“Is everything okay?” Rose asked. “I heard you crying last night.”

“Must’ve been the TV,” Lillie said.

“You sounded very upset,” Rose said.

Lillie shook her head and cut into the pancakes. “Nope,” Lillie said. “Florencia. Can I trouble you for a little more butter and syrup?”

She turned back to Rose and smiled. If she did anything as a mother, it was to keep the world she knew out of her damn home. That little girl had known a lifetime of evil before she’d even turned two. No reason for her to be associated with that shit anymore. The house was still and quiet, pleasant with the soft rain falling outside. Their new dog, a pit bull rescue, snored from across the room on a big, fat pillow.

“Pick me up from school today?” Rose said.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Maybe we can go to the zoo?” she said. “Or the Pink Palace?”

“Maybe.”

Florencia widened her eyes again, the stout old woman doubtful Lillie would make it. Just as Lillie was set to argue, her phone buzzed with a north Mississippi area code. Even before Lillie answered, she knew what it was about and what they were going to ask her to do.

She’d been steeling herself for it. But damn, she never wanted to see Gina Byrd in that horrible condition.

*   *   *

Down in Tibbehah County, the rain had just rolled in as Quinn stood on the loading dock of the Jericho Farm & Ranch with a woman named Diane Tull. Quinn had known Diane for years, helping her get some closure on a violent crime that had happened back in 1977 involving his dad and a crew of miscreants called the Born Losers. She’d been friends with his sister Caddy, too, volunteering out at The River and always good to donate supplies to the mission, and even played and sang with the house band at the simple Sunday service in an old barn. Some folks said Diane Tull looked and sounded just like Jessi Colter and Quinn couldn’t disagree.

“This sucks,” Diane said.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You know I was Gina’s AA sponsor?”

“That’s why I’m here so early.”

“Caddy tell you?” she said. “Damn. I sure miss your sister. I thought someone would step up and take over The River when she left. But that’s not gonna happen. Breaks my heart to see that old barn and the land around it turn to shit. No one can do what your sister did for all these people.”

“Maybe you could,” Quinn said.

“With all my extra time running this old seed and feed?” Diane said. “Hell. Glad to help out some. But what Caddy did wasn’t a job. It was a calling.”