If there still was a Carlos and me later.

Marty smoothed my hair; lifted out a twig. “You look like you slept in the woods, Mace.’’

Since that wasn’t unusual, neither of them questioned my lack of response.

“About Kenny, he’s staying with Henry,’’ Marty said. “After last night’s Wednesday services, they spent hours with Reverend Delilah in the chapel at Abundant Forgiveness.’’

Mama wet her finger with spit, and swiped at what I assumed was a streak of dirt on my face. “Because of Delilah’s history, she has special expertise with cheating husbands,’’ she added.

“What time were they at the chapel?’’ Images tumbled through my mind: A shots-fired car chase; me galloping through the woods, trying to escape an unknown pursuer; my long night on a hard floor at the abandoned ranch.

Marty cocked her head at Mama in a question. Mama took over the narration: “It was late, Henry said. After you and I left the radio station yesterday, Henry and Kenny spent the rest of the day at Henry’s law office. They were planning strategy.’’

Marty added, “Henry had him spend the night, keeping an eye on him. He says our brother-in-law may be guilty of being stupid, but he’s not guilty of murder.’’

I let out a breath I hadn’t even known I was holding. If Henry never let Maddie’s husband out of his sight, Kenny could not have been the person shooting at me. Now, I just had to find out who was.

“According to Henry, all Kenny cares about is getting his wife back,’’ Mama said. “He says he’s never seen a man so full of remorse.’’

Marty toed Teensy out of the doorway. She led the way inside and across Mama’s new plastic carpet runner to the kitchen. It appeared to be completely poop-resistant. I tried not to wince as I sat down. Once we were settled, Sal carried three oversized mugs to the table.

“Coffee’s just brewed,’’ he said. “I figured you girls could use some coffee if we’re going to decide how to keep Kenny out of jail.’’

We began to discuss strategy: Marty would discover as much as she could about Camilla from the library and Camilla’s sister, Prudence. Mama would sift through the useful—and useless—gossip at Hair Today Dyed Tomorrow. Sal would grill some of his cronies at the golf course. I planned to discover who wanted to scare me off the search for the real killer.

The phone on the wall rang. Teensy started yapping. I swiveled to answer the call, and spilled my coffee when I hit my sore knee on the table. Mama jumped up to sop at the caffeinated puddle now dripping onto Marty’s lap.

“It’s Henry,’’ I said, as Sal tried in vain to shush Teensy.

“What the hell’s going on over there, Mace?’’ Henry raised his voice to be heard.

“The usual,’’ I answered.

Mama tried to grab the phone from my hand. “What’s Henry saying?’’

“I’d tell you if I wasn’t having so much trouble hearing him between you yammering and your ridiculous dog yelping.’’

Sal scooped Teensy off the floor, covering the dog’s ears with his bear-sized hands. “Don’t listen to Mace. She’s just a big meanie. Daddy’s widdle boy is not ridiculous, is he?’’

Forget the dog’s ears. Mine were hurting from Sal’s baby talk.

“Sorry. What, Henry?’’ I said into the phone.

“I talked to your fiancé. He wants Kenny to come in for questioning.’’

I thought of Maddie. My stomach clenched. “What’d you say to him?’’

“Say to whom?’’ Marty asked. “Say what to whom?’’

“I said Kenny certainly would come in. He has nothing to hide. I told Carlos I’d be present as counsel, of course.’’

“Tell us what’s going on, Mace,’’ Sal demanded.

I put the mouthpiece aside and told them. “Carlos wants to question Kenny.’’

Marty gasped. Mama nodded. “Been there, done that,’’ she said.

I stepped into the hall, cupped my hand over the phone, and whispered my latest news: The threatening note and my highway adventure.

“I can’t hear a word Mace is saying,’’ Mama griped.

“She’ll tell us when she gets off,’’ Sal tried to appease her.

“Mace always did try to keep secrets,’’ Marty said.

On the phone, Henry said: “Someone’s trying to frame Kenny.’’

“Then why are they chasing me?’’ I asked.

“Who’s chasing you?’’ Mama had stepped into the hall, and was lurking beside me. I plugged my ear with a finger so I could hear Henry’s answer.

“They don’t want you looking into this murder,’’ he said. “Like it or not, cousin, you’ve got a reputation. Kenny’s a convenient suspect. Camilla’s real killer doesn’t want you or anyone else unraveling this particular whodunit.’’

Marty sidled up, tapping on my shoulder. “Ask him what time Kenny’s supposed to be at the police department.’’

I started to repeat the question. “I heard her,’’ Henry said. “Carlos wants to see him today at six o’clock, sharp.’’

“I hope he’s not using the rest of the day to get an arrest warrant,’’ I said.

“Arrested? Did Henry say Kenny’s going to be arrested?’’ Sal shouted from the kitchen.

Mama wailed. The dog howled. Marty went pale and chewed at her lip.

“I better go,’’ I finally said to Henry. “This is exactly how rumors get started.’’

forty-five

A skinny blonde with bad teeth sucked on a cigarette in front of the police department. Her protest sign, message side out, was propped against a scrub pine: No Mercy for Murderers!!

I didn’t recognize her. But there were plenty of people in the crowd I did recognize. I’d made plans to meet up at the station after work with Mama, Marty, and Sal. We wanted to be there to show our support for Kenny when Henry escorted him in to answer Carlos’s questions. From the looks of the crowd, it seemed Kenny would need it.

I spotted D’Vora. When I waved, she ducked her head and got busy fiddling with the clasp of her purse. I crossed over and tapped her on the shoulder. “What are you doing here?’’

“I dunno.’’

“Well, you must have come for some reason.’’

She raised her head. “I heard the cops were going to arrest Kenny for killing Camilla.’’

“That is not true, D’Vora! Carlos only wants to ask him some questions. He may have critical information, since he was among the last people to see her before she was murdered.’’

She fooled with the clasp. Snap. Unsnap.

“But then you knew that, right?’’ I asked.

Snap. Unsnap. Snap. Unsnap. Snap.

I persisted. “How’d you find out Kenny was coming in?’’

“I stopped at Gladys’ today for a take-out coffee. Charlene told me while I was standing at the counter, putting sugar in my cup. Her nephew’s girlfriend’s mama works as a police dispatcher. She said Kenny was probably guilty.’’

D’Vora went back to playing with her purse, while I unraveled the genesis of a ruined reputation. The mother told her daughter, who told her boyfriend, who told his Aunt Charlene, the waitress at Gladys.’ She told D’Vora, and who knows how many other customers. D’Vora buzzed back to Hair Today Dyed Tomorrow, town beehive for gossip. With its usual efficiency, the Himmarshee Hotline went on to convict Kenny hours before he even showed up at the police station.

It didn’t matter that he was appearing voluntarily. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t been charged. The killing of Camilla Law had shaken the community. The community wanted justice—preferably instant justice.

I scanned the crowd of looky-loos, perhaps a few dozen people. I was surprised there weren’t more.

A TV news crew from Orlando had made the trip, drawn south by the scent of sex and violence wrapped up in one scantily clad murder victim. A couple of teenaged girls with blown-out hair and freshly glossed lips waved at the camera. The reporter was interviewing Junior Odom, a hulking man-child in bib overalls and a bare chest. Junior normally spent his days sitting on an overturned milk crate behind the supermarket, playing with a ball of string. Everyone knew he wasn’t right in the head. Why did TV people always gravitate to the one person who was sure to make the town look bad?