How long was he going to stare out the window like that?  Sadie wondered.  He had asked about Nathan.  She hadn’t thought about Nathan in years.  It was all a closed or cold case file, she thought.  And isn’t he ever going to speak?

Suddenly, he turned and faced her sideways.  “What lovely roses you have?  My wife would be so envious.  Whatever do you use to fertilize them to get them to grow so full and lush?”

She stared at him, bewildered.  “Huh?”  she asked.  “I’m sorry.  I thought we were talking about Nathan.”

“Ah yes.”  The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small notebook.  “I just wanted to ask you a few questions if you don’t mind.”

“Of course.”  She said softly.  “But, I think I told them everything before.  Has something new come up?  Have you found Nathan?”

“Oh, no no no, nothing like that.  I just wanted to go over what you remember about the last time you saw him.  Can you go over the details again?”

She told him what she had told the detectives the last time.  The man nodded as she laid out the details, his gaze frequently turning to the window again.  What was his fascination with her roses?  Finally, she finished and he flipped the notebook shut, then slipped it back into his pocket.

“I think I have it all” he said.  “Thank you again for your time and patience.”

“But, of course.”  She replied  “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“No.  I should be on my way.”  He stated flatly and turned towards the door.  As he opened the door, he paused and looked again at the garden, then turned back at her.  “The roses, Sadie.  Please tell me what you do to grow such beautiful roses.”

She stood there a moment, confused at the man, then she smiled brightly.  “But, of course.” She responded.  “Its just a simple blood and bone meal mixture my mother gave me the recipe for.”

“Any chance you could be persuaded to share that?”

“Alas, no.  Its been a tightly held secret in my family for generations.  We have actually won numerous awards for our roses.  But, I am sure you could find something similar if you did a search.”

“Of course, I understand.  That’s too bad though.  My wife will be so disappointed. Thank you again for your time.”  And with that, he walked down the path to his car and drove away.

Sadie walked out and strode over to her roses, her hand gently petting one of the luxurious blooms.  She leaned over and took a deep whiff of its intoxicating scent, then a smile formed on her lips.  Mother always said the only thing husbands were good for were fertilizing the roses.

“Good night, Nathan.”  Sadie called behind her as she walked back into the house.  “Sleep well.”