His phone buzzes, and his attention goes right to it. “It’s all in the past, though, and people know you’re not your mother,” he says distractedly. He takes a few seconds to type something into his phone, then gives me his focus again. “It probably was Leslie who put those birds there, but let’s not jump to conclusions just yet. It does seem right up her alley, but if you go on some revenge mission, she’ll have you arrested; I guarantee it. She’s practically best friends with the police chief’s wife.” His phone buzzes yet again, and he outwardly winces. “I’m sorry, but I’ve really got to go. Things are falling apart over there.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course. Go. We’ll talk later.”

He reaches out and strokes my cheek with the back of his hand. “Do you want me to come back as soon as I’m done working?”

I lean up to kiss him as an answer, and he returns it. There’s a tenderness to it, our movements slow, our lips soft, our tongues tentative—the physical equivalent of an apology from both of us.

I walk him to the front door, and when he pulls it open, the lingering stench of dead birds wafts into the cottage. I put a hand over my mouth. “I’d better take care of that right away.” He shoots me a look of sympathy and then slides through the door, shutting it fast behind him.

What I want to do as soon as Ezra leaves is start scavenging the island for dead animals to leave on Leslie Swann’s cottage porch, but I think it’s best to heed Ezra’s warning about her having me arrested. I also can’t help but wonder, after everything Ezra just told me, if there might be somebody else who was motivated to defile the front verandah with dead birds. After learning all that I have about my mother since coming back to Avril Island, I wouldn’t be surprised if she has a lineup of enemies waiting for the chance to get their revenge.

I decide to call the police. They take down an account of the event and all my information and explain that they can’t really do anything until they speak to animal control. They promise to get back to me once they know the cause of death. The officer I speak to sounds only mildly interested in what I’m saying, and I have to correct him twice when he calls me Jane instead of June. I get off the phone feeling frustrated and annoyed.