I tried to see over the counter and onto the computer screen, but I lacked the vertical capacity. “What?”

“No wedding notice.”

“That’s odd?”

“For a town this size, especially back then? You bet. Even kids who got married across the country would have notices in the paper. The parents would do it, just to get the word out about their kids.”

I wasn’t convinced, but now that I had his age, I knew who to talk to next. “Thanks, Camille.” Laying my hand on my heart, I said, “This is my vow to give you whatever scoop there is as soon as I can.”

Soon after that, I was in the library, working at my computer. As soon as I heard footsteps, indicating the presence of a coworker, I jumped out of my chair and hurried to the door. “Donna, do you have a second?”

The slim, gray-haired woman didn’t pause on her way into the break room. “Kelsey just got here. Be with you in three minutes.” And, true to her word, three minutes later she was in my office with two mugs of coffee.

“You are a kindness,” I said, gratefully accepting caffeine for the second time that morning. “I have a nonlibrary question. Do you know Bob Bernier? Brown’s older brother? He’s a few years younger than you.”

“Bob.” She smiled fondly. “Now, that name takes me back. Yes, three years behind me, just far enough to make him a child to me. One of those boys who was good at everything. Was a big success in the air force, if I recall correctly.”

“Do you remember if he ever married?”

Donna thought a moment. “You know, I don’t think he did. Might be hard to find a wife, if you’re career military. All that moving around has to be difficult.”

But I was thinking in a different direction. Why would someone who graduated with a degree in business suddenly go into the air force? Could he have gone into the military in the first place to get away from a marriage—the one between his brother and Lindy? Had he been in love with his brother’s wife back then? And was he still?

*   *   *

Saturday dawned, although the term “dawn” didn’t seem to be an accurate description of the muted light fuzzed with a drizzle of rain and accompanied by a biting wind. I stepped outside the houseboat and immediately stepped back inside to change coats from light windbreaker to a lined shell with a hood.

“Winter is coming,” I said to Eddie, picking up his carrier for a second time. “Good thing you’re already wearing a fur coat.”

All the way to the library and throughout the bookmobile drive time, I wondered how cats and dogs and birds and cows and basically all living creatures outside of humans managed to stay warm in winter and cool in summer.