“Oh, I reconize that,” Virginia said. “Holden’s daughter-in-law was wearing that when we went to the grocery in Oneonta and I think one of the babies must have broken the chain. I found it in the car on the way to Tennessee. Holden was supposed to give it back to her.”

But neither of them had lived to see the other again.

“It belongs to her daughter now.” I slipped the cameo into my purse.

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter
Seventeen

The next morning was what Mama always called a thin morning. The sun wasn’t quite breaking through, but you could see its shape behind the clouds. A dry cold front had come through during the night, and the temperature had dropped at least twenty degrees.

I called Betsy Mahall, told her that Virginia had shown up in Nashville at a Seniors’ Swing Convention, but that Virgil Stuckey wanted to question her about the couple of days she had been on Chandler Mountain. Would it be all right if I returned the key this afternoon? I didn’t mention the cameo; I had decided that I would wait and surprise her with that.

“About what time, Mrs. Hollowell?” She sounded listless, tired.

“A little after two?” I hesitated and then added, “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. Maybe I should just tell her I had the cameo.

Then, “Mrs. Hollowell, do you think we could meet up at Monk’s house? I had planned to go up there this afternoon and start looking around, seeing what should be saved for Jamie and Ethan and what should be sold.” She sighed. “I guess I’ll have to do the same thing at Susan’s, but I’m going to have to wait a while on that.”

“Did you go to Monk’s funeral?” I asked.

“No. Terry did. I had to keep the children. He said it was very subdued, actually.”

Betsy sounded as if she were about to cry.

“Are the children okay?” I asked.

“Fine. I guess I’ll bring them this afternoon. Monk’s house is babyproofed. They stayed there with him a lot.”

I wondered if babyproofing meant keeping the snakes under the bed in a box, but I just said I would see her a little after two and hung up.

I called Mary Alice and told her that I was going up to Chandler Mountain so I’d go in my car.

“Go with me and Virginia,” she said. “I’ll take you up there.”

“No, I’ll go in my car. That way I won’t be in a hurry.”

“Wait a minute,” Sister said. I heard her put the phone down and close the door.

“You don’t understand,” she said when she came back. “I think the collagen’s seeped up into Virginia’s brain or the mahagony dye has seeped down. Or both. The woman’s certifiable, Mouse.”