Jimmy Revels broke my heart? This strange lament stops me cold. For a moment I wonder if Henry is telling me he’s gay, but he reads my mind and snaps this delusion with a laugh. “No, not like that. But we don’t have time to go into that story. Did you tell Shad Johnson I made a copy of what was on that hard drive?”

“No. I promised you I wouldn’t, and I keep my promises.”

“Thank you. I need favors from Shad from time to time.”

“Has he helped you in the past?”

“No. But he’s all I’ve got to work with over there right now.”

“My fiancée would tell you you’ve got nothing, then.”

Henry looks strangely uncomfortable.

“Do you know Caitlin?”

“I’ve met her a couple of times,” he says quietly.

His tone doesn’t sound favorable. “But?”

“Well …” He looks at the floor between us. “She’s big-time, you know? Pulitzer Prize and everything. I just work for a little weekly paper.”

“Don’t underestimate what you’re doing, Henry. I’ve heard Caitlin compliment your stories many times. She has tremendous respect for you.”

He actually blushes at this. “I appreciate that.”

Henry probably thinks I’m just being polite, but the truth is, Caitlin has sounded almost jealous when she’s mentioned Henry’s work. I’ve occasionally wondered whether she’s followed up some of the leads he’s unearthed, without telling me about it. Maybe that’s what Henry’s worried about. He doesn’t want to reveal hard-won information to me, when it might wind up in Caitlin’s hands an hour later.

“Henry, let me put your mind at rest about something. Caitlin Masters is no threat to you—not through me. She and I keep a high wall between our careers. We have to. You may find that difficult to believe, but as Natchez’s mayor and her one newspaper publisher, we’ve been through enough conflict-of-interest situations that we’ve learned to compartmentalize. And that arrangement has been tested, believe me. It’s caused serious stress in our relationship. But we’ve stuck to it. Nothing you tell me will get to Caitlin. Okay? Not without your permission.”

Henry sighs with obvious relief. “I appreciate it.”

“So, tell me why you called me.”

Henry raises the National into playing position again, almost like it’s a shield. “Penn, do you believe your daddy killed Viola?”

“Are we alone in this building?”

“We are now.”

“And we’re off the record?”

“You’re not even here, brother.”