Smoke in Mirrors

himself to believe it because that would have meant he might have been the one responsible for triggering the act.”
    “Nasty stuff.”
    Cassie nodded. “It’s been eating him up inside. But he’s moving past it now. Thanks to you.”
    “I had nothing to do with it. And neither did you or Thomas. Deke is saving himself. When it comes to this kind of thing we can all hold out helping hands to each other, doctors can supply some very helpful medications, but in the end, each of us has to have the will to swim to shore on our own. No one can carry another person. Not for long, at any rate.”
    Cassie made a face. “That’s a very Darwinian view of life, isn’t it?”
    “As the evolutionary biology types are so fond of pointing out, all of us are descended from folks who did whatever they had to do in order to survive.” Leonora paused. “Funny that you would use that phrase, though.”
    “Darwinian?”
    “Yes. Andrew Grayson used it this afternoon to describe life in the academy.”
    “Well, you’ve got to admit that Darwinian is certainly one word for academic politics.”
    “True, but until I talked to Grayson this afternoon, I never took the law of publish or perish quite so literally.”
    “We still don’t know for sure that Kern committed murder.” Cassie broke off abruptly when a shadow fell across the table.
    Leonora followed her gaze.
    “Leo,” Kyle said with a hearty enthusiasm that rang painfully false. “I’ve been looking for you. Where haveyou been? I called your house several times, but you never answered the phone.”
    “I’ve been busy all day, Kyle.”
    “That so?” He grinned pointedly at Cassie. “Going to introduce me to your friend?”
    “This is Kyle Delling,” Leonora said. “He’s in the English Department at Piercy. Kyle, this is Cassie Murray. She has a yoga studio here in Wing Cove.”
    “A pleasure.” Taking the introduction for an invitation, Kyle slid into the booth. He slipped an arm around Leonora’s shoulders in a cozy, familiar manner. “Just to put you in the picture, Cassie, Leo and I are more than good friends. We used to be engaged.”
    “I see.” Cassie looked at Leonora. “Has he met Thomas?”
    “He met Thomas.” She smiled very sweetly at Kyle. “You remember Thomas, don’t you, Kyle? That man in my kitchen this morning? The one who looked like he’d been in a fight?” She glanced at her watch. “He should be here any minute.”
    Kyle tensed and then promptly removed his arm from her shoulders. He shot to his feet and gave both women a brilliant smile.
    “What’s everyone drinking?” he asked. “I’m buying this round.”
    “Tea,” Leonora murmured. “Thank you.”
    “Water.” Cassie held up the bottle so that he could read the label.
    “Got it. Be right back.” Kyle plunged into the crowd.
    Cassie looked at Leonora.
    “Your ex-fiancé?”
    “Yep.”
    “I’ve got an ex-husband,” Cassie said thoughtfully. “In my experience, exes of any kind don’t tend to hang around unless they’re after something.”

    “He’s after something,” Leonora said.
    “You?”
    “No. He’s seeking a more durable relationship than the one we had.”
    “That would be?”
    “Tenure.”

    He was sweating . Again.
    It had been a near thing on Cliff Drive this evening. He was still jittery from the close call. He paced the front room, thinking about how he had almost lost control and plunged through the guardrail.
    Had Walker gotten a good look at the SUV? Didn’t matter. It was black, just like a hundred other SUVs in town. Luckily, he had remembered to tape the license plate.
    He’d parked the vehicle in the trees out back just in case. He didn’t want Walker to drive past tonight, see it in plain view and maybe start to wonder. Out of sight, out of mind. Maybe.
    The jumpy feeling was really getting to him.
    He glanced at the Rolex. His new client would be here at any minute. He tried to focus on that. She was spectacular. Blond. Great tits. Reminded him a little of Meredith.
    No, don’t think about Meredith. Everything had started to go wrong after Meredith.
    Think about the new client.
    He crossed the room and pulled the black velvet away from the mirror. Had to set the stage.
    This past-lives regression-therapy stuff worked like magic. Once a client was convinced that she had had an affair with a dashing highwayman or a medieval warrior in a previous life, it was only a short step to convincing her that the best way to get