The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace

One night, Robert and his old friend Hrvoje meet in a bar. Hrvoje asks Robert about his life, and Robert explains that he’s been selling drugs. Hrvoje points out that Robert could easily find other work if he wanted to, and Robert—as usual—just laughs.

Robert goes to Pula, Croatia, Hrvoje’s hometown. There, he meets Lana Kasun, a Croatian woman, and later starts dating her. He begins to develop a scheme to move to Croatia and make a fortune selling ice-makers—which, it would seem, don’t exist in Croatia.

In the fall of 2008, Robert approaches Ina with an idea: Ina can get her gun license, buy handguns, and then file claims saying the guns have been stolen. Robert will then sell the handguns for double the price. Ina’s initial reaction is simple: “Fuck no.” She’s always been able to accept Robert’s drug dealing, but selling guns is intolerable to her. Soon after, she joins the navy and leaves Newark.

Around the same time, Robert gets a promotion at work. The work allows him to sit at a desk, and it pays much better. In his new position, Robert spends time studying chemistry to stay up to speed. Some of his colleagues talk behind his back, saying that a Yale graduate has no business working with them. Meanwhile, Oswaldo is coming to the end of his time in medical school. When he sees Robert, he notices that Robert seems pettier and less curious than he was at Yale. When Robert asks him for drug contacts in Philadelphia, Oswaldo replies, “Get the fuck out.” In this moment, Oswaldo realizes that Robert’s “troubles were self-inflicted.”

Jeff and Ty get together and reminisce about college. They admit they haven’t heard from Robert in a long time. Ty and Jeff have had their share of successes and failures. Ty is expecting a child, and he’s about to become a doctor, but he’s desperate for money. Jeff’s second novel wasn’t accepted by any publishers, meaning that he’s had to do copy-editing to support himself. They agree to reunite with Robert soon, but never get around to arranging the details.

Robert and Tavarus keep planning their real estate company. They envision convincing some St. Benedict’s alumni to invest in the company, and then presenting a business plan to urban planners. Privately, Tavarus thinks that Robert’s Yale credentials will be helpful for attracting interest in the company, although he worries that Robert’s current job at an airport will undermine his credibility.

Robert gets a visit from an old Yale classmate, Isabella Peretzian, who used to spend a lot of time with Robert listening to hip-hop. These days, she writes about rap music for various music websites, and has generally outstripped Robert in her music knowledge. Isabella continues to worship Robert, however—he seems “real” in a way that none of her friends are.

Robert begins dating a woman named Rene Millien. Rene lives in Brooklyn and works as a digital artist. The two meet at Raquel’s thirtieth birthday party in Soho, New York; Rene is an old friend of Raquel, but Robert promises Raquel that he’ll treat her right. In the coming months, Rene comes to know Robert as a kind, surprisingly tender man.

It’s November 2010, and Robert is busy at the airport. One day, he makes a huge mistake: while disengaging the conveyer belt that transports baggage from the plane to the airport, he forgets to fold down the steel rails on the conveyer. As a result, an airplane hits the side of the conveyer belt, damaging the door. Robert recognizes what he’s done, but decides that the airplane door is fine. Soon, it’s discovered that the door needs to be replaced. Robert admits he was the last person to handle the door. His superiors ask him for a urine sample, which he refuses to provide, since he’s been smoking weed. Instead of going through the usual union appeals process, Robert simply leaves his job and never comes back.

In August 2010, Jeff gets a Facebook message from Robert. At this time, Jeff and Rebecca have had a baby daughter, and they’re badly in debt. Jeff sometimes envies people like Robert and Ty, whom he believes to have majored in subjects that can provide them with more career opportunities. He knows that Robert is working in an airport, but he assumes this means some kind of corporate job.

Meanwhile, Jackie becomes increasingly saddened by Robert’s path in life. Robert leaves money for her, but he seems worn-out and depressed. He rarely spends time with her.