I coughed on the cigarette smoke. This was news to me. I said, "Ms. Smiley? Didn't like Fritz Korman? Or Vonette? How'd she even know them?"

Schutz said, "Mrs. Korman. Miss Bear. Goldy. Please."

"That's what I mean," continued Arch. "I told you it sounded dumb."

"Do you know what she was mad about?" asked Schulz.

"No."

"When did she tell you she didn't like the Kormans?" Again Arch closed his eyes. "I can't remember. I'm not even sure she was the one who told me."

Investigator Schulz stood up. "Arch, thanks a lot. You've been helpful. I'll give you a card with my number. You keep it in your pocket. If you think of something else, call me."

"My turn?" I asked.

Investigator Schulz looked at me with those penetrating green eyes. An unexpected and unwanted wave of sexual something rolled over me.

Schulz said, "You bet. Just begin by telling me if you saw anything suspicious with the food."

Before I could begin the long explanation about John Richard's tomato allergy, one of the uniformed policemen interrupted us.

"Schulz, you'd better come take a look at this." Tom Schulz stood up and walked out of the kitchen. This reminded me of the many calls John Richard had received at home, always from females in one sort of pain or another, and only rarely, I found out from the hospital, actual patients.

I shook this off and went out to the living room. The guests had left and two fellows, presumably from the Health Department, were labeling everything and packing the containers into boxes. Schulz was in consultation with his man, their voices lowered.

Outside I could hear Patty Sue laughing, so I went to investigate. She was seated on a wooden bench next to the cluster of aspens in Laura's front yard. Next to her was Pomeroy Locraft.

He was grinning. Seeing him with Patty Sue did not make me feel great. Last spring I had dropped several hints that Porn and Arch and I all go out for pizza or a movie after their worktime. Perhaps I was too subtle. Perhaps Porn was dense, uninterested, or both, which was the way he had acted today. Now he was engaged in a lively conversation with Patty Sue. I had the uncomforting thought that she was at least ten years too young for him.

I walked in their direction through the long dry grass, I which the summer heat had burned to gold. Here and there bushes reduced by the fall sun to thorned sticks snared my stockings. Above, fluffs of cloud sailed across a deep blue sky. The air was thick with the sweet mixed smell of decaying aspen leaves and smoke from a wood fire, probably built during the early morning chill. But the day had turned out warm and beautiful, and the calm was disorienting after the turmoil in the house.

"Hi, Mom!" yelled Arch from somewhere I couldn't see.

"Where are you?" I called back.