Decker whispered back, “He was a bad lover?”

“Oh no!” Annette protested. She sat up. “I didn’t mean that at all. I mean, I don’t know if he was a good lover or a bad lover. She never complained about that. I just meant that I don’t think he was real fertile.”

“But somehow she got pregnant and had Katie.”

“Lord works in funny ways. Look at how long it took Rachel to have a baby.”

Two years ago, Decker would have asked, Rachel who? But now he was well aware that she was referring to the biblical matriarch. He said, “Know if Linda or Luke was being treated for the problem?”

“She never said.”

“Do you happen to know Linda’s doctor?”

“Well, I know who delivered Katie.”

“What’s his name?” Decker asked.

“Doctor Stanford Meecham.” She paused so he could write it down. “He practices in Sun Valley, and he’s in the book.”

“Great.”

The waitress came with the hamburger and fries. She was about to refill Decker’s cup a sixth time, but he placed his hand over the rim and shook his head.

The waitress said, deadpan, “I was wondering how much you could take.”

Decker laughed. He waited until Annette had finished half her meal. Then he asked about Carla.

“What’s there to say?” Annette answered.

“Know of anyone who’d want to hurt her? A jealous boyfriend?”

“Like I said, she had so many boyfriends, I lost track.”

“Did her mother lose track?”

Annette looked confused.

Decker said, “Did her mother seem angry about Carla and Linda? Way I heard it, Granny D is a good Christian woman who doesn’t cotton to sinners.”

“That’s true enough,” Annette said. “Granny D didn’t like Linda, everyone knew that. But you gotta understand Granny D. She was real close to Luke, and I don’t think she would have liked his wife no matter who she was. Granny D is just that type of woman. Her family and no one else. She don’t like B.B. either, you know.”

“What did Granny D think about Carla’s wild behavior?” Decker said.

“I’m sure she blamed it all on Linda,” said Annette.

“And Pappy D?”

“I think Pappy was more upset about Linda talking to the Manfred boys.”

Decker took a drink of ice water, then asked Annette about Byron, if he had any grudge against Luke.

“None I can recall,” Annette said. “Lord, Byron felt guilty as sin for what he did.”

“So Byron wasn’t out to get Luke for Linda’s sake?”

“Not that I know of.”

No new information was turning up. Decker made small talk until Annette finished the last of her pie. Putting his notebook away, he called the waitress over to settle the bill.

“You’ve been a great help, Annette—”

“You can call me Nettie. Everyone else does.”