“We met him, of course. Several times, actually. It’s my understanding that he doesn’t come out here during the day. Some of the tenants said he’s been here on the weekends and huddles with Mr. Lomax. I have no reason to doubt that, but we’ve never seen him in the flesh. But I did see what I thought was his car. At night going as far back as maybe seven months ago. No one around here drives a Mercedes, so it was natural to assume it was Mr. Meadows’s vehicle. We aren’t able to run a license plate, but I’d stake my life that it was Mr. Meadows’s car.

“The reason I say that is on Fridays I go to Mr. Cricket’s office to pick up our paychecks, and this one time about two months ago, Mr. Cricket asked me to do him a favor, and of course I said yes. He wanted me to deliver a package to Mr. Meadows at his office. He just said he didn’t want to send it by messenger, and I was right there and it was on my way home. I obliged. I’m pretty sure I saw the same Mercedes in the parking lot. I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I think it was the same license plate. Other than that, I don’t know what else I can tell you.”

Maggie looked at Jack and suddenly felt an itch between her shoulder blades. Jack gave an almost imperceptible nod, and she knew instantly that the young man sitting across from her knew or suspected something but wasn’t going to volunteer it unless directly asked. She was trying to figure out how and what to say when Dennis West leaned over the table and asked, “There’s more, isn’t there? What aren’t you saying? Whatever you say stays with us, and there will be no ramifications. In other words, we’re on your side.”

Lionel cleared his throat again and looked around at his friends, who shrugged. “I was taught from early on by my mother that if you don’t have something good to say about someone, don’t say anything. I have opinions like everyone else, of course, but that’s what they are, opinions.”

“Let’s hear them,” Ted said. “Let us judge if it’s important enough to worry about.”