I was trying to decide where to start my version of the week’s events when he added, “This is the kind of thing that always happens when you’re around Mary Alice. I swear, honey, you know I’m fond of her, but think how often I have to get you out of scrapes she’s gotten you into.”

For a moment I felt that I couldn’t breathe, as if I had suddenly been immersed in an icy lake. Fred sensed my stiffening. “That’s not exactly what I meant to say. What I meant to say is that Mary Alice leaps before she looks. You know that, and she pulls you with her a lot of times.”

“And you have to come rescue me.”

Fred shifted his weight uncomfortably. “Sometimes.”

“What does that have to do with what’s happened this week?”

“Well, finding the bodies and all.”

I stood and looked down at him. There were all sorts of things I wanted to say to him but, give me credit, I kept my mouth shut, just turned and walked away.

“What’s the matter, honey?” the jackass called. But I didn’t turn around to answer.

“Where’s Papa?” Haley asked as I walked into the apartment.

“Digging a hole and pulling the dirt in on top of himself.”

“What did he do?”

“Pushed the overprotecting button too hard.”

“Mama, just ignore it like you tell me to do.”

“Better yet,” Frances put in her two cents’ worth, “just enjoy it.”

“Enjoy someone treating you like you’re a child? Blaming everything that happens on your sister?”

“Of course.” Frances was sitting on the sofa flipping through the latest issue of Cosmopolitan. “Long as he doesn’t blame everything on you. That’s what usually happens to me.” An article caught her attention. “Lord have mercy. Did y’all know sex is going to be different in the next millennium?”

“How?” Haley asked.

“Don’t know. Haven’t read it yet.”

I walked to the balcony and looked down at Fred sitting on the stile by himself. Haley came up behind me.

“He looks sad, Mama.”

“Hush. He said he has to get me out of scrapes.”

“He looks very sad.”

“Then you go let him rescue you.”

“There’s someone at the door,” Frances called. “I’ll get it.”

Haley and I stepped back into the living room as Tammy Berliner came in. “Good,” she said. “I was hoping you were here. I just got in and found a note from Jack and Sophie. They’ve gone to Navarre and said for me to bring you to see the turtles if you were home and wanted to come.”

Of course we wanted to come. Should we bring flashlights? Blankets?

“No lights,” Tammy said. “Jack and Sophie will have flashlights, for later.”