“Or have had too much to drink.” Laura leaned over and put her Coke on the coffee table. “Let’s change the subject. I’ve been down in the dumps all day and that damn Florida Marine officer with all his questions hasn’t helped.”

“How long will you be at your sister’s?” I asked.

“A week. Maybe two. I’ll have to get back to see about the stuff over at Blue Bay.” Laura looked around the apartment. “You know, I’ve been thinking I might sell this place. You know anybody who might be interested?”

“Fred and I might be,” I said.

Laura and Mary Alice both looked at me, surprised.

“Well, we might. We’ve been talking about it. A little.”

“Bring Fred over,” Laura said.

“She was lying,” Sister said a few minutes later as we walked down the hall.

“What?” I had no idea what she was talking about.

“About the land. Laura knows Millicent owned more land.” She opened the door to her apartment and we walked into the smell of popcorn. Haley was stretched out on the living room floor and Frances was on the sofa. They were watching Somewhere in Time and both were already sniffling. We each got a handful of popcorn, stepped over Haley, refusing her invitation for a good cry, and went to the balcony.

“How do you know she was lying?”

“Her big toe, Patricia Anne. Didn’t you see it? It was wiggling up and down like a worm on a hook.”

“A worm on a hook?”

“You know. The part that’s left over to attract the fish. That’s the way Laura’s big toe was doing. Up, down. Up, down. I don’t see how you missed it, especially with that red toenail polish and the big callus.”

“I saw the toe,” I said. “Laura needs to wear shoes at all times.”

“Well, she was lying. That big toe was a dead giveaway.”

“Don’t tell me. You learned this in that body language class you took.”

“Right.”

“But why would Laura lie about Millicent owning the land?”

“She didn’t. She was lying about knowing about it.”

“Or maybe her callus hurt.” I saw Fred coming down the beach and stood up to wave at him. He deliberately turned and looked out over the water, not returning my wave.

“Mouse, you better go get the drabber,” Sister said.

I made a gesture with my finger. “Did they teach you in body language class what this means?”

Sister laughed. “I invented it.”

Chapter 17

Chapter 17