“I’ll be there.”
She walked out the lane, wondering what she actually had learned that could be of any importance.
“Casey?”
She turned.
“You want to help Ellen? Really?”
“Yes. Really.”
He looked at the driveway, then back up at her. “The reason I was at HomeMaker?”
“Yes?”
“Let’s just say it wasn’t personal on my part. And Ellen had nothing—absolutely nothing—to do with it.” He turned, and disappeared into his house.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Casey was waiting at the back door of Home Sweet Home when Eric drove up.
He got out of his Camry. “Hey.”
“Hey.” She went to the car. “Got things to carry in?”
“Well, yes, but—”
She waited at the trunk until he opened it, holding out her arms for the bags of just-un-sellable vegetables and food staples. They took in the groceries and put them away, finding what space they could around the pizzas in the fridge.
“What is it?” Eric asked when they were done. “You learned something. I can see it.”
“I think the video might be a dead end.” She explained what Todd had told her.
“But maybe it did have to do with her,” he said. “Todd’s either lying or he doesn’t know.”
“Unless…”
“What?”
“Eric.” She made her voice gentle. “Have you remembered why you were there that day?”
He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. “You really think I did something to Ellen?”
“No, I don’t—”
“Because that’s just…” He flung his hands outward, and stalked away, keeping his back to her.
She followed him. “I don’t think that, Eric. Really. But what if something about your visit was important? You need to remember.”
“I know. I know.” He banged the flat of his hand against the wall, and leaned there, hanging his head.
“Can you at least tell me what Thomas thinks I’m doing here? Why he would threaten me, telling me to leave him alone?”
He turned his head to look at her. “Thomas? He did that?”
“He seems to think I’m a spy.”
He sighed heavily. “Lord knows what Thomas thinks about anything.”
“I think you know, too.”
He pushed himself off the wall, rounding on her. “What do I know?”
Casey readied herself for self-defense, all the while telling herself it was stupid to worry around Eric. “You have something on him, Eric. He knows it. You know it. What is it?” She could still picture that man, Taffy, telling Thomas he was being monitored. Should she mention it to Eric? Or would that just put Eric in danger, too?
“Thomas and I have known each other a long—”
“Stop. Just stop. You’ve given me that spiel before. So you’ve known each other forever. You grew up together. Your dads both moved here to work together. I get that. But what does that mean? You feel some sense of…what? Responsibility for him?”
“No, I don’t, it’s just…”
“What?”
“I think he wants out.”
“Out? Out of what? Theater? This town?”
He glanced at her. “This town, definitely, but that’s not what I meant.”
“Then what? It has something to do with money, doesn’t it? Large amounts of it?” She couldn’t imagine what else Taffy and Bone would want.
Eric let out a long sigh, and leaned back against the wall. “I can’t… It doesn’t have anything to do with Ellen, okay? Trust me on that.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. If I thought it did, I would tell you.”
“Would you?”
“Yes.”
She watched him for a moment. Did he know enough that he could also be a target of those men? Whatever group was threatening Thomas? Would Taffy and Bone come after him?
“Eric, there’s something I think you should know—”
“I know everything I need to about Thomas and his problems.”
“But—”
“No. No more. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” He turned abruptly and walked through the door into the dining area.
Casey clenched her jaw. She hated thinking of Eric in any way other than positive, but how long had she actually known him? Three days? Four? And with them knowing nothing about what had really happened to Ellen, how did he really know Thomas’ problem wasn’t relevant?
She started after him, but the back door opened and Loretta entered, kissing her fingers and raising them to heaven. “Thank you, Jesus, for another day serving you. Hallelujah! Hello, baby girl.” This last was to Casey.
“Hello, Loretta.”
“Pizza again tonight, Praise God! ”
“Yes.”
The door smacked open, and Johnny filled the entryway. “Nice lady!”
Casey smiled. “Hello, Johnny.”
He hugged her with abandon, and lumbered off to his station to roll silverware. Casey followed.
“Johnny, Ellen worked here with you, didn’t she?”
He slid the silverware drawer out. “Oh, yes, ma’am, she was a nice lady.”
“I’m sure she was.” She watched as he carefully placed the knife, fork, and spoon on a napkin and rolled it all into a perfect oblong bundle. “Did she ever say anything to you about work?”
“Work?” His face crinkled in concentration. “About silverware?”
“No. No, I mean about HomeMaker.”
“Oh, that work.” He turned backed to his silverware, as if he didn’t care to reply.
“Praise the Lord,” Loretta said, “Ellen was going to make the need for this kitchen go away, thank you Jesus! ”
Casey went closer to her. “Did she tell you how?”
“Didn’t say much, did she now, poor angel of God, but she was confident in His power, yes she was. Praise the Lord! ”
“She thought God was going to save the factory?”
Loretta pursed her lips. “Now don’t be getting that tone, young lady, although God loves you even so.”
“I’m sorry. But I was serious. What made her confident? Trust in God?”
“That’s always there, honey. But she was the one doing God’s work and helping the meek and poor in spirit.”
Casey clenched her fists against her hips. “But how?”
“Oh, well now, baby, I’d tell you if I knew, wouldn’t I? Hallelujah! ”
Casey took a deep breath, reminding herself that taking an elderly woman to the mat was really not
