Chloe stopped with her fork halfway to her mouth and turned to stare directly at me.

“The gas burner?”

“I did not turn the stove on today,” I said, keeping my voice as firm and deliberate as I could.

“I ate a cold sandwich at noon and never touched the range.”

“The dial was turned all the way to high, Margaret,” Daniel said, reaching across the tablecloth to place a warm hand over mine.

“It must have been leaking gas for three or four hours before I walked through the door.”

“I am extremely careful about kitchen safety,” I said, pulling my hand back from his to adjust my glasses.