There had always been rumors bout Liliane’s mama, S. Bliss, but I never paid that no mind. S. Bliss was nice to me, helping me feel at ease when some big shindig was goin’ on. But Liliane braced up real rigid now when anybody referred to her mama, like she was too scared to remember that her mama’d died. All the photos in Liliane’s part of the house were of S. Bliss and Liliane picking berries, riding horses, comin’ out of church, beamin’ at fancy restaurants in foreign places. S. Bliss and Liliane diving from cliffs in Acapulco like any hungry young Mexican boy. Then there were the shots of Liliane and her beloved “daddy” at banquets in his honor, Police Athletic League affairs, and snazzy cocktail parties where Liliane looked more like her daddy’s date than his daughter. But you know, it must’ve been real hard for the Judge and Liliane to come to terms with her mama’s death when there was no body to bury or ashes to cherish. It was really awful, you know, tryin’ to comfort a girl who doesn’t let on that she’s hurtin’.

Rose Lynne decided we should call Granville Simeon, like it was her business. Shit, Liliane had let the whole world know that Granville Simeon was hers. He let her know it too, when he insisted that the rest of us get off the extensions, so we couldn’t hear what they were sayin’. Hyacinthe teased Liliane that her brother, Sawyer, better not ever hear of a liaison tween her, Liliane, and Granville. Hyacinthe said Sawyer would just as soon cut her face as imagine his Liliane with some no-count West Indian. Lollie suggested immediately that we look at the all-night movies, there was no need for threats and such from boys who weren’t really even there with us. I agreed, I didn’t like the sounds of these guys’ voices, let alone what they were sayin’. Didn’t anybody know you didn’t haveta let any man talk like he owned you, like we owed them something. For what? So, I could say Sawyer Malveaux thought I was good enough to grace his telephone presence, let alone his actual company.