Rob squirmed and nodded. I found myself thinking, not for the first time, that if Michael had gone in for law school instead of drama school, he’d have made a first-class prosecutor. And that the chief might want to check up on the Shiffley who’d delivered our duck.

“It sounds so terrible the way you put it,” Rob said.

“How can you be so sure he was a Shiffley?” I asked.

“He looked like a Shiffley,” Rob said. “And besides, I saw him helping build the stage at Trinity.”

“So maybe he was just working for the Shiffley Construction Company.”

“Do all their employees call Randall ‘Uncle Randall’?”

I pulled out my cell phone and hit one of my speed dial buttons. Randall Shiffley answered his phone on the first ring.

“What’s up?” he said. “Any new schedule changes?”

“Do you have any idea which of your many relatives would have sold my brother a fresh duck last night?”

A pause.

“Was there something wrong with the duck?” he asked finally.

“The duck is just fine,” I said. “In perfect health, in fact; he arrived here still alive. And the twins met him, and the newly christened Ducky Lucky will soon be an exhibit at Grandfather’s petting zoo rather than the main course of our Christmas dinner.”

Randall sighed.

“The only Shiffley I know of who raises ducks is Quincy, and he wasn’t hanging around the supermarket flogging them last night, that’s for damn sure. I saw him in the hospital this morning and he hadn’t been anywhere. But I think I can figure out who did this. You want a replacement duck or shall I just get Rob his money back?”

“Either would be fine,” I said. “Do you already have a suspicion who did it, or do you just plan to raise Cain with all the family black sheep until one of them confesses? If it helps, Rob thinks the seller was one of the men doing construction at Trinity.”

“I’m going to start with my cousin’s boy Duane, who’s been known to pull stuff like this before—and yes, he was on the crew over at Trinity. Consider the original duck my gift to the Caerphilly Zoo.”

“I’ll have Grandfather send you a receipt for your generous donation,” I said. “Thanks.”

“That works. Someone will drop by with the new ready-to-roast duck tonight.”

“After the boys’ bedtime?”

“You got it.”

“Good!” I said. “And thanks.”

We both hung up.

“We’re getting a new duck?” Rob asked.

“Make sure there’s someone here to receive it tonight,” I said. “And can someone figure out what’s French for ‘Peking duck’ and explain to Michael’s mother why we all have to call it that when the boys are around.”

Dad pulled out his iPhone.

“I’m going to check on the sewing bee,” Mother said.

“Lunch in a few minutes,” Michael said.