“I will,” said Graham. “I’ve eaten here many times, and I’ve never been disappointed. You know, you’re sitting in a bad place. Very inconvenient. There’s a terrible draft. See that vent in the ceiling? Here, let me see if I can get the waiter’s attention. You’ll be much happier somewhere else, believe me.”
He flagged down the waiter and began lecturing him about the perils of catching cold. Lisa thought the whole thing was bizarre, but she didn’t want to sit next to Graham anyway, so she didn’t care. The waiter eventually moved them to a different table on the other side of the restaurant, and after Graham made sure they were comfortable, he rejoined his companion. Lisa watched them. They began to talk, and while Graham remained calm, the other man grew increasingly agitated.
“I can’t believe it,” said Richard. “Graham rearranged us because he didn’t want us to hear their conversation. What I’d give to be at that table right now!”
“I think it might be better this way,” said Josh, whose face was still the wrong color. “You know, maybe we should leave.”
“Why are you so scared of Graham?” said Lisa.
“Because he’s dangerous,” said Josh.
“That’s ridiculous,” said Lisa. She looked beyond Josh to see what Graham was doing. The smile on his face was gone, and he was gesturing wildly. As Lisa watched, the other man suddenly deflated, burying his face in his hands. Graham jumped up and hurried away from the table. He disappeared through the swinging doors that led into the kitchen. A moment later, Lisa heard the squeal of tires and the roar of an engine.
Lights appeared in the parking lot outside the window, morphing from two distinct points into a blinding glare in the blink of an eye. Lisa reacted before she consciously realized what was happening, scrambling to her feet and stumbling against the wall. She heard people screaming, and a moment later, a car crashed through the window, sending the man flying across the restaurant before skidding to a stop in a heap of rubble, so close to Lisa that she could have extended her hand and touched it.
The door on the driver’s side opened. A woman climbed out and approached the man, who was lying in a mangled heap on the ground. She knelt down and laid her hand against his cheek, heedless of the blood rolling from his nose and mouth. In the chaos, Lisa heard the woman’s voice. It was triumphant.
“You chose to love the wrong person,” she said.
She straightened up and walked away. Lisa caught a glimpse of her face. It was heavy and dull. She heard Richard reporting the emergency to the police, but she knew it would be too late for the man by the time help arrived. She couldn’t stop staring at him. He was covered with dust, and his breathing was irregular.
“We have to do something,” said Josh. “He’s still alive.”
He took a step toward the man, but Richard grabbed his arm.
“Stop, Josh,” he said. “There are things no one should have to see, and this is one of them. You’re too young. I’ll do what I can for him. Take Lisa and get out of here before this whole place goes up in flames.”
“No, I can’t,” said Josh.
Richard shook him.
“He’s already dying,” he said. “You don’t need to die, too. That car is on fire. There’s gasoline everywhere. Just go.”
He shoved Josh toward Lisa and turned his attention to the man. To Lisa’s surprise, Josh grabbed her hand. There was strength in his touch, and it gave her courage, even though she could feel him trembling. She was too startled to pull herself away.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go outside.”
They hurried out the door and across the parking lot to Richard’s truck. A crowd had gathered around the restaurant. The wail of approaching sirens filled the air. Lisa blinked the dust out of her eyes and gazed at the damaged building in disbelief. If Graham hadn’t insisted on switching them to a different table—she shuddered.
Josh dropped her hand and turned away. She had never seen him cry before—in fact, she had always despised him for being impervious to everything—but she finally understood he wasn’t an invincible caricature of perfection. In the same instant, she recognized how much she had contributed to his misery, and she felt ashamed. She touched his shoulder, but he didn’t move.
“Josh, are you okay?” she said.
“No,” he said. “I knew that was going to happen.”
“How could you have known?” said Lisa. “It was just an accident.”
Josh shook his head.
“No, you heard what she said when she got out of the car,” he said. “Graham brought that man here so they could murder him. They arranged the whole thing at Hamilton Estate after the wedding.”
“What are you talking about?” said Lisa.
He turned around, and she saw the anguish on his face.
“It was during the reception,” he said. “I went outside for a few minutes, and she was there. So was Owen—you know, Graham’s friend. They had the most diabolical conversation I’ve ever heard—all about someone they were going to kill—and then they went inside to talk to Graham and get his opinion.”
“Are you serious?” said Lisa.
“Yes,” said Josh. “They didn’t say who they were after—just that it was an old friend. When Graham said those words, I should have done something. I don’t know why I didn’t. I guess I just didn’t want to believe it was true.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” said Lisa.
“Did you see his face?” said Josh. “He knew what was happening. He was afraid, but he couldn’t speak. I hope it isn’t like that for my mom when she dies.”
He wiped his eyes.
“She might get better,” said Lisa.
“No, you haven’t seen her,” he said.
He lost his composure, and Lisa’s heart shattered. She couldn’t let him suffer alone. On an impulse, she reached out. He stumbled into her arms, and she pulled him close, resting her face against his shoulder. He returned her embrace,
