“Early? You call five to eight early? We’ve got to do something about those slovenly habits you picked up in New Orleans.”

Skye edged back toward her bedroom. “Okay, okay. What’s up?”

“I came to drive you to the police station. Your dad’s still working on the tires.” May followed closely on Skye’s heels. “What are you wearing?” May was dressed impeccably in navy cotton slacks and a white blouse.

Skye held up the ensemble she had picked out.

May puckered her mouth. “You know, honey, since you’ve gained weight, do you really think you should wear things that are sleeveless and above the knee?”

Skye frowned. About eighteen months ago she had decided to exit from the diet roller coaster. At first she had gained quite a bit of weight, but then she’d reached her setpoint. She exercised regularly and now felt comfortable with who she was.

Ignoring her mother, Skye took the outfit and walked into the bathroom. When she emerged twenty minutes later, she was wearing her original choice, had styled her hair in a French braid, and wore her usual makeup.

May didn’t comment.

Thea grabbed May in a hug as soon as Skye and her mother entered the police station, then drew May behind the counter, sat her down, and began to converse in low tones. Skye was left to find Chief Boyd on her own.

Obviously, Tuesdays were slow days for criminal activity in Scumble River. The building seemed deserted and so quiet that Skye could hear the rustle of paper as she approached the chief’s office.

He looked up as she entered. “Glad you could finally find time in your busy schedule for us.”

Sighing, Skye sat on one of the visitor chairs. “Sorry. I’m sure you don’t want to hear the litany of excuses any more than I want to go through them.”

Chief Boyd made a note in a file and stuck it in a drawer. “You’re right. I’m in a bad mood today and didn’t mean to take it out on you. Let’s start over.”

She wiggled, trying to get comfortable in the cracked leather seat. “Thanks. How come you’re in a bad mood? I hope it’s not because I insisted on an autopsy for my grandmother.”

“No, personal problems.” His face closed and he lost all expression.

Skye knew he and his wife, Darleen, had been having difficulties with their marriage for the last year or so, but she thought things had gotten better. “I know how tough that can be. Maybe you both should talk to a counselor.”

“Are you volunteering your services as a psychologist?” He raised an eyebrow.

Blushing, Skye shook her head. “No. I’m only qualified to work with children and their parents. But I could give you a name of a very good therapist who specializes in couples.”

He moved around the desk and sat on the edge. His knees were a fraction of an inch from hers. “I thought maybe you couldn’t take the case because you were too close to the people involved.”

Turning a deeper shade of red, Skye tried to find the words to answer him. “Well, ah, that too. After all, I’ve known you since I was a teenager and I work with Darleen.”

She felt herself getting lost in the depth of his brown eyes. It felt as if something were sitting on her chest. Of all the men she knew, why did this one have to be married?

The sound of a throat being cleared in the doorway stopped her before she could speak.

Skye’s eyes darted in that direction, and she met her mother’s worried gaze. She stood up and turned to May. “Mom, we were, ah, filling out the report about my tires.”

May smiled thinly. “Fine. I’ll help.”

Chief Boyd went back behind his desk and pulled out a partially completed form. “So, Skye, give me a list of all the people you’ve recently infuriated.”

CHAPTER 5

There Was a Crooked Man

The phone was ringing as Skye unlocked the door to her cottage later that morning.

She hesitated, figuring it was either more bad news or one of her relatives calling to yell at her about last night.

Tugging Skye’s arm, May pulled them both into the kitchen. “You’d better hurry and answer the phone before they hang up.”

She sighed, and lifted the receiver. After a few minutes of conversation she said good-bye and turned to her mother. “Great. Just what I needed.”

May held up the dishcloth she had been using to wipe out the sink. “What’s up?”

“I have to go into school.”

“Why? Surely you’re entitled to a personal day off.” May looked around and attacked a spot she noticed on the counter.

“They’re sorry for my loss, but they’ve got an irate parent coming in at one, and Neva Llewellyn wants me there.”

“Couldn’t you say no?” May unplugged the toaster and shook it over the trash can in the corner.

“I suppose so, but after what happened at my last job I need to get sterling references from this one or I can kiss my career good-bye.”

May finished emptying the crumbs from the toaster’s trap and started polishing the chrome. “But what happened in your last school was not your fault. You did the right thing.”

Shrugging, Skye pulled out a chair and sat down. “You know I was right, and I know I was right, but if anyone calls that school system, all they’re going to be told is that I was fired for insubordination.”

Both women were silent as May finished with the toaster and plugged it back in. She finally spoke. “It’s only a little after eleven-thirty now. How about if I take you to lunch and then drop you off at school? Dad and I will bring Grandma’s car there as soon as he finishes with it.”

“That sounds good. I’m sorry you guys have to chauffeur me around. As soon as I get my insurance check, I’ll buy a car.” It was tempting just to give in and let her parents take care of her, but there was no way Skye could stay in Scumble River if she didn’t keep fighting to remain independent.

May stopped cleaning. “Skye, you know we want to make your life easier. We wouldn’t offer if we didn’t enjoy it. We do the same for Vince.”

Skye nodded. It was a fine line between accepting help she needed and insisting on doing things for herself. “Are you going to call Dad?”

“No, he won’t be near a phone. He’ll either be fixing the Buick or in the fields.” May walked into the tiny bathroom across the foyer from the kitchen.

Skye raised her voice to be heard above the running water. “You guys really need to get a cell phone and an answering machine.”

“We’ve been just fine for thirty-five years without any fancy gadgets. Next thing you know you’ll be wanting us to get a computer like Hugo talked Dante into.” May snorted. “To keep updated farm records, my eye. He just wants to play around on that Sinnernet. I heard down at the police station that pictures of naked women just pop up when you turn the machine on.”

Knowing when to end a conversation was an art Skye had picked up early in dealing with her mother. She wasn’t about to begin to explain the Internet to May, let alone pornographic Web sites. “Okay then, let me freshen up and get my briefcase. Where do you want to go to lunch?”

May and Skye slid into a mauve-colored booth. The Feedbag had recently been redecorated, and was now only ten years behind the times.

They picked up the plastic-coated menus and silently studied the multiple pages. After a few minutes Skye closed hers, but May continued to contemplate the choices.

“What are you having, Mom?”

“I don’t know. There’s too much to pick from.” May flipped the pages frantically and tears started trickling down her cheeks.

Skye plucked the menu from her mom’s hands. “You’ve had a lot to deal with in the last twenty-four hours. You don’t have to carry on as if nothing has happened.”

Her mother’s quiet weeping turned into sobs.

“It’s okay to cry.” Skye scooted around the booth to sit beside May. She put her arms around her mother. “You and Grandma were very close and her death is a shock to all of us.”