； and the fact that she looked barely thirty was a source of both pride and annoyance to Brody： pride because； since she looked handsome and young and was married to him； she made him seem a man of excellent taste and substantial attraction； annoyance because she had been able to keep her good looks despite the strains of bearing three children； whereas Brody … though hardly fat at six…foot…one and two hundred pounds … was beginning to be concerned about his blood pressure and his thickening middle。 Sometimes during the summer； Brody would catch himself gazing with idle lust at one of the young； longlegged girls who pranced around town … their untethered breasts bouncing beneath the thinnest of cotton jerseys。 But he never enjoyed the sensation； for it always made him wonder whether Ellen felt the same stirring when she looked at the tanned； slim young men who so perfectly plemented the long…legged girls。 And as soon as that thought occurred to him； he felt still worse； for he recognized it as a sign that he was on the unfortunate side of forty and had already lived more than half his life。
Summers were bad times for Ellen Brody； for in summer she was tortured by thoughts she didn't want to think … thoughts of chances missed and lives that could have been。 She saw people she had grown up with： prep school classmates now married to bankers and brokers； summering in Amity and wintering in New York； graceful women who stroked tennis balls and enlivened conversations with equal ease； women who （Ellen was convinced） joked among themselves about Ellen Shepherd marrying that policeman because he got her pregnant in the back seat of his 1948 Ford； which had not been the case。
Ellen was twenty…one when she met Brody。 She had just finished her junior year at Wellesley and was spending the summer in Amity with her parents … as she had done for the previous eleven summers； ever since her father's advertising agency transferred him from Los Angeles to New York。 Although； unlike several of her friends； Ellen Shepherd was hardly obsessed by marriage； she assumed that within a year or two after finishing college she would wed someone from approximately her own social and financial station。 The thought neither distressed nor delighted her。 She enjoyed the modest wealth her father had earned； and she knew her mother did too。 But she was not eager to live a life that was a repetition of her parents'。 She was familiar with the petty social problems； and they bored