“Everybody was in love with Susan, Mama.” He sat down and cracked his knuckles. “Her and those damn snakes.” There was such a bitter tone to the last remark, that I realized he probably had cared deeply for Susan.

“The snakes are the connection, ladies,” he continued.

His mother shook her head. “But Monk had quit handling.”

“Which would have been seen as a loss of faith, Mama. Suppose someone was furious at him because of that. What more symbolic way to kill him than to stick his arm into a basket of snakes?”

Mary Alice had been unusually quiet. Now she shuddered and said, “It gives me the chills to think about it.”

“I still think it could have been the Chandler Mountain booger broke Susan’s neck,” Miss Beulah said.

We heard noises outside, car doors slamming.

“That must be my cousin,” I said. I stood up to look. But a car and a pickup had pulled up in front of the church. Several people were getting out and going in.

Albert had stood up, too. “Probably getting ready for Monk’s funeral,” he said.

“Did you go to Susan’s yesterday?”

“No. It was just a family graveside service.”

“Do you know her sister?”

“Sure. Betsy and Terry are good folks.”

“That’s more than you can say for that father of his,” Miss Beulah said. “Eugene Mahall is the biggest ass in St. Clair County. In a wheelchair because somebody shot him. Bunch of people claimed they did it. Bragged about it. The sheriff just gave up on it.”

The mention of the sheriff got Mary Alice’s attention. “Virgil Stuckey?”

“Good man. Not worth a tinker’s damn as a sheriff, though.”

“Oh?” I could see Mary Alice bristling.

“Too nice.” Miss Beulah struggled to get up from the chair. Albert went over to help her.

“We’ve got to go,” she said. “I’ve got a pot of vegetable soup on. Y’all are welcome to come by and have some. The green house right on the road. Still got collards in the garden.”

We thanked her but said we didn’t know how long we would be at the house.

As they started out of the door, she turned and said, “I’ve got Monk’s mail. I pick it up for him when he’s out of town, so I’ve been getting it. Y’all can look at it if you want to. There might be a letter from your cousin or something. I know there’s a phone bill.”

“Mama, you’d better give that to the sheriff,” Albert cautioned.

“Shoot. He wouldn’t know what to do with it.”

“Old fool,” Sister muttered as I closed the door. “You think that son of hers really teaches at the university?”

“Probably.” I turned around and surveyed the room. “Reckon how much nosying around we can do without getting in trouble?”