“Not my kids.”

I turned to look at him, eyes wide. “You have kids?”

He grinned. “I’m going to be strict but fair.”

Teo would love his kids to death, and his whole family would be involved in raising them, including a host of cousins who might not share even a smidgen of his DNA. His parents and most of his siblings lived northeast of Seabank, near Lakeland but that wouldn’t stop anybody.

“You should have seen Noelle this morning when she checked under her pillow,” I said. “Wendy missed the excitement. So did Bryce. They should have been the ones to play tooth fairy.”

“It’s possible your sister may miss a lot more.”

“Like Christmas.” I’d been giving the upcoming holiday more than a little thought. “I’m going to have to play Santa, too. And they both have birthdays next week. My mother’s going to throw a party for them. Luckily, nobody can do that better.” I had taken my eyes off the house, but now I glanced back at the roof and no one was there.

I pointed. “Showtime.”

He leaned over to get a better look out my window. “There’s the other guy coming around the house. Not yours.”

The guy coming into view was short, unlike my assailant, with long black hair tied back in a ponytail and a scruffy goatee. I couldn’t believe our luck. He was leaving, and if the other roofer really was the intruder, then we would be alone with him.

Goatee guy got into an old green sedan parked a few car lengths in front of Teo’s SUV and roared away, hip-hop serenading the neighbors.

“And that leaves Jonah,” I said.

“Let’s meet him in front. I’ll get Biz.”

I stepped out, and in a moment Teo and Bismarck were on the sidewalk beside me. We walked to the driveway on the side of the house and waited. Moments later, Jonah came around from the back carrying a ladder on his shoulder. Jonah, the very same guy who had pinned me to the town house porch. Same long nose. Same tanned scruffy cheeks. Same height and weight. He was even wearing what might be the same hoodie.

My knees suddenly felt like rubber. “Fancy meeting you here,” I said loudly enough for him to hear.

He looked surprised but not worried. He hadn’t yet made the connection. “You need something?” Jonah had a strong drawl, with the slow lengthening of vowels I equated with the Deep South. His gaze flicked to Bismarck who was standing at attention next to Teo.

I took a step closer, so he could see me clearly. “Do I look familiar?”

Teo moved up beside me, but he didn’t try to stop me.

Jonah shrugged, the ladder rising into the air and settling down again. “I’m going home, and you’re in my way.”

“Kind of like you were in mine when I tried to get into my house a couple of weeks ago. You know, Kim’s house?”