Luke gulped the aspirin down. “I’ve already got one. What’s the phone number?”

I handed him the slip of paper I’d written the address and phone number on. “You going to call her now?”

“Might as well.” He studied the address. “Where’s Steele?”

“Not too far from Gadsden. Right off I-59. Why don’t you go in the bedroom and call while I fix you a sandwich. Pimento cheese?”

“Okay.” He got up, started toward the hall and paused. “What’ll I say to her?”

“That you’re worried about her and wanted to know she was all right.”

“Oh. Okay.”

I was pouring him a glass of milk when he came back.

“Nobody’s at home.” He sat down at the kitchen table and I put a sandwich and milk in front of him. “You sure that’s Holden’s number? The guy on the answering machine said, ‘You’ve reached Monkey Man. Leave a message.’”

“Monkey Man? You’re sure?”

“I swear that’s what he said.” Luke picked up his sandwich and looked at it as if he weren’t sure what it was.

“It was the number listed in the computer white pages. Did you leave a message?”

“I said ‘Virginia, if you’re there, come home.’”

Not a message that would send Virginia galloping toward Columbus and Luke.

“You didn’t say you were missing her and worried about her?”

“Patricia Anne, I was talking to a someone named Monkey Man.” Luke sighed and bit into his sandwich. The afternoon sun glinted off of his reddish beard as he chewed. I thought that maybe I should offer him one of the razors that I shave my legs with. I buy them ten to a package since Fred acts like such a fool if I use his razor. There were some new toothbrushes in the medicine cabinet, too. Luke would feel better with a shower and some grooming.

He looked up and saw me watching him.

“What?” he asked.

“I was just thinking how much you look like Papa.”

He smiled, making the resemblance even more pronounced.

“Luke,” I said. “You really might ought to call Richard.” Really might ought? Lord, we Southerners do have a way with words.

He shook his head. “Don’t want to worry him unless I have to.”

“Well, I can appreciate that. But it’s been how long since Virginia left? Ten days?”

He nodded and stuck the last bite of sandwich in his mouth.

“Richard would want to know, I’m sure.”

“No. That boy’s got enough on his shoulders. He’s got the government to run.”

Hey. I watch C-SPAN. I know how many of those representatives are there on any given day. But Luke, bless his heart, was serious.