Page 43 of The Summer that Changed Everything
Ford knew Darren only in a peripheral sense. Darren had been a year older and mostly stayed away from his sister—didn’t seem to like her—which meant Ford hadn’t had much contactwith him. “I can probably get his number. But like Lucy, I’m not confident we can count on his help.”
“He came to us,” Friedman pointed out. “Maybe there’s a chance.”
Lucy tucked her hair behind her ears. “He wants the real culprit caught.”
“Let’s hope he wants it badly enough to remain firm in his convictions,” Friedman responded.
After they said goodbye and disconnected, Ford put his phone down. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about Darren,” he said.
Lucy’s shrug came off as manufactured. “I hadn’t fully decided I wanted to work with you.”
“And now?”
“‘Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.’”
That wasn’t an answer he’d expected. “What’d you say?”
Her lips twitched as if she was tempted to laugh. “It’s fromThe Tempest.”
“Never heard of it.”
“Shakespeare. A man who’s been shipwrecked has little choice but to seek shelter next to a sleeping monster.”
“Ouch!” He pressed a hand to his chest. “I’mthe sleeping monster?”
“I guess we’ll see,” she said.
Ford decided he wouldn’t wait for word to leak out that he’d hired an investigator. He’d go to Darren Clark himself and see if Aurora’s brother would repeat what he’d said to Lucy. That way, if Darren started telling a different story in the future, it wouldn’t be his word against Lucy’s. Perhaps Ford was being too cynical, but he worried that Aurora’s brother had been setting her up in some way. He couldn’t see anyone in the Clark family being nice to her.
But first, he had to find out where Darren lived, and the person he felt most comfortable asking was Chet.
He texted his old friend as soon as Lucy left.
Hey, man. Any chance you’ll be around today? I’d like to swing by and talk to you, if you’ve got a minute.
It didn’t take long to get a reply:
Painting today. But why not come over for dinner tonight?
They set up a time, then Ford spent the rest of the afternoon handling calls and emails for work.
He arrived at Chet’s with a bottle of wine. Chet’s wife, Kira, answered the door holding a chubby baby who gave him a darling but drooly grin.
“This must be Kenzie,” Ford said.
“Yes, and I’m shocked she’s so willing to flirt with you,” Kira responded. “It’s her bedtime, but Chet wanted me to keep her up so you could see her.”
“She’s beautiful.” So was Kira. Chet’s wife had long, silky black hair that fell straight down her back, smooth, unblemished skin and dark eyes. From what he could tell, she wasn’t wearing any makeup. She didn’t need any.
“Wethink so,” Kira said. “It’s nice to finally meet you, by the way. Chet has told me so much about you.”
“Chet and I had some fun together back in the day.”
“We sure did.” Chet’s voice boomed through the house as he came to stand behind his wife at the door. “I hope you’re hungry, brother.”
“You know me,” Ford said. “I never met a meal I didn’t like.”
Kira waved Kenzie’s little fist. “Say goodbye to Uncle Ford. I’m going to put her down,” she told Chet. “I’ll join you boys in a minute.”
