Haley came in from the kitchen with a paper towel wrapped around her bleeding hand and a glass in the other. “Jason?” she said. “Here, drink this. It’ll make you feel better.” She handed him his bourbon; he stared at it as if he weren’t sure what it was.

“I’m going to get me one,” Frances said, disappearing into the kitchen.

“What’s going on?” Berry asked.

We explained that Emily Peacock lived at Emerald Towers and that we had found her body, apparently a suicide, when we went to tell her about Millicent.

“You’ve found two bodies?” He was beginning to sound like Frances.

“This place is chock-full of bodies,” she called from the kitchen.

“Shut up, Frances,” Sister said. Then to Berry, “Yes. Emily Peacock and Millicent Weatherby.”

“Millicent Weatherby is the woman who owned all the property on the bay?” Berry looked over at Jason Marley.

“Was!” Frances again. I might have to belt her one.

“She was.” Jason took a long drink from his glass. “She was the majority stockholder of Bay Ranch. Emily was a stockholder, too.” He shook his head sadly. “Both of them dead. I can’t believe it!” He turned up the glass, finished the drink, and stood up. “I’m sorry, but I think I’d better call it a night. Berry, I gave you a key, didn’t I? Just come on over any time. You know which room is yours. Thanks, ladies, for the good company. I enjoyed dinner. I hope to see you again soon.” He called “Good night” as he closed the door.

“Well, my goodness,” Mary Alice said. “Reckon he’s all right?”

“I’d say he was just very upset and needed to be by himself,” Haley said.

“Is your hand cut much?” I asked.

She peeled the paper towel back and examined it. “It’s okay. I’ll put a Band-Aid on it.”

Frances had come back into the living room and now she sat in the chair Jason had vacated. “Could Jason be worried about Blue Bay Ranch, Berry? Will the two deaths mess things up?”

“I doubt it. I’m sure everybody in the organization will be emotionally upset but, knowing Jason like I do, everything will be okay legally.”

“But the land was Millicent’s,” Haley said. “Won’t that hold things up until her estate is settled?”