“That’s right! Just like Branson, Missouri, where they put on all those shows. I went there once with one of my husbands. I don’t recall which one. Anyway, I thought you’d want to know that I remembered about Keith.”

“Thanks, Winnie. I’m glad you remembered.”

“So am I. It was bothering me more than a sore tooth. I hate it when I can’t remember something.”

“So do I. How’s Connor’s hand?”

“It’s in a cast and he’s madder than a wet hen that he can’t ride for a couple of weeks. That man lives for horses. Turns out his hand is broken. I told him that when I first saw it, but he didn’t believe me. You know how men are. They just hate to admit that you’re right and they’re wrong. It must be in the genes.”

“You’re probably right.”

“I tell you, Hannah, it takes a bulldozer to push that man into going to the doctor. I finally got fed up and told him I’d fire him if he wouldn’t go.”

Hannah was curious. “Would you really have fired him?”

“I don’t know. And I’ll never know because he went. Diablo really did a number on him, Hannah. Connor blames the storm that came up that morning. He thinks the lightning spooked him, but I think Diablo is just plain crazy. ”

“That’s too bad about Connor’s hand.”

“No, it’s not. I got him doing left-handed things around the house. He’s painting the living room right now and complaining like crazy about having to use the roller in his left hand. You should hear him. He keeps muttering about not being able to wear his ring and that silly copper bracelet he swears is good for his arthritis.” There was a pause and then Winnie spoke again. “Say, Hannah? I just thought of something. How did you know that boy’s last name was Branson?”

“Mike checked with a friend of his at the Minneapolis Police Department, and some members of the vice squad recognized him. Keith Branson was a pimp in the Cities.”

Winnie laughed. “So Grandma Knudson was right! I bet that tickled her pink. But I guess it figures, now that I think about it. He was a real good-looking boy and he was trouble from the git-go. He used to sneak off to the swimming hole every afternoon to hang around with the local kids. Now that I know how he turned out, it makes me wonder if he was selling them dope or something like that.”