“That night, after finding”—she hated saying the words—“Sydney, there was this man. I’d never seen him before, but he was out here. He asked about a place to eat, but we were closed. A few days later, he came back. He asked about Noah and my husband—I guess he saw the picture near the cash register. He sorta gave me the creeps and I asked him to leave. I didn’t think I would see him again . . .”

“But . . .”

Lane heaved in a breath. “The other night after we talked in the memorial garden, there was someone standing outside the café, looking into the windows.”

Charlie’s expression tightened. “Was it the same guy?”

“I don’t know.” Lane rubbed her arms. “Whoever it was took off before I could get a good look at them.”

“And you haven’t seen him again?”

Lane bit her lip.

“You’ve seen him again?”

“Not exactly. At least I don’t think so. It might’ve been my imagination playing tricks on me. His questions about Noah and Mathias freaked me out so much that I thought I was seeing him around town, but whenever I’d try to get a second look he was gone . . . if he was even there to begin with.”

“And the toothpick?”

If Charlie had any doubts about her sanity, this would be the clincher. “The man was chewing on a toothpick.”

“Come on.” Taking her hand, Charlie pulled her in next to him as they made their way back to the porch. His eyes alert, body rigid—poised and ready to protect.

Lane wondered if her instincts were correct. Had the man returned? If so, why? Back inside, they found Ms. Byrdie filling a bowl with cereal for Noah.

“Charlie!” Noah scrambled off the stool and lunged at Charlie, who immediately scooped up the child into his arms like he’d been doing it all his life. “Where’s Bane?”

“At home, buddy.”

Hearing Charlie call Noah by his nickname stole Lane’s breath. That and the man was still shirtless—hiding a gun somewhere on his body. Lane needed a distraction. Quick. “Noah, you need to eat breakfast if you want to go to Pops’s.”

Ms. Byrdie smiled and handed Noah a spoon. “Did you figure out what the problem was?”

“Something might’ve chewed through the wire,” Lane said, grabbing the attention of both Charlie and Ms. Byrdie with her eyes. They weren’t going to discuss strange men lurking outside their home in front of Noah.

Charlie crossed through the kitchen and into the main room, with Lane and Ms. Byrdie following. “It might have been an animal or it could have been something else.”

“Something else?” Concern drew Ms. Byrdie’s lips into a frown. “Like what?”

“The other day there was someone peering into the windows of the café when it was closed,” Lane said.