“Would the rest of you like to join us?” He actually looked as if he meant it, that he would be pleased to have the three of us traipse along with them to lunch.

We didn’t, of course, but we spent at least fifteen minutes after they left talking about what a nice young man he was.

“Dr. Philip Nachman just might have something to worry about here,” I said.

“Hmmm.” Which might have been an agreement from Sister. She was studying the photocopies Haley had left on the table. Now she put them down and looked at Frances and me. “You know what? Eddie and Laura killed Millicent. It’s as clear as the nose on your face.”

“They had a motive,” I admitted.

“I thought y’all had decided Emily killed Millicent and then committed suicide,” Frances said.

“I’m ruling that out,” Sister said. “That doesn’t make sense. It was the Stampses.”

“Jason Marley had the same motive,” I said. “He’s Mr. Blue Bay Ranch now and can do anything he wants with the property.”

“Oh, Patricia Anne, don’t be ridiculous!” Frances got up from the floor and stretched stiffly. “That man lives in a pink house!”

So much for all the psych courses Frances had taken.

After lunch, Frances settled down to watch her favorite soaps, and Mary Alice and I went next door to talk to Fairchild.

“Go away!” he yelled through the door when we knocked. “Leave me alone, damm it!”

“It’s me, Fairchild,” Sister called. “Me and Patricia Anne. Are you okay?”

An eye appeared at the peephole. “Are you by yourselves?”

“Of course we are.”

We heard the scrape of the chain in the security latch, and the door opened. “Come in quick,” a disheveled Fairchild said.

We practically jumped inside, and Fairchild shut the door and locked it.

“What’s the matter?” Sister asked. “What’s going on?”

“That damn woman sheriff is driving me nuts.” He led us into the living room. “She’s been here twice today, asking the same questions.”

I tried to soothe him. “She’s just doing her job, Fairchild.”

“Bull! Is wanting to know how often Millicent and I had sex doing her job? Wanting to know when the last time was?” He plunked down in his recliner. Sister sat on the sofa across from him and leaned forward with interest.

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her it was none of her damn business.”

“What else did she ask you?” My sister knows no shame.

“Stuff about money. They’re hung up on the insurance policy Millicent left me. I told that woman, I said, ‘Lady, you’re going to have to look a hell of a lot farther than here to find a killer.’ And I said, ‘Don’t think for a minute that Emily Peacock did it, either. She loved Millicent like a sister.’”

“What did she say to that?” I asked.