His answer made my breath catch in my throat.

“Did you know my husband, Brandon?” I asked urgently.

“I met with Brandon twice,” Samuel said.

“He came to see me because he was looking into that serious drainage problem on the north bend.”

“What did he want to know from you?” I pressed.

“He wanted to confirm whether the county had actually done the required repairs on that culvert,” Samuel said.

“Had the repairs actually been done?” I asked, my heart racing.