Page 64 of Veil of Silence

“Well, that was before.” Ruth pulled a glass from the cabinet and filled it at the sink. “Pauline says now they know it wasn’t Preston’s daddy, the sheriff wants everybody he can get to help look.”

Ruth glanced at Austin, then at the table, then at her daughter’s hand lying flat across whatever was underneath it. She didn’t ask.

“Nine o’clock,” she said. “That’s when everyone is meeting. I’m sure they’d like to have you there.”

“I’d love to help,” Nora said.

“I’ll be there also,” Austin added.

Nora’s mom nodded. “Perfect. I know they’ll appreciate it.”

Chapter

Twenty-Four

At eleven, Nora and Austin were still sitting at her kitchen table.

Neither had mentioned that he should probably leave.

The bowls from the vegetable soup she’d warmed earlier sat in the sink, while an open sleeve of crackers remained between them.

The hymnal page was gone. Luke had sent a deputy to collect it, along with the envelope. Nora should have felt better knowing it was being treated as evidence.

Instead, the empty spot on the table bothered her almost as much as the page itself had.

Austin turned a glass of water between his hands and glanced around the kitchen. “This is the house where you grew up?”

“It is. Mom stayed after Dad moved out, but eventually all the reminders of Christian became too much. She found another place, and I stayed.”

“And now she’s back.”

“Most nights.” Nora glanced toward the ceiling. “Partly because of Christian. Partly because she and Dad are apparently rediscovering each other after years of pretending they could barely stand being in the same room.”

Austin’s eyebrows rose. “That sounds complicated.”

“You have no idea.”

“My parents stayed married until Mom died, but I’m pretty sure Dad irritated her every day of it.” A brief smile crossed his face. “It may have been the secret to their success.”

“Irritating each other? I’ll have to remember that.” Nora studied him. “How old were you when she died?”

His thumb stilled against the glass. “Twenty-two. Pancreatic cancer. It happened fast.”

“I’m sorry.”

He nodded, the humor disappearing from his face. Then he added, “Dad drove her crazy through the whole process.”

“What do you mean?”

“He researched every treatment, specialist, and clinical trial he could find. Mom finally told him if he printed one more medical journal article, she was going to smother him with it.”

Nora laughed quietly. “I would’ve liked her.”

“You would have.” His expression softened. “She would have liked you too.”

Warmth touched Nora’s face. She lowered her gaze before he could notice.

Austin reached for a cracker, almost as if he needed the distraction. “There’s one part of this you haven’t told me much about.”