Still, Ben had started out a skeptic the first time he’d enlisted my help, and he continued walking a jagged line between acceptance and doubt. At the moment, his path was obviously veering deeply into the belief side of the two, if for no other reason than to help him make sense out of tragedy. Of course, that was something we all had a tendency to do when faced with realities we weren’t sure we wanted to accept.

“Did Carl even know about Constance?” I asked.

“I dunno…” he shook his head. “Prob’ly not. I didn’t even know what was happenin’ with him until Mona called my cell, and he was already gone by then. But that’s not the point. What about some kinda divine intervention or somethin’?”

“I know that’s how it might look on the surface,” I told him. “Believe me, I’m not denying that at all. But we all know that looks can be deceiving. Maybe I’m wrong in this case, but not everything that happens is being influenced by some ethereal cosmic force. Sometimes a coincidence is just that, Ben. A coincidence.”

“You’re the last person on earth I’d expect ta’ say somethin’ like that, Row.”

“Yeah, I know. It does sound kind of strange coming from me, doesn’t it?”

“Uh-huh… Well, maybe you’re right, but that don’t make it any less weird-ass fucked up. Know what I mean?”

I let out my own sigh then hung my head and contemplated the asphalt surface of the pathway. “I’ll give you that.”

When I looked up again he was still frowning and massaging his neck. After a moment he let his hand drop then glanced at his watch again. Casting another gaze over his shoulder at the access road, he sighed, “Looks like it’s startin’ ta’ break up a bit. Should be in good shape in a minute or two.”