It was eight people for dinner. Hopefully, five oblivious to the highly choreographed trick Mum, Kui, and I had planned. Absurd, but it might be the only way we could get even a veiled confession from Sarge. Snow and CeeCee couldn’t make it—perfect—but still, my stomach clenched, nervous.

Our plan was to corner Sarge to get to the bottom of his interaction with Janey the day before she died. We needed everyone to sit at the inside dining table except Kui, Sarge, and me, who had to eat on the sofas twenty feet away.

Mum quietly guided Mr.Saunders, Declan, Dad, Rosemary, and Clarebear to the inside table, tapping into personal quirks, like how Clarebear always wore her crossbody bag, even gardening.

Mum insisted on minding the bag while Clarebear filled a plate with food, then hung it on a dining table chair.

I hovered over the food table out back, waiting for Sarge, who was always last.

“I feel like we got off on the wrong foot the other day,” I confided to him. “I’m sorry if I’ve been aggressive or pushy. I’m trying to ditch my bad Pommy habits.” Blaming the Brits usually worked in New Zealand.

He grunted a small, wary laugh. To soften him up, I asked about his rugby team’s next game. He droned on until his plate was heaped with food.

As he walked through the doorway, Kui touched his shoulder.

“Why don’t we sit on the sofas?” Once we were inside, annoyance scrambled Clarebear’s face, but it was too late for her to move.

Politeness kept her stuck at the table. She was a sweet person, and I felt sorry that I was interfering with her marriage, but I had to do this.

We continued on the topic of rugby.

“You were such a wonderful coach to my boys, Sarge,” Kui said.

“A great support to Dad too. Look at all his friends sitting here—you and Mr.Saunders for a start.” I nodded to Janey’s dad at the table beside Mum, eating his meal quietly, but obviously enjoying the company.

Kui agreed enthusiastically. I felt ill looking at him and wondering if he was the man who abused Janey.

Sarge made a sour face. “I’m surprised he’s here, to be honest. He doesn’t make the cut for your dad’s best mates.” Just what we expected—Sarge, competitive even in this.

“Obviously, you’re Dad’s best friend and top of the list,” I said. Ugh. I hated that this man was so close to my family.

Sarge nodded, accepting his due.

Laughter burst from the table at Rosemary’s story about turning a client’s BDSM chamber into a toy room.

While it was noisy, I took my chance. “Seeing Janey’s dad reminds me,” I spoke softly. “He said you came around the day before Janey died. That Janey accused someone of what sounded like sexual abuse.”

“ Really? ” Distraught, Kui leaned towards him. “Oh, Sarge. That’s awful. What did you do about it?”

Sarge froze. The laughter at the table died away. Please answer . Now .

“I don’t have to answer anything that man says.” Sarge gritted his teeth. “I mean, look at the poor bastard. He’s lost the plot.”

Mr.Saunders turned twitchy. Did he feel our eyes on him? Both Dad and Declan looked over at us; Dad worried, Declan suspicious.

Sarge bolted up. “You guys are having all the fun,” he called over to the table. “How about coming over here, Rosemary? We need a few laughs.”

Rosemary went to grab her plate to come over. Mum rested a hand on her arm to delay her and prompted one of her other stories about a client couple whose kink was to wear diapers around the house.

“But why would Mr.Saunders lie about something so important?” I pressed Sarge.

Like a ticking time bomb, Rosemary would be over here at any minute. Kui leaned closer to Sarge as if to hear his answer, wielding a gentle, clever pressure.

Sarge’s lips opened and pressed shut in a sort of toggle, maybe between what he wanted to say and what he needed to say to cover himself.

“I did come over, but as a neighbor, not as police. Told him about the complaints that she was mean and a bully. Of course, he was clueless.”

His answer fit with what I expected him to say. I was annoyed he’d called Janey a bully. But that’s what CeeCee said too. I went to ask more.

“I told you at yoga. Leave it.” He fisted his hands, angry. “Look. I have to be very careful about anything concerning police matters.” His voice was getting louder and louder. “I do not want to get in trouble with the unions and lose my pension. ”

Dad’s forehead creased as if he was trying to figure out why Sarge was so angry. Declan and Clarebear stood up.

Mum, Kui and I caught one another’s eye. We needed to calm things down. I felt proud of us, that we’d worked so well together to get even this admission out of Sarge.

But what was that rant about?

*

Everyone had left. Declan, between giving me wary looks, was trying to sort out the TV. Dad, tired and confused, had “clicked the funny button.”

I sought out Kui, who was stacking dirty plates in the dishwasher.

“Thank you, Kui. That was tough. But why did Sarge start ranting on about his pension? I know police have a generous pension, but it seemed like he overreacted.”

Kui paused with a plate in the air. “Hmm.”

“C’mon, Kui. What is it?”

She took a deep breath. “He wants us to be together, says he’s hopelessly in love with me—been saying it for years, silly old fool.

I don’t love him, and even if I did, I wouldn’t do anything about it because of Clarebear.

” Her face tensed, then turned somber. “I’ve had enough sadness without creating more.

But he keeps saying he’ll hand his pension over to her, and we can get together and live on what’s left over. ”

I knew Sarge was besotted with Kui, but this was almost an obsession. He wanted to provide a decent future for her and was worried about his finances.

My mind turned, of course, to the winery. Was Sarge involved in the drug ring? It was one way to ensure he had money to fund a new life with Kui. Pretty extreme, but people had done worse for love.