No one complained. It was an odd meal, Meg reflected, watching her family eat. Back in the day there had been a rule in the household that one did not discuss anything at the dinner table that might upset one’s digestion. Murder would certainly be on that list, not that it had ever been a remote possibility. At some point the conversation landed on Seth’s occupation as a safe topic. “You took over your father’s business, didn’t you, Seth?” Meg’s father fired the first shot across the bow. “I did. He was a plumber, but he passed away at a fairly young age. I was just finishing college, but somebody had to pay the bills, so I stepped up.” Meg thought about speaking out in defense of plumbers—a noble and useful profession—but decided to let Seth fight his own battles. He seemed comfortable enough, and she knew that whatever issues he might have had with his occupation, he had long since come to terms with them.
