JACK'S POV

It was time to have a real conversation with Vera. We hadn’t really talked since that day in the garden, even though we promised to always be honest with each other. After our guests left, the house got quiet. We were alone in the kitchen, washing the dishes. Malone had downed a cup of coffee and gone upstairs. Timothy had left with Hannah’s family. He was already best friends with Tasha.

Half an hour later, as I rinsed the last plate, I finally answered the question Vera had asked earlier. "I went to see Monica’s father to confirm something. You won’t believe what he told me."

She leaned...