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uninterested female dog. He dragged Megan a few feet away. For a brief moment Megan regretted accepting the invitation, worried there would be too many questions asked about her situation. Then she reminded herself that her life had been splashed all over the news in gory detail, so there was really nothing to be asked.

Twelve
    I stared out the window at the police, the gawkers on shore, the news vans—basically the sheer chaos of it all—and my only thought was, “I need to get to work later, I hope there’s no traffic.” It sounds cold, but if you’d known him, it was quite fitting and quite deserved. I glanced over at the Macks’ house. I could just barely make out Megan’s figure on the deck. I assumed she felt as little about the situation as I did.

    Megan had just over an hour before she had to walk down to her new neighbors’ house for dinner, and she took Dog and a glass of wine down to the dock while it was still light. She’d spent the day zoning out in front of the television, ignoring the activity on the lake. Now the only sign of the earlier commotion was the yellow tarp and police tape, now covering a wider spectrum. A police car was positioned at the shorefront, but there was surprisingly little happening.
    Three people parasailing on the ice skidded over the lake. Megan couldn’t imagine what speed they were moving, but she was sure they’d reach the other side in no time. She enjoyed the crisp sound that traveled up to her from their sails. It was somehow soothing. Even Dog was relaxed as he yawned and leaned against Megan. She scratched his head and rubbed his ears.
    â€œI need to give you a real name until I find your family. It has to be Irish. My family all has—” She stopped. “ Had Irish names. My brother Brendan is alive, but the others …” She sipped her wine and reluctantly welled up. But she quickly regained control and put those feelings back up on a shelf. “Let’s go back inside, pal.”
    Megan reluctantly looked over the water at the house Billie had pointed out, the one next to Vivian’s gatehouse. Which made it the missing judge’s house. She hated the feeling she got staring at the that house. She hated it because her internal compass was moving and pointing straight there. It was the detective hunch she’d learned to hone over the years, which she now shoved onto the same shelf as her family drama.
    That shelf is getting heavy , she thought.

    It was less than a ten-minute walk down to Megan’s new neighbor’s house, for which she was grateful; it started to snow as she approached the front door. Leigh greeted her with a warm smile. “Come in! Let me take your coat.”
    Megan handed Leigh her coat and a bottle of red wine. “I brought this.” The house smelled spectacular. Megan smiled inside thinking, This is not a take-out Chinese kind of night .
    â€œI’ll give you a quick tour.”
    It was interesting to see a different house on the lake other than Chez Mack. Everything here looked state-of-the-art, very modern for a lake house. Leigh explained they had been working on an overhaul for the last sixteen months, renovating the kitchen, bathrooms, and finishing now with the lower level. Just as Megan sat down, she was greeted by the golden retriever she’d met earlier in the day.
    â€œHey, I remember you.” Megan scratched her ears. “I didn’t get your name, pretty lady.”
    Leigh handed Megan a glass of red wine. “This is Lady Sadie.”
    â€œYou must be royalty then, Lady Sadie.”
    â€œShe thinks she is!” Leigh laughed, poured herself a glass of wine, and brought out hors d’oeuvres, then sat down on the couch across from Megan. “Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. Jo just called and she’s on her way home. She just finished her last surgery for the day. She’s a doctor in Morristown, not too far from