“Naturally,” I said, my tone wry. “It’s still none of my business, but what do you plan to do?”

“I want to meet Justin,” Godfrey said. “Talk to him, explain the situation. Now that I know, I want to be part of his life.”

Perhaps Justin already knew about his famous biological father, I thought. Julia could have told him recently, knowing that Godfrey was coming to Athena. It had been announced in the local paper a couple of weeks ago.

If Justin knew, that might explain his behavior the past few days. News that his father wasn’t Ezra Wardlaw, but Godfrey Priest, would have come as a huge shock. Poor kid, I thought.

“What is it?” Godfrey stared at me.

“Thinking about Justin, that’s all.” I was not going to share my thoughts on this with Godfrey. Besides, I was only speculating.

“You like him? Think he’s a good kid?” Godfrey sounded so eager, I felt sorry for him. But I was more concerned with Justin’s reactions to all this. Would he be able to cope with another father in his life?

“Yes, I do. He’s a nice, intelligent young man.” Behind me, Diesel added his opinion, emitting a few trills and chirps. He knew whom we were discussing. “He’s a son you can be proud to acknowledge.”

“Thank you, Charlie,” Godfrey said. “You have no idea what that means to me.” He sounded pathetically grateful, and I sympathized.

“When will you talk to him?”

“I’m supposed to meet Julia for lunch,” Godfrey said. He checked his watch. “If she can get away from Misery, that is. I still can’t believe she married that guy.”

“Misery” was an old nickname for Ezra Wardlaw. He was several years older than Godfrey, Julia, and I, and by the time we were in high school, Ezra already had a reputation as a fire-and-brimstone Evangelical preacher.

“I was in Texas by the time they got married,” I said. “The last time we had heard from her, she was dating Rick Tackett and it sounded pretty serious.” I had forgotten about that until now. Funny how things popped back into the memory sometimes.

“Rick Tackett?” Godfrey’s tone was sharp. “How do you know that?”

“We came to spend Christmas with Aunt Dottie around then, and we ran into Julia and Rick somewhere. At the grocery store, I think.” I paused. “You know him?”

“Yeah, I know him,” Godfrey said, but it didn’t sound like he cared much for him.

“Anyway, that’s why I was so surprised when I heard she married Ezra.”

Godfrey stared down at his hands. “Guess that’s my fault. I spent a few months here, about nineteen years ago, doing research for one of my early books. We spent some time together. I’d divorced my first wife, and Julia seemed to be on her own.”

“Seemed to be?”