“A lover’s quarrel.”

“Exactly. She was giving him money, and she was getting suspicious that that was all he was interested in. So she told him farewell.”

“Farewell.”

“Isn’t that what I said? Quit repeating what I say, Mouse. Anyway, Millicent said no more money, lover, and goodbye.”

I nodded, caught up in the story.

“He grabs her.” Sister jumped up so suddenly, I nearly toppled over into the tub. “He’s furious. Cuts her throat and drags her to the water.” Sister acted this out. “Throws her in.” She turned to me. “How about that?”

“Drags her a half mile to the water? Lord, Sister. He has to take her from the office to a boat. They go out by the jetties where he kills her and throws her in the water. I believe your words concerning the blood were something like spouting and spurting.”

“Those were Major Bissell’s words.”

“Well, there wasn’t any spouting in the office. I’ll bet you there’s a boat somewhere with a hell of a lot of blood on it, though.”

“Every fishing boat in Destin.”

True. “Okay, let’s say that Millicent’s lover, if she had one, killed her. Then who killed Emily?”

“Someone in her condo who knew she owned a lot of rare signed first editions worth a fortune.”

“I didn’t know Emily collected first editions,” I said, confused.

“I need a pencil and paper,” Sister said, opening the medicine cabinet as if she expected to find some there.

“To write all this down.”

“You forget it if you don’t.”

“Shit!” I opened the door and stomped out. A tall, thin man was waiting in the hall, doing the stiff-legged dance of one who is badly in need of a bathroom. “Go ahead,” I told him. “Don’t mind her.”

“Well, it could have been that way,” Sister said as we went down the hall.

I stopped. “Listen,” I said, “that girl in the kitchen confided something to me that doesn’t need to go anywhere but to the police. She’s scared to death that the murderer will find out she has the earring and come after her. Don’t make me sorry I told you, Mary Alice.”

“Have I ever?”

Lolita and I were in deep doo-doo. I looked in the kitchen, but she was gone. I hoped she was on her way to the Florida Marine Patrol office.

“Hey, pretty lady.” Fred sidled up to me. “Come home with me and I’ll show you my CD-ROM.”

“Okay, if you’ll twiddle with my VCR. It’s flashing 12:00 again.”

“Be still, my heart.”

I looked at the glass in his hand. He had switched from beer. “Better go get something to eat before you need CPR.”

“God, I love this dirty talk!”

“Want me to get you some food?”

“Crab claws.” Fred smiled happily.

“Wait right here for me.”