Ghosts of Bergen County

by Dana Cann

  But Jen knew her next move, Ferko supposed. Her face took on a new glow, as though the low sun behind the buildings had somehow found her. She sat on her side of the booth, her phone on the table in front of her, a narrow slip of paper tented on top. Ferko could see numbers written there. Numbers and dashes. A phone number. Digits she’d use to score. Her eyes met his, and she smiled, a look of contentment he’d never seen in her before. Patrons streamed through Ivy’s front door in groups of twos and threes. Some acknowledged Jen with a “Hey” or a nod or a vague gesture involving their open hands. Not all, but enough. They had lumps in their pockets where they stashed their dope. Behind her was a world of possibility, of perfection and bliss. All she had to do was wait the Ferkos out to enter it.

  And that was what she’d do. Because the silence they now shared wasn’t hers, Ferko knew. It belonged to him and it belonged to Mary Beth and it belonged to the dark house in New Jersey with a child’s things and a different child’s ghost. But no actual child. The silence swallowed them. He sat in the booth and hoped it hadn’t. He hoped he’d mistaken calm for silence. He hoped its true nature would be revealed. But now it was time. Mary Beth stood, and Ferko did, too. They said their goodbyes, and took their silence with them when they left.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Writing and publishing a novel is an achievement that some writers accomplish many times in their lives. I’m in awe of these writers. I’m fifty-four years old and this is my first novel, written through years of late nights and early mornings, sitting alone at my dining table with an overhead light and a laptop. Writing is a solitary act, but not entirely so. Completing this book also required generous amounts of love, support, and belief from a small army of family, friends, teachers, mentors, and publishing professionals.

  I’m blessed to work with a wonderful group of writers—Madelyn Rosenberg, Jim Beane, Catherine Bell, Carmelinda Blagg, Christina Kovac, James Mathews, and Kathleen Wheaton—who read the unsteady early drafts and helped me form the characters and find the story. Their unfailing honesty, generosity, and talents were crucial to the successful completion of this book.

  I’ve had many teachers over the years who generously shared their talents and experiences and continue to offer their support. Among them are Jessica Neely, Roberta Murphy, Mary Kay Zuravleff, Leslie Pietrzyk, Mark Farrington, and William Loizeaux. I try to emulate these teachers in my interactions with other writers.

  When I first set out to write a novel about characters who use heroin, I had a difficult time getting past the junkie stereotype. Then I read Ann Marlowe’s memoir, How to Stop Time: Heroin from A to Z, where I found fully functioning people who happened to use heroin. I was on my way.

  I wrote large sections of the novel’s first draft and final revisions during residencies at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and I’m indebted to its staff and supporters for the time, space, sustenance, and community they offer.

  My agent, Mark Falkin, took a chance on an unknown writer because of his belief in this book. I’m grateful for his instincts, diligence, and composure.

  I owe many thanks to the folks at Tin House for their belief in me, and for converting my three-hundred-page manuscript into this book. Designer Jakob Vala came up with a striking cover that was true to the story, and publicists Nanci McCloskey and Meg Cassidy got the book from the start and helped it stand out. I especially owe a huge debt of gratitude to my editor, Meg Storey, who championed my novel and pushed me in ways that didn’t always feel comfortable but always proved right.

  Finally, this book wouldn’t exist without my biggest supporters—Alice, Brigit, and Travis. While writing occurs in a place of solitude, it succeeds in a place of love. My family’s faith in me exceeds reason. They also come up with some pretty good ideas for stories and endings.

  DANA CANN’s short stories have been published in The Sun, the Massachusetts Review, the Gettysburg Review, Fifth Wednesday Journal, the Florida Review, and Blackbird, among other journals. He has received a Pushcart nomination and fellowships from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. Cann earned his MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and he teaches fiction workshops at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Ghosts of Bergen County is his debut novel.

  Copyright © 2016 Dana Cann

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, contact Tin House Books, 2617 NW Thurman St., Portland, OR 97210.

  Published by Tin House Books, Portland, Oregon, and Brooklyn, New York

  Distributed by W. W. Norton & Company

  The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:

  Names: Cann, Dana, author.

  Title: Ghosts of Bergen County / by Dana Cann.

  Description: Portland, Or. : Tin House Books ; New York : Distributed to the trade by WW Norton and Company, 2016. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2015041609 (print) | LCCN 2015048372 (ebook) | ISBN 9781941040270 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781941040287 (e-book) | ISBN 9781941040256

  Subjects: LCSH: Accidents—Fiction. | Fate and fatalism—Fiction. | Drug addiction—Fiction. | Visions—Fiction. | Bergen County (N.J.)—Fiction. | New York (N.Y.)—Fiction. | Psychological fiction. | GSAFD: Mystery fiction.

  Classification: LCC PS3603.C36 G56 2016 (print) | LCC PS3603.C36 (ebook) | DDC 813/.6—dc23

  LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015041609

  First US edition 2016

  Interior design by Jakob Vala

  www.tinhouse.com