The road bisected grainfields. Thousands of yellow stalks bowing in the wind, reflecting the fire of the sun. A stone grinding mill slowly came into view, sitting like an island in a golden sea. The sky was freckled with blackbirds sliding through perfumed air.

Straight out of a Wyeth painting, Marge thought. She asked, “What’re they growing here?”

“Looks like rape,” Decker said.

Byron looked up from his lap. “It is rape.”

“Rape?” Marge asked.

“It’s a kind of corn—grain,” Decker said. “My brother’s first wife—no, his second—yeah, it was the second one. She was from Kansas, so that’s where the wedding took place. Grain markets are big out there. Wheat, oats, rape, rye—”

“Just how many wives does your brother have?” Byron asked.

“Only one at the moment,” Decker said. “She happens to be number three. Speaking of family, how many people live over at the Darcy farm?”

It took Byron a long time to respond. When he did, he spoke slowly, clicking off his fingers every time he mentioned a name. There was Pappy and Granny, Luke and Linda. Then there was Sue Beth and B.B., her husband.

Byron said, “Sue Beth is Luke’s older sister.”

He stopped talking. Decker asked if that was the entire family. Byron shook his head no.

“Who else?” Marge asked. She hoped she kept the frustrated tone out of her voice.

Well, there was Luke’s younger sister, Carla, Byron went on to explain. And Earl, the youngest.

“He’s not right in the head,” Byron announced.

“In what way?” Decker asked.

“Just that,” Byron said. “He’s a retard. Nice boy, though. Does his chores without a complaint. Wish my boys were as polite as Earl.”

“How old is he?” Decker asked.

“’Bout twenty-five,” Byron answered.

Decker asked if there were any more people in the household, and Byron answered just the kids. Sue Beth had two, Linda had Katie. Decker added up the total mentally. Twelve people, but nine adults under one roof. And according to Annette Howard, tension between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Nine adults—nine opinions. A potential keg of dynamite.

“Know which of the Darcys went to the bee meeting in Fall Springs?” Marge asked.

Decker raised his eyebrows. Darlene must have told Marge about the Western Beekeepers Association. Margie had done a fine job of extracting information from Darlene. They’d compare notes later.

“I know Pappy and Granny D went down,” Byron said. “And they musta took Earl, ’cause they don’t leave him. I think everyone went except Luke, Linda, and Katie—and Carla. She don’t go nowhere for the business. Girl has no sense of family.”

Marge cleared her throat. A signal to Decker saying that statement could be significant, remember it because we can’t write it at the moment. Decker coughed, and Marge sat back in her seat.

She asked, “What about Sue Beth’s children? They go with the parents?”