Later on, when we could hear, Major Bissell would fill us in on all the details, many of which were supplied by the critically injured Laura, and many of which we had already figured out. Berry had become Millicent’s lover, hoping to get her to sell him the remaining three hundred acres. She refused because of the environmental impact. Then he had enlisted Laura Stamps’s help with promises of money. She was in a vulnerable position, faced with Eddie’s illness. Laura was with them on the boat the morning Millicent was killed. She swore they didn’t intend to kill her, that Berry forced Millicent onto the boat knowing how frightened she was of water and had her sign a bill of sale for the land. Suddenly, furiously, Millicent had turned on Berry with the gaff. They struggled and Millicent was killed. Maybe a jury would believe it.

But the day of the explosion, Sister yelled into my ear, “Laura tried to warn me, didn’t she?”

“Berry was going to use your money to buy the land!”

“The hell you say!”

Haley held up her hands for silence. “Why did he kill Emily?” she wrote on a Post-it and handed it to me.

“She knew! She was spending the night at Jason’s house and saw them leave. She also saw them come back without Millicent. Laura told Major Bissell Emily walked down to the boat to find out what had happened while Berry was cleaning it.”

“Can of worms!” Frances shouted.

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

By the next morning, things had calmed down considerably. In fact, they were almost back to normal, with Sister mad at me for figuring out what was going on and for talking to Fairchild and Major Bissell without telling her. Also, according to Sister, it was entirely my fault that we were almost killed and that we would forever and a day suffer from deafness.

“They don’t call it being deaf any more!” Frances yelled. “It’s audibly challenged!”

Haley and Nephew had left the night before after they had determined that we were okay.

“I wouldn’t go,” Haley said, hugging me beside Nephew’s piled-up Porsche. “But Papa’s here to take care of y’all.”

“You remember The Grapes of Wrath?” Sister said as they pulled out of the parking lot. “How everything they owned was tied on top of their car?”

“All that Porsche needs is a California Or Bust sign,” I agreed. I turned around to find Fred, but he had already gone back into the condo.

“Is Fred okay?” Frances asked.

“What?”

She pointed toward the building. “Fred. Is he okay?”

“He’s all right,” I said. “He’s upset because we had such a close call.” Which was true, and which I felt guilty about. I swear marriage is such a peculiar, delicious arrangement.