Page 74 of Death on Riddle Road

Or was I shielding the fledgling thought itself?Not ready to have it be smashed, possibly irretrievably by her disbelief.

Clara’s attention shifted to the doorway.

“Here comes Evan,” she said.

Saved from deciding.For now.

He was neatly, but casually dressed.An intermediate step between the suits of a sprinkling of other men eating here and the more common jeans.It set him apart from both groups.

Or maybe it was his hunted expression and slightly jerky movements that set him apart.He spotted us right away.As he made his way to our corner, his gaze shot around like Gracie searching for squirrels in her territory.Though I had the impression he’d run, rather than chase if he spotted what he was on guard against.

Before we could say hello, he said apologetically, “I hope you don’t mind meeting here...”

“Not at all.”Clara didn’t add even a drop of wryness into that.

He sat across from her, next to the wall.

“With the baby coming and all, Quebec is feeling rather high-strung and she doesn’t like to hear about sordid matters, especially...”

Sordid matters like murder that raised the memory that her now-hubby had been drawn into that harsh spotlight because he’d cared about another woman.

The efficient wait staff — too efficient in this case — showed up then.

Clara and I ordered quickly.Not only did we know the offerings, but the meal was largely a formality to get to dessert.That gave Evan plenty of time to come up with the dazzling choice of a salad.

I bet he’d skip dessert, too.

“Congratulations on the baby-to-be.”

He flashed a genuine smile, though it didn’t erase all of the hunted expression.

What was behind that?Our impending talk?Issues at home?Habit?Hard to tell.

“How long have you and Quebec been married?”

“Three years.”

“Whirlwind romance, or...”Clara smiled at him guilelessly, while I knew she was guile-filled and checking if Quebec might have overlapped with Jaylynn, been jealous, lured her to a deserted road, and shot her.

“Not whirlwind.Not a romance at first, either.She’d been on the staff for two years before we started dating.”

“Where had she been teaching before coming here?”

He blushed.Truly.

“Nowhere.This is her first school.She’s younger than I am.Quite a bit.”

“How wonderful you found each other.And now to have a baby...You both must be so excited,” Clara said.

He relaxed.Actually, more like he melted like a chocolate chip under the heat lamp of Clara’s warmth.

“We are.Of course, it’s been hard on Quebec.Pregnancy—” He shook his head.“Don’t know how women do it.”

No personal experience here, but from what I’d heard about it, this guy didn’t look like he would make it through the first trimester, much less the delivery.Did that mean he couldn’t pull a trigger, however?

Before our food arrived, Clara took him through the background of his meeting Jaylynn while teaching at the same school, gently enough that he might not have recognized the thoroughness.

Unfortunately, it hadn’t turned up anything we didn’t already know.Though it did seem to soften him up, because after our meals arrived, he made the transition himself.