“Bring that chewing gum you said you’d bring,” Daniel reminded me.

“And some marbles,” Leon added.

I held up my hand. “Y’all hush up. I already got a headache. I got to leave in a few minutes, and I don’t want to spend the rest of my visit listening to a bunch of bickering and begging.” I rubbed my forehead and let out a loud sigh.

“Boys, y’all go out and play,” Betty Jean ordered, already sliding Jesse off her lap.

“It’s cold out there,” Daniel protested.

“Then go back to your room. I need to talk to Daddy.”

The boys left, grumbling and stomping all the way to their room. When we heard them slam the door, Betty Jean touched my arm. “Baby, what gave you a headache?”

I couldn’t even face her. “Don’t worry about it. It don’t concern you.”

“Yes, it do. You might as well tell me because I’ll badger you until you do.” She chuckled.

As much as I shared with Betty Jean, there was no way I could tell her that I was planning to kill two people. “Baby, it ain’t nothing important.”

I left five minutes later.

* * *

When I got home, I could hear Joyce in the kitchen humming one of the silly ditties she had taught them schoolkids. She done a double take when she came in the living room and seen me sitting on the couch. “Odell, don’t scare me like that. I didn’t expect to see you until later.”

“I wanted to get home before it started raining too hard,” I explained in a bone-weary tone. I had already kicked off my shoes, propped my feet up on the coffee table, and put two throw pillows up under my head. I still didn’t feel comfortable, though. Leading two lives was so tiresome. But the rewards was worth it.

“I’m glad I decided to cook supper early. I just have to make some hush puppies.” Joyce sat down next to me. “I hope you’re not too tired. I was thinking about going next door for a drink or two after we eat.”

“Um, I don’t feel like going over there tonight, baby. I got a headache.” I snorted and rubbed the back of my head. “I’m going to swallow some pills and take it easy.”

“All right, sugar. Do you want me to stay home with you?”

“No, you go on. Tell Milton and Yvonne I’ll see them again in the next few days.” I still had to decide when and how I was going to kill them low-down dogs. I had no idea that Joyce would be the one to come up with the perfect solution. Bless her soul, what she said next made me so dizzy with excitement, I could hardly sit still.