The sun was close to the horizon, shining right into my eyes, but I saw Sister and Haley stop. Sister turned to Haley and said something, and they began to back up. I groaned and got to my feet. Pain! I’d busted my butt for sure. I started shuffling toward them.

“Stay back, Mama,” Haley said. Her face was strange, contorted. “It’s Millicent Weatherby and you don’t want to see her.”

I stopped. “Millicent? Millicent’s dead?”

“Run to the car, Haley,” Sister handed her the keys. “Call 911.”

“That’s Millicent over there?” I pointed to the form in the water. “That can’t be Millicent!”

Frances moaned. She was on her hands and knees in the sand, her face hidden in her arms, her behind stuck up in the air.

“It’s Millicent.” Sister sat down beside Frances. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Put your head down, Aunt Sister,” Haley said. “Take deep breaths. I’ll be right back.” She sprinted across the dune toward the car.

I sat down gingerly beside Mary Alice. And then there were several strange minutes I’ll remember all my life. Everything seemed beautiful, peaceful, and surreal. The sun touched the water and I imagined I could hear the sizzle; several blue herons sailed in on giant wings to join the others on the beach. A small boat crossed the inlet to the harbor, the music from its radio louder than its engine. A moment or so after the boat’s passage, its wake stirred the white bundle that was Millicent Weatherby. Millicent who was dead, whose body was being pushed higher onto the beach by small waves.

None of us spoke for a few minutes. We heard the sirens as the rescue squad left the fire station across on the mainland. Then another siren crossing the bridge.

“I wonder how often they see drownings,” I mused.

“Too often,” Mary Alice’s head was still down so she was talking to the sand. “But this isn’t one of them.”

“What?” I asked.

“Oh, Lord, Mouse! It looked like someone tried to cut her head off!”

“What?” I said. “What are you talking about?”

“They’re coming!” Haley called from the top of the dune. Just at that second, the last of the sun was swallowed by the water with a great green gulp.

“Someone killed Millicent?”

“Oh, Lord!” Sister moaned.

“Oh, Lord!” Frances echoed.

“They’ll be here in a minute.” Haley sat down beside me and took my hand. “Are you okay, Mama?”

“Her throat was cut?”

“Be grateful you didn’t see her, Mama. And she’s been in the water, so her body’s probably damaged other than that. You know, by sharks and things.”

“Shut up, Miss Open Heart Cut People’s Guts Out Nurse,” Sister said into her hands. “Lord! And to think we saw her this morning all in one piece.”