“By eight or maybe as late as eight thirty,” she said. “Every now and then someone will linger that late.”

“Close earlier tonight. Please.”

“Klan going to come burn a cross?” She bared her teeth in a smile designed to show the boy, Dillon, that she was joking. Just a little bit. When Joe didn’t smile back, she dropped her own quickly. “Seriously, Joe?” she said.

“Yes. I’ve already talked to Teacher.”

She glanced over at her sleeping son. “Okay.” She nodded. “I’ll close by seven thirty at the latest.”

He was pleased that she didn’t ask more questions. “Seven thirty will be okay,” he said. Sunset wasn’t until eight thirty p.m. or thereabouts, but it would be wise to err on the side of caution. “Dillon, you drove your truck in, right?”

Dillon looked at Joe as though he’d grown another head. Of course, Joe thought. He’s a rural kid. He’s been driving since he was thirteen, probably. Now Joe remembered that Dillon had saved up to buy a secondhand Chevy 4x4, and he kept it as clean and polished as a vehicle in dusty Texas could be. “Of course you did,” Joe said, with an apologetic smile. “When the restaurant closes, please go straight home.” The Braithwaite ranch was ten miles due south of Midnight.

The boy’s face was full of a thousand questions, but Joe knew if he answered one, he’d be there for ten more minutes. He was ready with a credible story. “A customer in the shop told me he’d seen a mountain lion on his property right outside of town. He said it was wounded, might attack people. I think we need to take serious precautions until they track it down.”

That seemed to make sense to Dillon. To forestall any more questions from the boy, Joe nodded at both of them and left. He hesitated once outside, picking up Rasta and scratching the little dog’s head. Rasta was panting but still glad to be outside with his human.

“What now?” Joe said to the dog. He’d just thought of Fiji when he heard her call his name. He looked far past her down the sidewalk and saw Mr. Snuggly sitting on the edge of her yard looking after her. When Fiji came up to him, he saw that her face was tight with anxiety. Though she was wearing a short denim skirt and a tank top, she was flushed and breathing heavily.

“Tonight,” she said. “Something’s happening tonight.”

“Yes. I was just telling Madonna and Teacher to be inside early. I was going to call you.”

“I went over to the chapel with some cookies for the Rev and Diederik. The Rev wouldn’t come to the door, though I know they were in there. There’s only that big ceiling fan in there, no air-conditioning. Silence. And I got a shivery feeling.”