Boomer’s eyes were sad. “I know what you mean.”

“If you give me a dollar right now, I’ll be your attorney. That means I can’t ever divulge what you tell me. Tell me the secret so it stops eating you alive.”

Boomer fished a dollar out of his pocket and slid it across the table. Then he told him Jeff King’s secret. He watched the color drain out of Pete’s face before he, like Andy, bolted for the men’s room.

When Pete returned, the two men had a hard time looking at one another. “I’ll see you at the pond later, okay?”

“Yeah,” Pete mumbled as he made his way out of the restaurant.

Boomer felt like he was a hundred years old with the weight of the world on his shoulders when he followed Pete out to the parking lot.

The bright sun and the prospect of picnicking with Cady brought a sudden smile to his face. All he had to do was check in at the office, catch up on a few loose ends, and it would be time to meet Cady at his apartment.

On the way to his car he wondered how two weeks as chief of police of Indigo Valley was going to look on his updated résumé.

Cady swished into the kitchen and did what she called her twirly number to gauge the Big Three’s approval. “Do I look enticing and delectable?”

“Oh, baby, on my best day, I never looked as good as you do right now. For some reason I keep saying that over and over. You look like you could break a man’s heart without even trying,” Lola said.

“You smell divine,” Mandy said.

“If I was thirty years younger, I’d give that young buck a run for his money,” Anthony said, leering at her.

“And I’d take you up on it, Anthony. Oh, that all looks wonderful. Boomer is going to be so impressed.”

“Here’s the blanket,” Mandy said, reaching behind her to pluck a folded yellow blanket that looked to be as soft as feathers.

Cady touched it. “Ooohhh,” she grinned. “I like how this feels.”

“I knew you would. Herself here always used to travel with a yellow blanket just like this. Don’t ask me why. It’s one of her deepest, darkest secrets,” Mandy gurgled.

Lola looked embarrassed. “I love the color of yellow. It’s bright and warm, not to mention inviting, and it’s the same color as gold, and I do love gold. That’s as much of an explanation as you’re going to get.”

“It’ll do.” Cady grinned. “So, do you like this outfit?” she asked, referring to the halter-style dress with the full swinging skirt. “I’m wearing my bathing suit underneath. You know, in case I fall into the pond. I hope it isn’t too cold. Don’t worry, Boomer knows how to swim. He’ll fish me out if I fall in.”

“Someone should take pictures,” Mandy grumbled.

“You’re absolutely right, Mandy, someone should. I’ll stop at the drugstore and pick up one of those disposable cameras. If this is to be a reenactment, it has to be exactly the way it was that day. Amy was snapping away like crazy…. Oh, my God, I just remembered that. Did you hear what I just said? Amy was taking pictures. She used to send them away someplace because she would get a free roll of film when she got the pictures back. She took pictures! I wonder if the others remember that. It’s coming back, it really is. Just a few more pieces of the puzzle. It won’t freeze on me, will it, Lola?” Cady asked anxiously.