Page 90 of A Gathering of Secrets

Ina waits a beat and then whispers, “Word is Mark may not have been the baby’s father.”

“If not Mark, then who?” I ask.

“That’s just cruel gossip if you ask me,” Viola snaps. “Especially with both of them being gone.”

“Well, people are talking,” Neva points out.

Viola’s gaze finds mine. “Do you think what happened to them has something to do with Daniel Gingerich?” Her voice has dropped to a whisper.

“I do.” I take a sip of coffee, watching, aware of a new tension zinging among us. “I know Daniel used to come in here on occasion.”

Neva shoots me a look over the rim of her cup. “Lots of people come in here.”

I don’t respond, don’t even look at her. “Did it cross your minds that maybe that information was important?”

“I think he only came in a few times,” Neva says dismissively.

Viola slurps hot chocolate. “It was a long time ago.”

They’re downplaying it. I can’t tell if they’re covering for each other or if they simply don’t want to discuss it.

The girls begin to chatter among themselves, so I smack my hand down on the tabletop hard enough to get their attention. “Stop lying to me.”

Startled looks are exchanged. Neva sets down her cup. Ina looks away. Viola pretends her chair isn’t situated just right and scoots it closer to the table.

“I’m not the enemy here,” I say softly.

“We know that,” Neva says.

“I just need information,” I say. “The truth.”

“We haven’t lied to you,” Ina says.

“If I hadn’t pushed, you wouldn’t have told me about Emma,” I say. “You didn’t tell me that Daniel used to come in here, bothering the three of you.”

“He didn’t,” Neva blurts.

I give her a look that lets her know in no uncertain terms I’m not happy with the answers I’m getting. “I think he did a lot more than bother you.” I look from girl to girl. “What else haven’t you told me?”

“I think he came here to see Emma,” Ina says after a moment. “That’s all.”

“Who else did he come here to see?”

I watch them closely, their body language, facial expressions. Of the three, Neva looks the most apprehensive. I turn my full attention to her. “Neva?”

She blinks rapidly, a prey animal being approached by a predator. “No one.”

“Are you sure about that?” I ask.

“Why are you being so pushy?” Ina snaps.

“Because I think you know more than you’re telling me,” I snap back.

Neva jumps into the fray. “You don’t know us. You don’t know anything about us.”

“I know more than you think,” I tell her.

“Like what?” she shoots back, defiant.