Page 11 of Murder in the Lighthouse

“It’s our pleasure,” Brogan replied, any lingering doubts about inviting him melted away. “We’re happy to have you. But you should reserve judgment until you do the taste test.”

“We’re glad you could join us,” Lucien chimed in, passing the platter of tamales to Theo. “Brogan whipped this up like a pro.”

Brogan blushed at the compliment as she scooped up the glob of broken tamales and spread them out like a casserole on her plate. “We’ll see about that. You won’t hurt my feelings if it’s awful.”

Theo nodded appreciatively as he took his first bite and savored the flavors. “I don’t know what you’re so worried about. These are delicious. It’s difficult to believe this was your first attempt.”

“I downloaded the simplest recipe I could find,” she confessed, pleased that her efforts had paid off. As they ate and talked, the atmosphere in the dining room became more relaxed and jovial. Stories were shared, laughter filled the air, and it felt like a simple visit with an old friend around a meal, playing catch up.

Neither Brogan nor Lucien mentioned the Heywood case. For one thing, they made eye contact from across the table and didn’t have the heart to break the rhythm of the evening.

After dinner, the trio sat around the table, Brogan sipping a glass of red wine, Lucien enjoying his beer, and Theo draining his Dr. Pepper.

“There’s fresh strawberries and cinnamon ice cream for dessert,” Brogan announced. “We grew the strawberries in our garden last summer.”

“None for me,” Theo said, patting his stomach. “I couldn’t eat another bite. Those were top-rate tamales, restaurant quality.”

“I doubt that, but it’s good of you to say so,” Brogan said with a smile.

“They were excellent,” Lucien told his wife, raising his beer in a toast. “Theo’s right. They tasted like you’d been making them all your life.”

“The secret is getting last-minute advice from Carla Vargas.”

Just then, Theo’s phone beeped with a text message. He glanced at it and sighed. “It’s Eastlyn. I hate to eat and run, but Eastlyn needs me back at the station.”

Theo pushed back his chair and stood up, a look of apology in his eyes. “I’m really sorry to cut our evening short. But duty calls.”

Brogan nodded understandingly. “Of course, don’t worry about it. Work is work.”

Lucien stood as well, offering his hand to Theo. “Thank you for joining us tonight. It was a pleasure getting to know you better.”

Theo shook Lucien’s hand firmly. “Likewise. Thank you for the hospitality and the delicious meal. I’ll have to repay the favor sometime.”

“You’re welcome anytime,” Brogan said with a smile.

With a nod of thanks, Theo excused himself and made his way to the entryway. Brogan and Lucien trailed after him and watched him head out into the night, leaving them standing on the porch. “He seems like a good guy,” Lucien remarked.

She nodded with a wave goodbye toward Theo’s patrol car. “Any specific reason you didn’t ask him about the case?”

He shoved his hands in his pockets against the chilly night air. “I don’t know. It seemed rude to invite him for a meal, watch how he enjoyed himself, and start interrogating him in the middle of dinner.”

“That’s why I love you. Those were my thoughts exactly. I should clean up,” Brogan said, rubbing her arms against the cold. She went back inside.

After locking the front door, Lucien followed Brogan into the kitchen. After rolling up his sleeves, he helped clean up the mess. “If it’s any consolation, the meal was a success.”

“Oh, I know. I don’t feel like the evening was a complete failure because I don’t think we would’ve gotten much information from him even if we’d brought it up. This way, we can get to know him first before making a pest out of ourselves.”

“Take it slow is the plan. He didn’t seem to know any more than we did about Heywood, did he? And I didn’t want to dive into details about how Sam died at the dinner table. Did you?”

“No.”

They worked in comfortable silence, carrying dishes from the dining room into the kitchen and washing pots and pans, each lost in their own thoughts.

It wasn’t until Brogan started the dishwasher that she turned to Lucien with a serious look on her face. “I’ve decided to do some sleuthing on my own regarding the situation with my DNA test. I need to ask myself the tough questions before approaching my grandmother.”

“Meaning?”

“Am I ready to learn the truth, the whole truth, and face the consequences? I do intend to grill Delia when I get the chance. I figure she’s probably known what happened from the beginning. She and my mother were too close not to. But my questions need substance and context. Two things I don’t have yet. But other people might.”

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