Page 41 of The Fixer and the Fugitive

“He can take a look at your machinery,” Maybe said, clapping her hands together a few times in delight.

“Oh, I don’t want to bother him,” Celeste said.

“I think he would love it. He enjoys a challenge,” Maybe said. “I’ll send him out sometime, after he gets home. He’ll be in town for a couple of months and is sure to be a bit bored, back with his parents after living the high life in LA.”

“Awesome,” Sam said, saving Celeste a reply, which was good because she had no idea what one should be. It felt like too muchto have a strange boy promised to look at her decrepit machines and try to make them work again. If he could do so, it might change her entire world. Was she ready for that?

“It’s settled then,” Baird said. “In the meantime, you should come out for a meal sometime. Maybe’s too modest to tell you she’s the best cook around.”

“I wouldn’t say that because it’s not true,” Maybe said, but she flushed pleasantly at the compliment. Celeste was glad to see other women had the same embarrassing reaction to nice words sometimes.

“We would love that,” Sam said and Celeste had to tamp down the urge to shoot him another exasperated glare. Why was he speaking for them as if they were actually a couple? Was he that good of an actor or was he that desperate for social interaction with the townsfolk? Maybe both things.

They said goodbye to Maybe and Baird, but before they could get in the car, someone else waylaid them.

“Celeste, wait.”

“Not this guy again,” Celeste muttered, bracing herself for another flow of crazy as she turned and forced a smile for Fletcher Reed, the town Boo Radley.

He was a bit breathless when he finally reached her. He bent over, pressing a hand to his side. “Oh, man. Going to fire my trainer. That fetal monkey growth hormone he injected into me was totally worthless.” He held up a finger. Celeste tossed Sam a pleading look, but he didn’t catch it because he was smiling at Fletcher like he found his shtick adorable and not certifiable.

“Okay,” Fletcher said at last, taking a deep breath as he finally stood upright. “So I was thinking about your orchard.”

“Please don’t,” Celeste blurted. The last thing she needed in her life was another delusional man roaming her property. “That is, please don’t concern yourself on my behalf.”

“It’s no trouble, especially because I think I found a solution.”

“Which is…” she prompted when he remained staring at her with a Cheshire grin, as if she should be able to plumb the depths of his unfathomable brain.

“Jack!” he waved both hands in the air, a jazz hands finale. Celeste couldn’t stop herself from flinching away from him in terror, flattening her back against the SUV.

“Maybe’s son?”

His happy smile dimmed. “Oh, did Maybe already talk to you? I was hoping to impress you with my mechanic connection.”

“Well, I mean, he is her son,” Celeste said.

“Yeah, but mine too. I mean, basically. Almost. Soon. Probably. We think,” Fletcher said, nodding and tapping his temple.

Celeste’s hand began creeping toward her door, trying in vain to open it so she could flee. “Yeah, okay. Well, you take care then.”

“Wait, I wanted to ask you. Did you see Chloe the other night at the diner?”

“You mean the woman you kept frantically pointing to and mouthing,This is Chloe,that woman?”

He nodded, grinning again. “Well…”

“Uh…” Celeste darted a look at Sam who gave her a shrug. “She’s very beautiful.” She was beautiful, proving there was no accounting for taste sometimes. It was sad, really. Her life must be volatile in the extreme, married to someone as unstable as Fletcher apparently was. Not to mention the stigma over being married to the designated town crazy person.

“Yes,” Fletcher said impatiently. “Obviously. She’s gorgeous. But didn’t you notice anything else about her? Didn’t she lookfamiliarsomehow?”

“Uh…” Celeste glanced at Sam again, pleading for help. This time he mouthed,no idea,along with the shrug.

“I mean I guess maybe she looks a little like my former coworker’s roommate’s sister or something?” Celeste tried. Maybe he was one of those people who demanded an answer to every impossible question and would be happy, no matter how nonsensical it was. And when he threw back his head and laughed—hard—she thought that must be it.

“This isfantastic. Wait until I tell her. And Ira. He doesn’t believe me. You’ll have to tell him yourself.”

“Okay, Ira, sure, okay, yes,” Celeste said, nodding in agreement. Anything to keep him calm and happy. Her fingers finally found the door and she yanked it open. “Gotta go, bye.” She opened Sam’s door for him, tugging him hard when he was slow to sit down.

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