SueEllen, honey—Hope you are well and happy. Wish I could say the same for myself. The cancer is spreading, and the pain is something awful. I’ll be glad when it’s over. And that’s why I’m writing to you. You’ve always been my favorite niece, so much more fun than your sister Carolee. And so I’m leaving all my money to you. Close to three million dollars, after taxes. I just wanted you to know, in case Carolee tries to pull any funny business. I wouldn’t put it past her. Lots of love, pussycat, from your Aunt Melanie.

So SueEllen really did have a rich Aunt Melanie. That part of her past was true. But she’d lied about being an only child. She had a sister named Carolee. No wonder she kept it a secret. A sister with a hillbilly accent and dirt between her toes would be an ugly blot on the genteel portrait of her past that SueEllen had so carefully painted.

Had Hal ever found out the truth about SueEllen, I wondered, or did he still think she’d grown up sipping juleps among the magnolia blossoms? Should I let him know about the picture, and spoil his illusions? Yet somehow I didn’t think Hal had many illusions about SueEllen. I was pretty sure he’d stopped loving her a long time ago. He’d probably toss the picture in the trash without a second thought.

But then again, maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe he cared for her more than I thought. Maybe he’d want to have this keepsake from her past. And surely I had to tell him about the letter. What if he was next in line to cash in on that three million dollars?

I tried calling him, but he wasn’t in. Conchi told me that he’d taken the kids for dinner at the In ‘N Out Burger.

“The In ‘N Out Burger? SueEllen’s probably rolling over in her grave.”

“Sí, I know,” Conchi chuckled.

I told her to tell Hal I’d found the picture of SueEllen and her sister, and to please call me when he got in.

Then I hung up and looked around the living room. Shoeboxes were scattered everywhere, like Christmas morning at Imelda Marcos’s house. Oh, well. I’d clean up later. Right now, all I wanted was a nice relaxing soak in the tub. It felt like ages since I’d had one.

I started the water running, and tossed in a handful of strawberry-scented bath salts. Then I turned on the radio to a soothing classical music station, and headed for the kitchen to pour myself a tall cool glass of chardonnay.

I was on my way back to the bathroom when I saw the picture of SueEllen on the coffee table. I decided to bring it in the tub with me. Something about SueEllen in her redneck years fascinated me. By the time I got back to the bathroom, the tub was filled with a lovely mountain of strawberry-scented bubbles. I slipped out of my clothes, and eased myself into the steamy water. Then I took a sip of my wine and sighed with pleasure.