“Was your relationship with the deceased over, Counselor?”

It was becoming clear to Lane.  Lila knew he’d stopped seeing her for another woman.  She just didn’t know who the woman was.

“We weren’t romantically involved any longer, but we stayed in touch for a while after she went to Denver.” He replied. Then, in his head, “Which is what I told you the last time you asked.”  Ben smiled a broad smile that Lane noticed didn’t make it all the way to his eyes.

“Detective, you said you wanted to ask my client some questions.  If I’m the person you want to question, we can do it in the morning at the station.  And I’ll be sure to bring along a colleague.”

The door from the garage opened and the Parker kids bantered their way into the house stopping short when they saw the third person sitting at the table. The Parker boys could only guess the person’s identity, based on the description Jess had given them earlier. Jess of course knew it was Detective Crane.

Lane, again the perfect hostess, introduced her children to the detective.  Hellos were exchanged as Jess put the bags filled with barbecue on the breakfast bar.  Lane smiled.  It was so easy to go overboard with good barbecue.  There was almost enough food to feed a family of four for a month.

She turned to Detective Crane.  “Would you like to join us for dinner?”

Ben couldn’t believe his ears.  What was she thinking? Lane was a person of interest in a murder investigation and Lila was the investigating officer. This wasn’t a social call.  Lane had been friendly with Leawood detective Mickey McGuire last month during the other investigation, but Lila Crane was not Mickey McGuire.  Furthermore, it was just weird.  After all, he’d told Lane about his history with Lila. So now he sat in the kitchen of his best friend and the love of his life, while one of his former girlfriends batted questions about him, he was certain were personal and had nothing to do with the investigation around Carol Anne Woods’ death.

Ben was about to suggest that he walk Lila to her car when he heard her say, “I’d love to stay.”

Lila watched as the Parker family ballet began.  Jake reached into the cabinet, got plates and handed them to Lane.  Jamie grabbed silverware and handed it to Ben.  Jess took the food containers from the bags and placed them on the counter. Jamie opened each container and he and Jess put the food onto the platters and into the bowls that Jake had given to them and then Jess took the food to the table.  The perfect picture of domesticity played before her eyes. In May, Ben had told her that he and Lane were just friends, but clearly he was part of the family.  Just which part of the family, remained to be seen.

Lane’s kitchen had a French country feel to it; and the off white farm table that sat in front of the bay window, looking over the back yard, had seating for six.  Lane and Ben had set the table, and Jess had arranged the food. On the table was a barbecue feast of baby back ribs, beef ribs, chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, onion rings, fried mushrooms, and cheesy corn.

The Parker family and Ben took what appeared to Lila to be assigned seats at the table, with Lane and Ben taking the same seats they had earlier.  Everyone reached to the person next to them to hold hands with Ben taking Lila’s right hand and Lane her left.

Jamie gave the blessing, “Father we come humbly and gratefully before you.  We praise you for your glory and give you thanks for the food before us and for the friends and family seated here.  We ask you to bless this food and all of the hands who brought it to our table from the grower who planted the seeds to those who prepared, boxed and served it. Father we ask you to bless us and keep us. Let your face shine upon us and be gracious to us.  Build a hedge of protection around us, especially Mom.  And Lord, bless and guide Detective Crane and her partner in their pursuit of justice in finding Ms. Woods killer. In Jesus name we pray.”

And everyone said, “Amen.”

Lila felt a little uncomfortable.  “Do you pray before all of your meals or was this a special occasion?”

“I guess it’s a habit. But we’re like everyone else in the world, sometimes we forget,” Lane said, as she and the other Parkers began passing the plates and bowls of food, clockwise, around the table.

“I grew up Catholic,” Lila said, “That wasn’t the habitual blessing I learned.”

Jake laughed. “Jandy’s a little more eloquent than the rest of us, but Wednesday and Saturday are his days to offer the blessing, so it is what it is.”

Jamie smiled. “What it was, was a sincere prayer for us and for you, Detective Crane.  You don’t know our Mother the way we do.  We know she didn’t do this.  You have a job to do, and I was just praying for God to guide you while you do it.  You’re a guest in our home and I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable.”  Lane patted Jamie’s hand.  He had grown into a strong, confident, respectful young man.

Lila looked at Jamie.  “Your brother called you Jandy. I’m usually very good at remembering names.  I thought your name was Jamie.”

Jamie laughed.  “I have so many nick-names, it’s hard for even the family to keep track.  My name is Jamison Andrew which is how Jake gets Jandy.  Jess is the one I have to watch.  She usually calls me Jams, her abbreviation of Jamison; but she might just call out some fruit from which jam can be made and expect me to answer, and she doesn’t care in front of whom she does it.”  He related the day she had dropped him off at school and in front of his fellow football team members and yelled, “Hey, Boysenberry, remember 5:30 right here, don’t be late.”

“When her Irish is up, I’m often whiskey boy.” Everyone but Lila laughed.  “You know, Jameson… Irish whiskey?”

“That’s right, Berry Boy, but remember it’s all done with love.” Jess, who was sitting next to Ben and across from Jamie, said as she tossed an onion ring to land on Jamie’s plate.

“Guys,” Jake said, “You know the rules, no food throwing in front of guests.”

They settled into comfortable meal time conversation.

“Jess, do you have any interesting roles coming up,” Jamie asked.

“I have an episode of The Following coming out soon.  You can all now do six degrees of Kevin Bacon and connect in two instead of four, through Mom’s friend who sang backup on a Reba CD.”

Lila looked at Jess.  “You’re an actress?”

Jess gave a little laugh.  “Yes, I have a SAG card and everything.  My main job is being a student at UCLA.  Being in Los Angeles, I’m able to audition for and take roles that don’t cut into my studies.  I’ve done a couple of commercials and have had minor speaking roles on several of the forensic crime dramas.  My specialty lately seems to be between playing convenience store clerks and dead bodies.  I’m the body on The Following, and as such I did a scene with the star.  I have a role in a Damien Lord movie that’s coming out over Christmas.”

“Speaking of Christmas, shall we talk about plans for the Christmas break,” Lane asked.  With Jake working now, Jess being at school and having acting jobs, and Jamie going to West Point in the summer, this might be their last opportunity to have a family vacation.

Jake looked at Detective Crane.  Christmas was only a few months away and if Jandy’s prayer wasn’t answered soon, there might not be a Christmas vacation.  Jake had gotten a security clearance for his engineering job at Burke and Jones. It was sort of surreal, like being under a microscope.  And weren’t they under a microscope of sorts again?  It wasn’t the same as the federal government conducting a security clearance he had needed to work for the international construction firm, but it was still a microscope, and the female guest at their table was holding it.

After dinner, Ben walked with Detective Crane to their cars and since it was Ben’s habit to go through the garage, it was the route they took.  As they passed through the garage, Lila noticed a set of golf clubs in the corner.  After she got into her car, Ben held the door open and bent down to talk to her.