Page 58 of Veil of Silence

Nora searched through every conversation they’d had since Austin arrived. She’d told Christian that Austin was Jeff Donnelly’s son, but she had never said he worked for the FBI. She felt certain of it.

So how did he know?

Christian tucked the papers beneath his arm and pushed back from the table. “I’m tired. I’m going upstairs.”

He left before Nora could ask anything else.

She watched him disappear down the hall as Bo scrambled up and trotted after him. The dog stopped at the foot of the stairs, apparently reconsidered the climb, then wandered back into the kitchen.

When Nora turned around, Austin wasn’t watching the staircase. He was watching her.

And the question in his eyes told her he’d caught the same discrepancy.

Austin waited for Christian to finish climbing the stairs, then asked Nora, “Can we talk outside?”

Ruth opened the refrigerator and began taking out ingredients for dinner. “I’ll stay inside in case Christian needs me. I don’t mind.”

“Thank you.” Nora gave her mother a quick hug before following Austin onto the back porch.

The cooling air carried the damp, earthy smell of the woods. Nora pulled the door closed behind them, muffling the sounds of Ruth moving around the kitchen.

Austin leaned one shoulder against the railing. “That assessment bothered you, didn’t it?”

“Not exactly.” Nora looked toward the barn. “I’m glad Christian knows more than we expected. It’s one less thing he has to struggle with.”

“But?”

She gave him a look. “You really like that word.”

“It usually means there’s more.”

She blew out a breath. “There’s always more with Christian.”

“Like what?”

Nora watched the wind stir the trees behind the barn. “He still does strange things at night.”

The statement pulled Austin’s full attention to her. “What kind of things?”

“The first week he was home, Wren found him outside digging near the barn. He wasn’t responding to her. When Mom finally got him to come around, he asked if he’d hurt somebody.”

Austin straightened. “He actually asked her that?”

“Yes.” Nora folded her arms across her chest.

“And since then?”

“It hasn’t been that bad. But I’ve found him awake at two or three in the morning, sitting at the kitchen table with a blank look in his eyes or standing by the back door. Once he was just staring out the window.”

“Does he remember any of it?”

“He says he doesn’t.”

“You don’t sound convinced.”

“I don’t know what I’m convinced of anymore.”

The answer sounded like it had less to do with Christian than with everything Jacob Morgan had taken from her.