Tabula Rasa(62)

It was hard to appreciate the restaurant. I wish I could have. It was warm and cozy with what seemed like endless candles. There were some low lights recessed into the ceiling, but the sheer proliferation of candles made it seem as if the space was lit entirely by candlelight. The food was amazing, authentic. I felt as though I were actually in Italy.

But no matter how nice the atmosphere or how good the food, my mind kept going back to Professor Stevens and the giddy sense in my stomach that finally, finally, something in my life was going to go right. Finally, someone who had hurt me would pay. Finally, there was a man fully in my corner and on my side who was focused on the same dark goal as me.

Neither of us spoke much during dinner. Shannon seemed in his own world, planning this impromptu pro bono job. I didn’t even have to pay him for it. He was clearly set on doing this no matter what. Even through just the course of one dinner, I could see how his energy shifted to this one idea. I wasn’t sure if all of his thoughts were about planning the logistics or if he was also considering my involvement—perhaps running parallel scenarios in his head of how it would go down with just him versus adding me to the mix.

I was surprised when he ordered us dessert. I’d expected, with his current intensity level, that we would eat quickly and leave.

I was sure the other patrons in the small restaurant were looking at us strangely. I wondered if they thought we were in a fight or something. It was extremely odd to be in such an intimate setting sharing a romantic dinner in utter silence. Then I started to worry. Wouldn’t the people of Stoney Oak gossip? This was such a small town after all. Shouldn’t we at least make the pretense of small talk?

But before I could make any real effort in that direction, we’d finished dessert and the check was unobtrusively placed on the table.

“I’ll take that when you’re ready, Mr. Mercer.”

“I’m ready now,” Shannon said, pulling out his wallet and sliding a credit card inside the payment folder.

When the waiter slipped away to process the payment, I noticed a familiar person amble over. It was June from the boutique near Shannon’s house.

“Shannon! I thought that was you! I can’t believe you missed the last town meeting. We were discussing whether or not we should cut down that huge diseased eyesore of a tree in front of the courthouse. The historical shade tree committee was there, and put up quite a fight, but we won in the end. After all, it might be a three hundred year old tree, but it was well past the point of survival, and we all knew it. It would have been nice to have you there. I know you would have been on our side.”

“Absolutely, Mrs. Privet. I hate that tree. It should have been cut down years ago,” Shannon said, his voice soothing and warm. It rang a little hollow to me, but June didn’t seem to notice.

I was certain that Shannon didn’t give a shit about whether or not the tree in front of the courthouse was removed. I was surprised he actually attended Stoney Oak town meetings. It didn’t seem like the kind of thing Shannon would do. But then I remembered how he’d said he wanted to fit in when he was a kid, and I thought maybe there was a part of him that still did. Though, I was sure it wasn’t just that.

All at once his choice to live in a small town began to click together for me. These were the he was such a nice man, I can’t believe he would do that people who always seemed to pop up out of the ether to defend serial killers and other violent criminals. The people of Stoney Oak were an unwitting line of defense for Shannon. Should suspicion ever fall his way, they would instantly leap to his defense as character witnesses and alibis—unwitting accomplices to his illicit jobs.

“I noticed you two weren’t talking much. Everything all right, I hope?” she prodded.

Shannon smiled, a practiced friendly smile. I couldn’t believe he could actually pull this off. Ladies and gentlemen of the academy, give this man an Oscar.

“Everything is wonderful,” Shannon said without missing a beat. “I’m afraid I’m a bit pre-occupied planning our next trip.”

June appeared immediately interested. “Oh? What exotic locale is it this time?”

“Thailand. We’re going to a small village that is in need of clean water and helping with the effort there.”

“That’s just lovely,” June said, clasping her hands to her chest. I thought she might swoon at any moment if someone didn’t show up to catch her. “When do you leave?”

“A few days,” he said.

I wondered where Mr. Privet was. Shannon had given her the married form of address. I wondered if her husband knew how she pined for Shannon.

She turned to me, suddenly, “This one’s a keeper. You hold onto him. I don’t believe I caught your name?”

Smooth. No, I hadn’t told her my name during my earlier visit to the boutique. I imagined she’d already asked half the town trying to gain that information to no avail.

“Elodie,” I said, forcing an artificial smile that didn’t seem to come as naturally to me as it did to Shannon.

Before June could intrude further, the waiter rematerialized with Shannon’s card and receipt. He signed and added a tip, then stood.

“Well, Mrs. Privet, I’ll see you at the next town meeting, after we return from Thailand.”

“I hope you’re bringing Miss...”

Damn, she did not let up.