KING’S BAY METROPOLITAN INN

Inside the restaurant, other couples have joined the newlyweds for some dancing. Brent Taylor, however, is not one of the men out there with his wife. He and Molly silently agreed that they had to sit together during dinner, but thankfully they were at the bride and groom’s table, where they were able to deflect attention off themselves. Now that the meal is over, Molly has gone to talk with Lauren and Philip, and Brent remains at their table, sipping on a drink while he listens to Tim and Cassandra chat with Sarah and Graham.

“Everything okay?” Claire Fisher asks as she slips into the empty seat beside him.

Brent considers his answer as he tends to his drink. “You want a pleasant answer? Or an honest one?”

Claire glances momentarily at her ex and Cassandra, long enough to offer a quick greeting, and then focuses on Brent again. “I figured today wouldn’t be easy for you or Molly.”

“I don’t think I realized how hard it would be. But it’s bringing back all these memories, which would be great except there’s no solution to our problems, you know?”

“I know.” She sighs empathetically. “There could be a solution. As soon as we figure out...”

He nods, but he interrupts himself as something new springs to life in his eyes. “I need to tell you something. Come here.” He leads her away from the table--the others notice them leaving but don’t say anything--toward the edge of the dance floor.

“What’s wrong?” Claire asks.

“Molly went on a business trip with Philip Ragan,” he says. “That photographer--”

“Lauren’s date?”

“Yeah. He’s been shooting Objection’s campaigns. They were on the East Coast for business, and somehow she wound up visiting his mother with him.”

“I’m sorry.”

He appreciates her skipping a lot of painful steps for him to explain, but there is even more to tell here. “It isn’t just that. She says it’s friendly, and--I guess I have to trust her on that. But she was writing a thank-you note to his mother, and...” He knows how ridiculous it sounds to treat this like some grand revelation, but it is too striking to ignore. “Her name is Loretta.”

Claire absorbs that quietly. He can see her turning it over in her head, weighing the probability against the sheer insanity of the coincidence. “It isn’t that uncommon a name...”

“I know. But--her name is Loretta, she’s from New England, she’s wealthy. And her son somehow wound up mixed up with this family. Maybe it isn’t that big a leap.”

“Maybe,” she grants, though he can tell she is less than fully onboard. “It couldn’t hurt to look into it.”

“No. And I’m going to do just that.” As he watches his wife across the room, chatting comfortably with Philip, Brent’s resolve solidifies. “If there is any connection between the Ragans and Nick Moriani, I’m going to find out.”

One . Two . Three . Four . Five . Six . Seven