Honeymoon

Chapter 36

THE BLUE RIBBON DINER was where. It was a few miles out of town heading east, not far from the Saw Mill River Parkway. The place had that classic, old-time diner look. Square box with chrome accents, a ribbon of windows all around.

Nora found a space off to the side in the parking lot that had a view of the front doors. She glanced at her watch—well past noon.

She’d skipped breakfast and was starving, actually. It didn’t help that she was also downwind from the kitchen exhaust fan. The smell of burgers and all things fried had her rifling through her purse for a half-eaten roll of peppermint Life Savers.

About forty minutes later Craig came strolling out of the diner. As Nora watched, she recorded another impression. He was definitely an attractive man who carried himself well. There was a certain coolness. A confidence. A swagger.

The tailing resumed.

Craig ran a couple of errands and eventually returned to his office. A dozen times during the rest of the afternoon, Nora wanted to call it a day, and a dozen times she talked herself into remaining parked about a block and a half from his building. She was mainly curious about what the night would bring. Does Craig Reynolds have a social life? Is he dating anyone? And where exactly does he call home?

At about six, the answers started to come.

The lights went off at Centennial One Life Insurance, and out walked Craig from the building. However, there would be no bar scene, no big dinner plans, no girlfriend to meet up with. At least, not that night. Instead, he picked up a pizza and drove home.

That’s when Nora discovered that Craig Reynolds was hiding something after all: he wasn’t nearly as well-off as he’d have everyone believe.

By the looks of the place where he lived, he’d clearly put all his money into his car and wardrobe. The apartment in Pleasantville was a run-down unit in the middle of a bunch of other run-down units in what looked like a strip mall of housing. A few white vinyl-sided buildings with black-shuttered windows. A small patio or balcony for each unit. Not exactly impressive. So is Craig paying alimony? Child support? What is his story anyway?

Nora considered hanging outside the Ashford Court Gardens a little while longer. Maybe Craig had plans, only for later.

Or maybe, thought Nora, she was getting delirious from not eating all day. Looking at the pizza box balanced on Craig’s hand had been enough to set off a new round of stomach growling. The peppermint Life Savers were a distant memory. It was time to get some dinner. Maybe the Iron Horse in Pleasantville? Dining alone—how quaint.

She drove off, satisfied with her decision to follow Craig around. She knew that people weren’t always whom they appeared to be. All she had to do was look in the mirror. Which reminded Nora of another of her mantras: Better paranoid than sorry.