It kept going like that as we made our rounds and Grandma filled the grocery cart. Men shook my hand, fierce grabs and squeezes so tight my fingers ached afterward. Ladies curtsied before me, offered their hands for me to kiss. Everyone smiled at us. It was like we were celebrities.

“So sorry to hear about your momma,” said one old man, and his wife nudged him. “That is to say, glad you’ve come to stay with us, despite the circumstances.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “Thanks for saying sorry about my mom.”

The man bowed to me. I mean, he just bent over and lowered his head like I was supposed to bless him or something. I thought Murphy’s eyes were going to pop out of her head the way she stared at me. I didn’t know what to do, so I just bowed back. That seemed to do the trick. His wife smiled at me and yanked him away.

“What a strange man,” I whispered as we turned down the canned goods aisle.

“That’s old Wilmer Jenkins,” said Grandma. “Not a bad fellow, if a bit obsequious. You know what obsequious means?”

“It means he’s a kiss-ass,” said Murphy. “A right regular brownnoser.”

“You are correct, Murphy,” said Grandma. “If vulgar as always.”

Murphy shrugged. “Mom always said to say it like you mean it and call bullshit wherever you see it.”

“Yes,” said Grandma, “that certainly does sound like your mother.”

“What the hell is going on here?” said Murphy. “I mean, who dresses up to buy groceries?”

“Benign is a quaint town,” said Grandma. “Very particular in its ways.”

“This is fucking weird.”

“Language,” said Grandma. “Also, Murphy, can we try to be a little more congenial? These are your neighbors.”

A man with a red mustache bustled down the aisle and shook my hand.

“Pleasure to meet you, son, it truly is,” he said. “And Mena, how’s my boy doing out on the lot?”

“Quite well,” said Grandma. “Murphy, Lee, have you all met Stephens yet? Boy who lives out in the tenant house? This is his father, Mr. Brownderville.”

“We haven’t met any of the tenants except for Cass,” I said.

Murphy shot me a look, but I pretended not to notice.

“Well, I’d be honored if you dropped by and introduced yourself,” said Mr. Brownderville. “He’s a good boy, and faithful. A chip off the old block, I do hope.”

“You can be certain of that,” said Grandma with a smile.

I had no idea what that meant. It was like Grandma and all the other people in town shared this secret that none of them were going to let Murphy and me in on. But I knew that somehow we were at the center of it.