The Agony of Not Knowing

I called a convenience store in Bayville, New Jersey today.  It’s an odd call to make from Malibu, California, but I needed to find someone who could tell me how my brother’s neighborhood held up.  I haven’t heard from him in a day and a half and he lives just a few blocks from this store.  The clerk was calm and understanding and told me “I think that part of town is okay.” But her voice grew quiet when she said “Closer to the water, things are no...