Jasper had become even more piqued when Talia all but swooned as she licked melted butter from her fingertips and declared that Drex had delivered as promised. Her husband’s genial expression never changed, but as the evening progressed, his dialogue became more terse, and his smiles began to look forced.
“Even if he’s not Weston Graham, I don’t like him,” Drex said. “He has this air of superiority. All-knowing. I admit that it amuses me to prick with him.”
“You’re amused. He’s controlled and all-knowing, which, by the way, you’ve told us are characteristics of serial killers. This quasi-friendship is making me nervous,” Gif said.
“I’ve got to play it as I see it, guys. If I went in and tried to match him in a chest-thumping contest, he would have nothing to do with me. Instead, he’s intrigued. Talia told me as much. He keeps having me back because he hasn’t figured me out yet.”
“God forbid he does.”
“Cheer up, Mike. If I go missing, you’ll know where to start looking.”
“That’s not funny,” Gif said. “Do you go armed on these dinner dates?”
“He’s not going to engage in a shootout. That’s not his style.”
“Nevertheless,” said Gif, the guru of practicality.
“Tonight was the first time my weapon and badge stayed home. All I had with me was the transmitter. Keeping it concealed was worry enough.”
He’d told them that he’d taken advantage of Jasper’s absence by arriving early, but he hadn’t said much about the private conversation that he and Talia had shared. He had revealed more to her than he should have, perhaps. But talking about himself might have earned him her trust, which was necessary if he was ever going to get her to open up about Jasper.
It had been risky to tell her the truth about his upbringing, rather than inventing one. But what he’d described might have sounded to her more fiction than fact. If she relayed it to Jasper, he might dismiss it as pure fabrication.
Even if Jasper accepted it as truth, it was unlikely he would ever draw a parallel between Drex Easton, would-be author next door, and the toddler who’d been whisked off to Alaska by his father after his mother’s abandonment. Drex wasn’t even certain she had ever told Weston Graham about her previous marriage. He might never have known of Drex’s existence. His mother’s perfidy then might well be protecting Drex from exposure now.
“So,” Gif said, “what’s your second impression of them?”
“Nothing they said or did triggered an alarm. They acted like a married couple.”
Mike said, “Since neither of us has experience with matrimony, could you be a little more descriptive?”
“They’re familiar. She brushed a crumb of hamburger bun off his beard. He flicked away a mosquito that landed on her arm. Like that.”
“Were they affectionate?”
“To an extent.”
“To what extent?”
“Look, Gif, if you want me to talk dirty to you, you’ll have to pay me sixty bucks a minute.”
“You don’t have to bite my head off. Just give me a for-instance.”
Drex swore under his breath. “Okay. For instance, when Jasper returned from his errand, she thanked him with a wifely kiss on the cheek, and he repaid it.” Then he kissed her on the mouth. Hard. And, swear to God, I believe he did it to see how I would react. But he didn’t tell Gif and Mike that because they would want to know how he had reacted.
“Did you get the night vision binoculars?”
“They were delivered today. Along with a new box fan. Good thing I added the fan to the order. Jasper mentioned seeing the UPS truck.”
“Like he wanted to know what you’d had delivered?”
“That was my take. I explained it away by telling him about the fan. Returning his gives me a reason to go back to their house at least once again. And I invited them out to dinner, along with Elaine.”
“When?”
“Soon as I can swing it. I tried not to sound too eager. Mike, what have you learned about Elaine?”
“Mr. Conner of Delaware was husband number two.”