Under the workbook was a folder from the attorney’s office. I’d finished the paperwork last month but hadn’t bothered to put it away.

“But tell me something. Why exactly is Gary back?”

I filled a glass with water.

My phone rang.

Linda.

“I was about to come over,” she said. “But tell me something. Why exactly is Gary back?”

“His girlfriend threw him out. Now he wants to move in with me.”

“Debbie, that’s strange.”

There was a pause.

“Debbie, that’s strange.”

“Which part?”

“Carol told me yesterday that her friend Rachel had just thrown her boyfriend out. She’d caught him changing his stories about their relationship. He’d been telling her he was divorced.”

“Rachel threw hers out, and now Gary shows up because his girlfriend kicked him out.”

Carol was Linda’s sister. She lived two streets away and belonged to a book club with Rachel.

“Lots of men lie about being divorced,” I said.

“I know. But Rachel threw hers out, and now Gary shows up because his girlfriend kicked him out. The timing made me wonder.”

I looked toward the front door.

“You think they’re the same man?”

“That’s why I want to check before we accuse anyone. Keep Gary outside until I call you back.”

“I don’t know. Rachel’s at Carol’s house right now. She went over after the breakup. I’m going to ask Carol for a picture.”

“Linda, this could be a coincidence.”

“Exactly. That’s why I want to check before we accuse anyone. Keep Gary outside until I call you back.”

She hung up.

I stood there holding the water, trying to understand why Linda suddenly sounded concerned rather than amused.

“So, are we going to talk like adults?”

Outside, Gary knocked.

“Deb? You making that water from scratch?”

I opened the door a few inches and handed him the glass.

“Thanks.” He took a drink. “So, are we going to talk like adults?”

“Depends. Are you going to answer a question?”

“How long were you seeing her before you moved out?”

“What question?”

“How long were you seeing her before you moved out?”

Gary twisted the glass between his hands.

“Why dig all that up?”

“Because you’re asking me to pretend it never happened.”

He looked toward Linda’s house.

“I told you, it was a mistake.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

He looked toward Linda’s house.

“Maybe we should go inside.”

“Why?”

“Did you tell your girlfriend we were divorced?”

“Because Linda’s nosy.”

“Linda isn’t even home.”

“Still, I’d like a bit more privacy.”

I watched him take another drink.

“Did you tell your girlfriend we were divorced?”

“I told her we were separated.”

His hand stopped halfway to his mouth.

“What?”

“It’s a simple question.”

“I told her we were separated.”

“Were we?”

“Look, you’re making a big deal out of nothing.”

“Debbie, you know things were difficult.”

“We’re separated, this isn’t some brief spat.”

He set the glass on the porch railing.

“Look, you’re making a big deal out of nothing.”

My phone buzzed.

I read the message twice.

Linda: Carol sent me a picture of Rachel’s boyfriend. It’s Gary. I’m going to pick them up now.

I read the message twice.

Gary was watching me.

“Who keeps texting you?”

“Linda.”

“What does Linda know about her?”

“What’s she saying?”

“She found something interesting.”

“About what?”

“Your girlfriend.”

His expression tightened.

He reached for his suitcase handle, then let go.

“What does Linda know about her?”

“Apparently, more than I do.”

He reached for his suitcase handle, then let go.

“Debbie, let’s just go inside and talk.”

“I think I’d rather stay here.”

For the first time since he’d arrived, he seemed genuinely nervous.

He glanced toward the street.

For the first time since he’d arrived, he seemed genuinely nervous.

A few minutes later, a car pulled into Linda’s driveway.

Linda got out from behind the wheel. A woman climbed from the front passenger seat, her purse strap wound tightly around her wrist. Carol remained in the back.

The woman stopped at the foot of my walkway.

Gary dropped his suitcase handle.

“No,” he said.

The woman stopped at the foot of my walkway.

“Hello, Gary.”

He turned toward me. “What did you do?”

“You told me you’d been divorced for two years.”

“Nothing yet,” I said.

Linda came up to me.

“Debbie, this is Rachel.”

Rachel looked at me, then back at Gary.

“You told me you’d been divorced for two years,” Rachel said.

“He moved out four months ago. We’re still married.”

“I told you the marriage was over.”

“He moved out four months ago,” I said. “We’re still married.”

“You know things were difficult, Debbie.”

“Difficult isn’t divorced.”

Rachel stared at him.

“After we talked, I called Carol.”

“And your name isn’t James.”

I turned to Gary. “James?”

“It’s my middle name,” he muttered.

“You never told me that,” Rachel said.

Linda touched my arm.

I looked at Gary. He was staring at the pavement.

“After we talked, I called Carol. Rachel was right there with her, so Carol asked for a picture and sent it to me. I recognized Gary immediately. That’s when I went to get them.”

I looked at Gary. He was staring at the pavement.

Rachel folded her arms.

“You said you and Debbie only lived together because selling the house would upset your son.”

“He told me your son was seventeen.”