these days. Our divorce wasn’t exactly amicable, if you know what I mean.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said, “and I’m sorrier I brought it up.”
“Don’t be. You didn’t know.” She paused before forming a lazy smile. “Or did you?” she asked.
Brenda’s eyes widened. “No, I didn’t know.”
Sarah looked at her expectantly.
“Really,” Brenda said again.
“Nothing?”
Brenda shifted slightly in her seat. “Well, maybe I did hear a couple of things,” she admitted sheepishly, and Sarah laughed.
“I thought so. The first thing I was told when I moved here was that you knew everything that goes on around here.”
“I don’t know everything,” Brenda said, feigning indignation. “And despite what you may have heard about me, I don’t repeat everything I do know. If someone tells me to keep something to myself, I do.” She tapped her ear with her finger and lowered her voice. “I know things about people that would make your head spin around like you’re in dire need of an exorcism,” she said, “but if it’s said in confidence, I keep it that way.”
“Are you saying this so I’ll trust you?”
“Of course,” she said. She glanced around, then leaned across the table. “Now dish up.”
Sarah grinned and Brenda waved a hand as she went on. “I’m kidding, of course. And in the future—since we do work together—keep in mind that I won’t get my feelings hurt if you tell me I’ve gone too far. Sometimes I blurt out questions without really thinking, but I don’t do it to hurt people. I really don’t.”
“Fair enough,” Sarah said, satisfied.
Brenda picked up her sandwich. “And since you’re new in town and we don’t know each other that well, I won’t ask anything that might seem too personal.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Besides, it’s not really my business anyway.”
“Right.”
Brenda paused before taking a bite. “But if you have any questions about anyone, feel free to ask.”
“Okay,” Sarah said easily.
“I mean, I know how it is to be new in town and feel like you’re on the outside looking in.”
“I’m sure you do.”
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
“So . . .” Brenda drew out the syllable expectantly.
“So . . .” Sarah said in response, knowing exactly what Brenda wanted.
Again there was a period of silence.
“So ... do you have any questions about ... anyone?” Brenda prodded.
“Mmm . . . ,” Sarah said, appearing to think it over. Then, shaking her head, she answered: “Not really.”
“Oh,” Brenda said, unable to hide her disappointment.
Sarah smiled at Brenda’s attempt at subtlety.
“Well, maybe there is one person I’d like to ask you about,” she offered.
Brenda’s face lit up. “Now we’re talking,” she said quickly. “What would you like to know?”
“Well, I’ve been wondering about.. .” She paused, trailing off, and Brenda looked at her like a child unwrapping a Christmas gift.
“Yes?” she whispered, sounding almost desperate.
“Well . . .” Sarah looked around. “What can you tell me about ... Bob Bostrum?”
Brenda’s jaw dropped. “Bob ... the janitor?”
Sarah nodded. “He’s sort of cute.”
“He’s seventy-four years old,” Brenda said, thunderstruck.
“Is he married?” Sarah asked.
“He’s been married for fifty years. He’s got nine kids.”
“Oh, that’s a shame,” Sarah said. Brenda was staring wide-eyed at her, and Sarah shook her head. After a moment, she looked up and met Brenda’s gaze with a twinkle in her eye. “Well, I guess that leaves Miles Ryan, then. What can you tell me about him?”
It took a moment for the words to sink in, and Brenda looked Sarah over carefully. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you were teasing me.”
Sarah winked. “You don’t have to know me better: I admit it. Teasing people is one of my weaknesses.”
“And you’re good at it.” Brenda paused for a moment before smiling. “But now, while we’re on the subject of Miles Ryan ... I hear that you two have been seeing quite a bit of each other. Not only after school, but on the weekend, too.”
“You know I’ve been working with Jonah, and he asked me to come out to watch him play soccer.”
“Nothing more than that?”
When Sarah didn’t answer right away, Brenda went on, this time with a knowing look.
“All right ... about Miles. He lost his wife a couple of years back in a car accident. Hit-and-run. It was the saddest thing I’ve ever seen. He really loved her, and for a long time afterwards, he just wasn’t himself. She was his high school sweetheart.” Brenda paused and set her sandwich off to the side. “The driver got away.”