Chapter 14: A New Wrinkle

Jack sat at the kitchen table eating an early dinner and realized how quiet the house was without Sue. It was strange, because after all he was used to the quietness of living alone. It hadn't taken him long to grow accustomed to living with another person, though. He was starting to take comfort in having her there with him. And now that his feelings for Sue had deepened, all he wanted was to spend every moment with her. Levi padded over to Jack, laying his head on Jack's knee.

"You missin' Sue too, Levi? Or do you just need to go outside?" Levi wagged his tail in response and Jack scratched his ears. "Just let me finish eating first, buddy." Levi whined a little and sat down on the floor beside Jack.

Ten minutes later, the two left the house. Maura, the elderly woman who lived two doors down, was outside tending to her roses and gave Jack a friendly wave as he and Levi walked by. Jack gave her a smile and a wave and was about to continue on his way when Maura called out to him.

"How are you liking the neighborhood so far?" Maura asked him kindly. She was a slightly frail looking woman with silvery white hair that she wore pulled back into a braid.

"It's really great. I think we made the right decision moving here," Jack answered with a smile.

"Well, it's nice to have you here. You and your wife are such a lovely young couple. Where is she tonight?" Maura asked.

"Oh, she's out shoe-shopping with a friend," Jack replied, chuckling.

"Ah. Well, she's lucky to have a husband like you. You seem very accommodating," Maura said with a wistful smile. "My late husband, Bill, was like that. He passed away years ago now."

"I'm sorry," Jack said, feeling slightly awkward having her share such private information with him.

"Oh, don't be," Maura insisted gently. "We had many happy years together before it was time for him to go. I hope you and Sue enjoy your lives together as much as we did."

"Well, we're sure going to try," Jack replied.

"So, have you met many of the neighbors yet?" Maura inquired, as she continued to carefully cut dead roses off the bush.

"Well, besides you, we've also met Sam and Mary. We had dinner with them just last night, actually," Jack told her.

"Oh yes, Sam and Mary. They're interesting people to get to know," Maura said thoughtfully. "I remember when they moved in here with those boys. They were an unruly pair."

"Boys can be that way," Jack commented. "I was a bit of a troublemaker myself," he admitted with a grin.

"Looking into those eyes of yours, I don't doubt it," Maura chuckled. "It was different with the Ryan boys, though. They were troubled from birth, I think."

"Were they really that bad?" Jack asked. Maura nodded emphatically.

"Mary used to tell me that she thought it was her fault the boys had turned out the way they did. All she had tried to do was rescue them but she said that they must have been too far gone." Jack looked at Maura quizzically, trying to make sense of what she was telling him.

"Wait, trying to rescue them from what?" Jack asked her.

"From their birth parents," Maura explained. "They were born into an abusive family and the Ryan's adopted them when Kyle was three and Kevin was just over a year old." Jack was floored but did his best not to reveal that to Maura. How could Sam and Mary have left out this minor detail, considering what he and Sue had told them?

"Maura! Jack! Hello!" Jack looked over and saw Mary waving at them from her front porch. A look of something almost resembling fear appeared in Maura's eyes, and she waved at Mary before turning her back on Jack and continuing to tend to her roses. Jack got the distinct impression that their conversation had come to an end.

Jack waved to her and watched as Mary opened the gate at the entrance of Maura's yard and approached them. "Hi Jack, it's a nice evening for a walk," Mary said pleasantly. Jack nodded in agreement. "So, tell me, did you call the agency to set up an interview?"

"We did and we're going in first thing tomorrow morning," Jack confirmed, smiling at Mary.

"I'm so glad, Jack. I wish you and Sue the best of luck, although I'm sure you won't need it," Mary said confidently, before turning her attention to Maura.

"Maura, why don't you come over and join Sam and I for dinner?" It seemed to Jack as more of an order than a request and Maura nodded, taking off her gardening gloves.

"Just let me go and put my gardening things away, and I'll be right over," Maura told her before turning to Jack. "It was nice talking to you Jack. Please give my best to Sue. I'd love to have the two of you over one evening."

"That would be nice," Jack nodded. He watched her hobble away and had to admit that he was itching for the chance to speak with her some more. Their conversation had been very enlightening.

"I'm sorry if she was bothering you," Mary said quietly to Jack once Maura was out of earshot. "Ever since her husband died she hasn't been the same."

"She seemed okay to me," Jack told her. "She said that her husband died years ago."

"It's been less than one year," Mary said, shaking her head sadly. "Since then, the poor dear has been suffering from dementia and can't remember what year it is half the time."

"I had no idea," Jack said sympathetically.

"She gets around okay, but I try to help her out as much as I can. She's like a mother to me and a grandmother to the boys. If her own family would come around more often, I wouldn't feel so responsible for her. The unfortunate fact is, they're too wrapped up in their own lives," Mary said, with a touch of sadness in her voice.

"It's sad when that happens," Jack replied.

"Well, I should get back. I volunteer at a soup kitchen tonight, so I don't have much time to eat before I have to leave," Mary explained.

"Okay. I'm sure we'll talk again soon," Jack told her. Levi jumped to his feet and looked up at Jack eagerly.

"Yes, I'm sure we will. I can't wait to hear how things go at the agency," Mary told him. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Jack replied and continued down the street. His mind was reeling from what he'd heard and he wondered what it meant. He couldn't wait to tell Sue and the rest of the team.