“Listen, Rose, if she can come back from the dead she can certainly pick and choose who she talks to.”

Grace’s words gave Rose a sense of relief. “You don’t think it’s because I have some kind of special power that nobody else has?”

“I don’t think it has anything to do with special powers. Nancy’s doing it for some dumb reason of her own. She always was a pain.”

“How do you know that?”

“Well .. . she seemed the type. It’s probably a sin to be talking bad about the dead, but next time she comes along, tell her to buzz off.” “Next time? I hope there is no next time.” “Oh, me, too. I didn’t realize how that sounded, you know what I mean.”

Remembering what Barney had said in the kitchen last week, about serial killers and suicides, Rose asked, “You don’t think these things could be connected, do you? Nancy’s murder and the skeleton and Cyn?”

“Probably not. Anyway, whoever or whatever, it’ll be all right. This isn’t New York, people can’t get away with bad stuff here.”

“But there must be some kind of connection with Nancy. Otherwise why would she give me messages about an old skeleton?”

“Who knows what dead people think.”

“Grace, do you realize how bizarre this is? The way we’re talking about Nancy?”

“Well, there really are psychics who help the police solve murders. You’re nutty enough to be one, Rose. No, only fooling. I don’t have any explanations. Let’s just forget it, as you once said not too long ago.”

“Yeah. It’s more interesting to talk about Gregory and Company, right?”

“Not and Company, if you don’t mind. I hope he’s not planning to bring Randy, Paul and Daniel along on our date. By the way, Daniel was asking about you.”

“He was?” Why didn’t he just call, Rose thought, with disappointment, if he wanted to know how I was?

Mom appeared at the top of the stairs. “Rose, are you still on that phone? Look at you, standing there without your slippers.”

“Gotta go, Grace.”

“I heard. See ya soon.”

Rose was hustled back to bed. Mom said she’d bring up chicken soup for supper.

“Where’s Jerram?”

“I think he went to the health club after school.”

“You think he went?”

“He might have gone to Westley. He has some friend there. Whatever, he promised to be back by six.”

A friend in Westley? Who could that be? Rose couldn’t remember any friend of Jerram’s living over there. She wriggled away from Mom’s fussing hands that were smoothing the bedclothes. She started to feel angry.

“You’re not worried about him? Aren’t you going to pick him up?”

“What for?” Mom said, fluffing the pillows in spite of Rose’s protests. “He can take care of himself.”

“That’s sexism, Mom.”