The Baker's Wife by Erin Healy

it drifted closed behind her. Glass under her sneakers made a grinding sound. She tossed the bag into the hollow Dumpster. The boom of it landing resounded in the alley.
    Geoff said, “Front door’s open to you. No need to lurk back here.”
    â€œNo one’s lurking.” Jack pointed upward. “Saw that on my way in. Came back to have a peek.”
    Audrey craned her neck. The window in the upstairs apartments, which they used for storage at present, was missing one of its panes.
    â€œThat must have happened recently,” she said.
    Estrella appeared at the kitchen door and tossed the cat outside. He rushed back in, eluding her outstretched hands.
    â€œWhen was the last time you were up there?” Jack asked.
    Audrey looked at Geoff. “This morning, first thing,” he said.
    â€œI’ll have a look around, see if anything’s missing, damaged.”
    Jack made a move as if to walk into the bakery, but Geoff stepped out and let the door behind him close before Jack reached it.
    â€œNo need. You’ve got more important things to do right now. We’ll take a look when things slow down in here.”
    Jack crossed his arms, still looking upward. “I’d hate to see you two be the victims of a crime, after all you’ve already lost.”
    Audrey held her tongue. If someone had turned her husband’s car into an oil spot on the road and he were missing, she’d be a little cranky too.
    â€œBecause some crimes never see justice, do they, Geoff?”
    â€œSo you’ve said,” Geoff answered. Audrey cringed.
    â€œIt’s a catchy truth,” Jack said. “Thought you might have picked it up and claimed it as your own.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThrowing my words back at me now, are you?” Jack asked.
    Geoff cleared his throat. “I’m not sure what you’re saying.”
    â€œI think we understand each other.”
    â€œNo, I’m afraid we don’t.”
    â€œâ€˜The Lord is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.’ ”
    Audrey shivered at the sound of scripture coming from Jack’s mouth. The words were right, but they sounded backward. A threat to her husband instead of a thanks to God.
    Geoff said, “I can imagine how concerned you are for your wife—”
    â€œNo, you can’t. Don’t suggest that you know what’s on my mind while this conniving, reckless woman stands right next to you.”
    â€œDon’t talk about my wife that way, Jack.”
    â€œDon’t talk about my wife then, unless it’s to tell me where she is.”
    â€œHow could we possibly know?”
    Jack turned his face to the sky and opened his arms. “ ‘Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart, who does his neighbor no wrong, and despises a vile man.’ ” He pointed a finger at Geoff. “You, Plain Geoff, are a vile man. And I have never spoken anything but the truth.”
    Geoff shook his head at Jack’s pointed insult.
    Audrey stepped closer to Jack and laid a hand on his arm. “Tell us what we can do, Jack. How can we help? You came by here for a reason.”
    â€œWhich of your prints am I going to find on the keyboard in my home office? Yours?” He shook off her hand. “Or yours, Geoff?”
    â€œWe’ve never been inside your home,” Audrey said, and a vision of the day she had walked across the Mansfield lawn popped into her mind’s eye.
    â€œCome back inside, Audrey. When he has something more substantive to talk about, he’ll be back, I’m sure.”
    It seemed impossible that she could feel sorry for this man who had made their family suffer so much, but at the moment she believed he was only acting out of his own anxiety. The gray smudges under his eyes seemed