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“No, you’re not.”

She just laughed as he lifted his own fork, but after they both took another few bites, Toni suddenly grew serious again. “I almost forgot to tell you. Speaking of Tyler’s employees, I saw the guy who broke into the store today. Zach Walsh. He was standing by the bank while Alessandra and I were eating at Le Trousseau. It was a bit creepy.”

Lawrence had heard he’d been released, not surprising since the Walsh family had deep roots in this town. He’d discovered that the man’s great-great-grandfather had actually been the mayor of Stone Haven.

“What do you mean . . . creepy?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, he was just kind of . . . staring.”

Lawrence made a mental note to run into Mr. Walsh now that he was confident the man couldn’t identify him from that night.

“Do you think Tyler put him up to it?” she asked.

“It’s possible. But when I mentioned the possibility that night at Murphy’s, it would have been difficult for him to feign such a look of surprise. But we can’t rule it out completely.”

He glanced toward the bar. The next time Matt Bowman looked over at them, he would be forced to put a damper on their dinner and have a discussion with him too.

Luckily, they ate without incident. And Lawrence was just about to ask Toni to stay the night when his phone rang. Prepared to dismiss it, he looked at the caller and then at Toni.

“It’s Laria.”

“Take it,” she said.

He answered, excusing himself from the table. He’d barely even gotten out a greeting when his sister’s voice interrupted him.

“I’m sorry to do this to you . . .”

His chest constricted at her tone, one he’d only heard a handful of times in seven centuries.

“We have a bit of a problem.”