“It’s Jerry Greenwood. Catch you in the middle of something?”

Caitlin turned off the water. “Just taking a break. Any news?”

“Wondered if you had dinner plans.”

“Technically, yes,” Caitlin said, back in business mode. “But if something’s come up—”

“Oh no, just thought you might, you know, want to grab dinner.”

“Oh.” Caitlin patted herself with a towel. “My friend’s expecting me around seven. Why don’t you join us?”

She gave him the details, then called Lubbers. Mary had no problem with the extra guest.

*   *   *

When the doorbell rang, Mary gave Caitlin the boy-crazy look of a thirteen-year-old, then ran for the door yelling, “Hide the drugs—it’s the cops!”

Caitlin took two glasses of red wine off the kitchen island. “Your wife is hilarious.”

Aaron Gaffney munched a slice of cucumber. “She’s a freak, but she makes me food.”

Greenwood joined the party. He wore a navy-blue sport coat over a white shirt and gray slacks. Two feet behind, Lubbers did a pelvic thrust.

Caitlin handed him one of the glasses. “Drink this. You’re going to need it.”

Mary grabbed a large salad bowl from the counter and led them all into the dining room. “I hope you like vegetables, Detective.”

“Please, call me Jerry,” he said, taking the chair across from Caitlin. “Are you vegetarians?”

Aaron coughed up a bit of water. “Shit, Mary, there’s gonna be more than just the salad, right?”

She started the bowl with Caitlin. “Yes, my caveman lover, there will be more than just salad. I have spinach lasagna—”

“As in no meat?”

Mary smacked him on the head, took her seat. “I made chicken too. This salad is special. All organic, all farm fresh.”

The bowl got to Greenwood, who filled his plate. “Organic, huh? Somewhere local?”

Caitlin jumped in before Mary could mention their adventure. “She wanted to show me that California wasn’t so special.”

“Well, she’s right,” he said, digging into his greens.

Mary launched into matchmaker. “Have you ever lived there, Jerry?”

He looked up with his mouth full, too polite to answer. Caitlin filled the gap. “Detective Greenwood had his big-city time, Mary. New York.”

He smiled, swallowed. “Did I tell you that, Caitlin?”

“Not with your words.”

“Didn’t know you could read so much from my body language.”

Caitlin took a sip of wine but didn’t dare face Mary. Obvious flirting would only fuel the woman’s desire to get her laid. She caught Aaron’s eye instead.

Whether lovingly oblivious or picking up Caitlin’s desperation, the good professor changed the subject. “New York, huh? I taught composition at NYU for four years. How long did you live in the city?”

“More than a decade.”