Ed scowled at his cup, not sure what to do with a conversation that seemed at an impasse. Ordinarily he would have asked Ella why she believed what she did, but that would prolong the conversation and he wasn't sure that the topic was a good one--particularly for Leah.
He cleared his throat and tried for a diplomatic middle-ground. "Well, I hope that he's neither..." He lifted his glass as if marking the wish with a salute. Then he took a long sip--letting the amber liquid warm his throat and relax some of the tension the conversation had created in his gut.