Sue Beth shook her head. “’Course, it made my ma mad. Carla acting so common. And Linda. It especially weren’t respectable for a married woman to act like.”

“Was Linda playing around, Mrs. Litton?” Marge asked.

Sue Beth reddened. “Well, she said she wasn’t, but my ma thought otherwise, I guess.”

“And what did you think?”

“What did I think?” Sue Beth repeated. “Keep my nose out of it, that’s what I thought.”

Marge paused a moment. Linda and Carly. The “bad” girls. Getting Granny’s dander up. Together in fun, together in death. She wondered if Sue Beth knew exactly where Rolland Mason fit in. At the mention of his name, Sue Beth stiffened. But Marge pressed her on it.

“What can you tell me about him?” she said.

“He was just a fellah that Carla knew.”

Just a fellah? Marge said, “Were he and your sister a steady twosome?”

Sue Beth shook her head, explaining that Carla didn’t have any steady fellahs, although she had lots of guys who liked her. Then Marge asked if Rolland had ever shown any interest in Linda.

Sue Beth stiffened again. “Lots of men showed interest in Linda.”

“Rolland in specific?”

“Maybe.”

“What did Carla think about that?”

“Like I said, Carla didn’t have a special fellah. I don’t think she cared who Rolland paid attention to. I barely knew Rolland myself.”

“Yet you easily identified Rolland at the morgue.”

Sue Beth blushed. After a pause, she admitted that maybe he’d been to the house once or twice. When Marge asked for what reason, Sue Beth slammed her hand down on the hood of Marge’s Honda.

“Just what are you trying to say, Miss Detective!”

Marge didn’t answer. Sue Beth began to cry.

“I’m sorry,” she wept. “I’m sorry I lost my temper.”

“Don’t apologize,” Marge said. “You’re doing fine, Sue Beth. Great, under the circumstances. I know this is very hard for you.”

Sue Beth sobbed. Marge put her notebook away and slipped her arm around her.

“I want to solve this thing. Give you and your parents some peace of mind. But I need help. I need to know all about Rolland Mason as well as your kinfolk. They were all murdered together.”

Sue Beth continued to cry, but softer than before.

Marge said, “Think you can help me out?”

“It’s just so hard!”

“I know it is.” Marge got her another tissue. “You tell me when you’re ready to talk again.”

After a beat, Sue Beth said, “I’m ready now, I guess.”

Marge took out her notebook. “We were talking about Rolland Mason.”

“Yes?”

“Did he and Linda seem close?”