I've always wanted to ask him about the lipstick smudge on his collar, but I should rein in my desire to know everything all at once. I'd be able to use that bit of information against him...and Amber!

"The house is dark," I noticed when we returned to Clayland. If not because of the sounds coming from frogs and crickets, the silence would be deafening.

"Most likely a power outage," he replied.

“I’m sure there’s a backup, right? Solar or perhaps a generator set?”

"Don't worry, the power will be restored before midnight," he assured me but I suspected he was just lying to make me feel at ease.

His...