I unfasten my utility belt and drape it over the back of a chair. I want to get out of my uniform and take a shower. But something tells me this is an important moment. I need to stay out here and talk to him. “I’m starving.”

He dries his hands on the towel and then goes to the refrigerator and pulls out a Tupperware container. “How’s it going with identifying those remains?”

I relay the events of the day as I take the container from him. It’s solid ground, and my nerves begin to settle. “I got an odd vibe from Abigail Kline. Like maybe she knew more than she was letting on.”

“You think she’s lying about knowing Nolt?”

“I do.”

“You think she was the girl he was involved with?”

“Maybe. Her age is right. She’s Swartzentruber; he was Mennonite. A relationship would have been a source of conflict for both of them and their families.”

“That fits.” He tosses ice into a glass and runs the tap. “Do you think she had something to do with his death?”

“My gut tells me she didn’t, but … Nolt disappeared thirty years ago. That’s a long time. People change. I need to talk to her again, away from her husband.” I set the container in the microwave to warm it. “Maybe tomorrow.”

“Did you get to the doctor?” he asks casually.

I shake my head. “I was busy.”

“Did you call? Make an appointment?”

“No.”

“Don’t you think you should have made that a priority?”

The muscles at the back of my neck tighten as I open the microwave and pull out the food. I don’t look at him as I pop off the lid, pick up my plate, and take both to the counter. “I was tied up most of the day. A lot on my plate right now with the storm cleanup and now these remains.” I don’t mention the lawsuit filed by the Kesters.

“You can’t put it off, Kate. I mean, you don’t have a lot of time.”

I stop what I’m doing and look at him. “I’ll go. I was just busy today.”

“We need to know if you’re pregnant. Get it confirmed.”

“Tomasetti, it’s been one day since I took the test. Time is not of the essence here.”

He looks at me for a long time before speaking. “We need to know, so we can decide what to do about it.”

The realization of what he’s talking about creeps over me like ice, a glacier rushing down from the north to crush and freeze everything in its path. I stare at him, wanting to be sure, hoping I’m wrong. “What are we talking about here, exactly?” I ask.

“We need to know what we’re dealing with. You can’t stick your head in the sand and hope the problem will go away.”