"Suit yourself."

"Speaking of bad jokes." Jenny tilted her head toward the box. "I don't suppose you want to help me get rid of it?"

"You're a great hostess, you know that?" Sally joked. "Sure, Fll take care of it. As long as it's dead, it doesn't bother me."

She went into the kitchen and came back with a handful of paper towels. Turning the box over, she gingerly used the towels to scoop the two pieces of snake back into it. "There," she said, fitting the lid back on. "Out of sight, out of mind, right? I have to go, so 111 put it in that big garbage can next to the garage."

**Wait." Sally was ah*eady heading for the front door and Jenny followed her. **You never said why you came in the first place."

"I knew I forgot something!" Sally said. "I came because my mother was on one of her marathon calls, so I couldn't use the phone, and I wanted to see if you'd like to go horseback riding."

"Now?"

"Well, you probably ought to change first," Sally suggested, looking pointedly at Jenny's robe. "But yes, soon. I've only got about an hour or so and then I have to do about a thousand other things."

"I'd love to go," Jenny said. Right now, she'd do anything to get out of the house. Then she heard the unmistakable sound of a truck pulling into the driveway. She peered out the front door, then turned back to Sally. "But I can't. The painters are here."

Sally looked out at the truck and grinned. *Well, just offer them coffee and fried rattlesnake. That'll get rid of them fast!" she said as she was leaving.

Jenny didn't mention the snake, but she did offer McPherson and Son coffee, expecting them to refuse. They accepted. They followed her into the kitchen and seated themselves at the table as if this were the usual way of doing business. McPherson the elder blew on his coffee and settled back in the chair. "So, young lady. Who do we talk to?"

"Talk to? Oh," Jenny said, realizing he expected to deal with her parents. "Me. I'll show you what we want done and you can give me a price."

McPherson the younger was about thirty, Jenny thought, and she noticed that he hadn't taken his eyes off her bathrobe since he'd come in the house. "You're still alone here, then?" he asked.

"Yes." Jenny cleared her throat. "For the moment," she added. The guy made her nervous. Why had she bothered with the coffee? "Look, I'm expecting someone in just a few more minutes. Why don't you bring your cups with you and I'll show you the rooms."

Without waiting for an answer, Jenny strode into the entry hall. "This," she said, gesturing at the walls. She turned and went into the living room. "And this." Turning again, she went back to the entrance and pointed up the stairs. "And the hallway up there."