They were both stuffed, but the cheesecake had been incredible so they each grabbed another one of the miniature slices. Ezra took a bite. Nathaniel waited patiently for him to continue.
“I want you to know I’ve appreciated everything you’ve done so far,” Ezra said. “You’ve been an incredible help in creating this menu, and the dishes you cooked tasted amazing. You truly are talented. It’s not easy having only two people in the kitchen currently. Opening a new restaurant in general isn’t easy. Especially since this is my first time.
“I like to think I’ve done well so far, but there has been some confusion. I’ve been figuring out a few things as I’ve gone along, as there’s some things you just don’t think about until you start doing them. There have been a few mistakes made and you’ve been patient throughout all of it.”
Nathaniel laughed a laugh that sounded like it was supposed to be carefree but was forced to be carefree. He looked away, then back at Ezra. “Thank you,” he said. “But it kind of sounds like I’m in trouble or something.”
“You’re not in trouble,” Ezra assured him, though it was difficult having Nathaniel mention something like that. He saw right through Ezra’s praise, and Ezra didn’t want to continue the conversation. Yet it’d be more difficult if he avoided it now and had to bring it up later. There was no turning back, even if he worried he was orchestrating a train wreck.
“I just… my wife and I learned a bit more about the history of this bed and breakfast. We recently learned more about your family and their history with the place, and I wanted to talk to you about that.”
Nathaniel paled as he rubbed his hands on the tops of his legs. His posture stiffened. Ezra had never seen him look so nervous. Did that mean he was guilty and untrustworthy? He still wasn’t sure.
“What does my family history have to do with my employment here?” Nathaniel asked, his voice lacking the confidence it usually had.
“It has to do with why you might be working here,” Ezra admitted.
“We already went over this,” Nathaniel pointed out.
“Yes, and I’m not trying to accuse you of any wrongdoing. It’s just, considering this new information, I felt I had to talk to you further about it. You see, I learned about your grandparents. I know they built this bed and breakfast. I know… I know about what your grandfather did here.”
Nathaniel froze, and Ezra hated how young he looked. Nathaniel hadn’t even been born yet when his grandfather killed his grandmother, but it seemed like it was something that followed him. Surely the townspeople brought it up a time or two. And if Sam mentioned his suspicions of Billy, that meant other people must’ve thought about it too. Nathaniel couldn’t have escaped the fallout from the decisions his family made. He would’ve been left to deal with the aftermath, the rumors, suspicion, gossip. Ezra was once again struck by how unfair this all was. Yet he had to be vigilant. He urged himself to keep going.
“This house has been part of your family history for a long time,” Ezra continued. “Your father would’ve inherited it had his parents not passed away. You would’ve inherited it if they hadn’t passed away. That must be tough to deal with. It must be difficult working here and knowing that it could’ve been yours.”
“Not usually,” Nathaniel replied through gritted teeth. “Though I’ll admit it’s a little tough when you keep bringing it up. Otherwise, I really don’t think about it. But it’s hard not to think about it when you keep questioning me. When you keep reminding me of how difficult it should be. I mean, I didn’t even think about how this could’ve been mine in another life, but now that you mention it… What kind of response do you expect?”
Nathaniel’s defenses were raised, but Ezra couldn’t be sure if that spoke to his guilt or simply his frustration. Ezra himself would’ve been frustrated if someone kept bringing up his father’s death and questioning how it impacted him. He couldn’t see a way around it though.
“I can see where my questioning would be frustrating,” Ezra replied, trying to convey as much empathy and understanding as possible. He kept his tone low, trying to keep the situation from bubbling into a fight. “I wish I didn’t have to keep bringing it up. But you must understand my need to keep my family safe.”
“Keep your family safe?” Nathaniel’s eyebrows rose as his cheeks reddened. “What exactly do you mean by that?”
Ezra tried to find the right words, but they seemed to be lost in an abyss somewhere out of his reach. He didn’t want to sound like he was accusing Nathaniel of anything, but he didn’t know how to ask about this without it sounding like that.
“I just mean that… I guess… we have some concerns regarding your father.”
“My father?” Nathaniel crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes lit with flames of fury. That insecure, worried young man was replaced with someone who was confident and ready to fight. It made Ezra feel a little less bad, though he still couldn’t blame Nathaniel for this reaction.
“Yes,” Ezra paused. There was no delicate way to go about it, so like usual, he dove right in. “Olivia and Kyle were poisoned. The only people who were making food for them at the time was your father and their parents. Yet Lyla and Richard don’t seem like the kind of people who would kill their children.”
“And my father seems like the kind of guy who would kill children?” Nathaniel leaned forward, his body tense and ready to snap. “Is that what you’re trying to say? That my father killed Olivia and Kyle?
“You didn’t even know him. You didn’t know Lyla or Richard either. What makes you think he’d be
