August 14, Wednesday

I WAS writing in the graveyard when I heard a car arrive. I looked up to see a dark sedan that seemed familiar, but I couldn't place it until a tall man with wide shoulders emerged.

The cop from Atlanta was back.

He closed his car door, then shrugged into a sport coat despite the stifling heat. His long legs carried him through the gate and into the cemetery in only a few strides. He was carrying a bouquet of fresh flowers and had reached the grave of Serena Benson before he noticed me.

"Hello," he said with a nod.

"Hello." I bent back to my notebook but watched him under my lashes.

The big man reached over to touch the headstone and briefly closed his eyes. Then he knelt to lay the bouquet of flowers on the base of the headstone. He pulled out a handkerchief to wipe off the gravestone, then leaned over to pull a few weeds.

I felt compelled to offer, "We're in between groundskeepers, so it's not as tidy as usual."

"That's okay. Are you the caretaker?"

I smiled. "I'm staying at The Whisper House, and to my surprise, the graveyard came with it."

"Ah."

"Are you a relative?"

"Hm?"

I pointed at the gravestone. "Of Serena's?"

"Oh." He sighed. "No. Just a friend."

"I saw you here before. You must have cared for her a great deal."

He nodded. "I did. It was a long time ago, but I can't forget her."

I closed my notebook. "How did she die? If you don't mind me asking. I've been trying to find out more about everyone who's buried here."

"I don't mind," he said, but his brow furrowed with grief. "She was murdered by a home intruder."

I gasped. "How horrible. I'm so sorry."

"Thanks. Me too."

"Did it happen in Irving?"

"No, in Birmingham. But Serena's family is here."

I nodded. "I've met some of the Bensons. Tilda and her daughters."

"Tilda is Serena's sister."

Although from the slight hesitation, I gathered they weren't close. "I noticed your badge," I said, nodding to the plate at his belt. "Did you work the case?"

"No, I was her… boyfriend. And a cop. We never solved the case." His jaw hardened. " I never solved the case."

"I didn't mean to intrude," I said, pushing to my feet. "I'll give you some privacy."

He nodded, but as I was leaving he said, "What's your name?"

"Josephine Vanguard."

"Nice to meet you, Josephine. I'm Detective Jack Terry." He reached into a pocket, then extended a business card. "If you ever notice anything odd around Serena's grave, would you reach out to me?"

I took the card. "Odd?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, anything out of the ordinary."

"O… kay."

I left the graveyard wondering if Serena shared some of the same family hobbies as the rest of the Bensons.