She directed a worried glance toward the interior door that led to the rest of the house. 'Be careful not to say things like that. How would you know it's one of my specialities?'
'Like how would you know that I drink my tea unsweetened?'
She thought for a moment, then said with chagrin, 'This afternoon.'
'Hmm.'
'Habits die hard.'
'And get you into trouble.' The white card with Grace's phone number on it suddenly felt like a live coal inside his breast pocket. 'Need any help?'
'No, thanks.'
'I could set the table. I think I remember which side the fork goes on.'
'Already done. Would you like something to drink?'
He shook his head. 'I had a beer in town.' She was about to ask him about that, but before she could pose a question he might not want to answer, he asked, 'Where's Berry?'
'Still sleeping, last I checked.'
They still hadn't addressed what he'd learned from his conversation with Amanda Lofland in the hospital cafeteria. After having recounted it to Caroline and Berry, he'd gone out for a cigarette. When he'd come back inside, Caroline had suggested that Berry walk him through the events of last night, showing him where everything had taken place. Actually, he'd been about to suggest that himself.
For the next hour, they'd moved from room to room while Berry related chronologically and in detail exactly what had taken place. In the bathroom, the shower curtain had been reattached to the rod. The blood-soaked rug had been removed from the bedroom and replaced by another to cover the bloodstain that had seeped into the hardwood. Despite these concealing measures, the room retained the feel of a place where something traumatic had occurred.
Dodge had knelt where Berry indicated Ben Lofland had fallen. He'd flipped back the replacement rug to examine the bloodstain. Then he'd gone into the bathroom. When he reached the tub, he'd turned back and estimated the distance to the bloodstain. 'Starks was standing here when he fired?'
Berry nodded.
'Five feet, six at most. Lofland's lucky to be alive.'
'Oren must be a lousy shot.'
'Must be.'
Out on the gallery, Dodge had inspected the holes in the wall, left by the bullets that Nyland or someone from the S.O. had removed. Then Dodge had had Berry show him exactly where Starks had landed after his fall down the stairs and the position from which he'd been wildly firing the pistol.
He'd laid down on his back on the floor and acted it out while she'd crouched behind the railing on the gallery above as she'd done the night before. Caroline had stood by, watching all this, hugging her elbows and chafing her upper arms.
'I can't believe how close you came to being killed,' she'd said, tears in her voice.
Dodge had been equally shaken by the thought of how narrowly Berry had escaped a bullet. If she hadn't, Caroline's call to him last night would have been altogether different. Or maybe she wouldn't have bothered to notify him. It didn't bear thinking about.
After talking through it, Berry had told them she was exhausted and asked if they could postpone their conversation about her and Lofland until after she'd rested. 'It's the elephant in the room. I know it must be explained, but can it keep until I've had a nap?'
He and Caroline had watched as she wearily climbed the stairs. When she reached the gallery, she'd gone into the guest room, Dodge supposed because being in her bedroom made the horrible memories too vivid for comfort.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Caroline had turned to him, her posture defensive. 'What Amanda Lofland told you has no bearing on what happened here last night.'
'I didn't say it did.'
'You implied it.'
'I did no such thing.'
'I know how your mind works, Dodge. You're skeptical by nature. Why would you tend to believe Amanda Lofland over your own flesh and blood?'
Afraid that his angry voice might carry upstairs and through the guest room door, he'd propelled Caroline across the living area and into the kitchen. As soon as they'd reached it and he'd shut the door, he leaned toward her.
'You march out that flesh-and-blood connection whenever you want to make a point or to remind me that I should have blind loyalty toward Berry now. But you weren't so keen on her being my flesh and blood the day she was born.'
'Do you blame me?'
'No, Caroline, and I never did. You were in the right. I was wrong. I admitted I was.'
'It wasn't enough.'
'How well I know.' She'd tried to stare him down but failed, and he'd derived some satisfaction from her being the first to turn away. After a moment, he'd said quietly, 'I think you should prepare yourself.'
'For what?'
'For just in case Berry hasn't been quite as up-front with you as you think.' When she would have spoken, he'd sliced the air with his hand. 'That's what scares you, too, isn't it, Caroline? You said as much at the tearoom.'
'I said--'
'I asked you what the problem was, and in reply you said that Berry is a lot like me. You knew that would be the one reason I'd stay on. Because we both know that the genes she got from me might not be pretty when they manifest themselves. If she's got herself into a mess, I'll help her get out of it, but the process might be disagreeable, to say the least.' With that, he'd headed for the door.
'Where are you going?'
'To town.'
'What for?'
'I need a place to stay. Once I've got a room and dumped my stuff, I want to nose around, see if I can find a grapevine to tap into.'
'How long will you be gone?'
'Can't say.'
'Be back in time for dinner.'
He'd stopped on his way through the door and looked at her. She'd looked anxious, as though afraid that, despite what he'd said, he might not return. He'd been tempted to ask her if she cared whether or not he came back, and if so, how much.
But all he'd said was 'Anything happens, you've got my cell number.' Now he was back, and she hadn't called him during his absence, so he assumed that there had been nothing new to report.
While he'd been gone, she'd changed into a pair of white pants cropped at her ankles and a yellow T-shirt, through which he could see the outline of her bra. She'd always thought her breasts were too small. He'd thought they were downright perfect, and perfectly sensitive.
'Did you find a room?'
He dragged his gaze off her chest and onto more neutral territory. 'Uh ... yeah. Cypress Lodge.'
'There's better available. I know of some houses that owners rent out when not in use. I should have thought of reserving you one before now, although I've been ... My mind's been scattered. But I could call the office and--'
'The lodge is fine. My standards aren't that high. This room has all the comforts of
