Page 9 (2/2)

"How on earth did she coan to stroll toward the house Susu looked pretty, and a few pounds heavier than she&039;d been the year before

She&039;d just had her hair done in a defiant blond, and she earing sky blue polka-dotted slacks with a white shirt

"Oh, her husband is a friend of Martin&039;s"

"Is he any bigger than her?"

"A little"

"No children, I guess?"

"No "

"Because I hate to think what size baby they&039;d have"

I laughed, and we began to talk about Susu&039;s "babies," Little Ji, and Little Jier by a couple of years, was up to his brown belt in Tae Kwan Do "And Jioing to family therapy," Susu said in the voice of one deterh it&039;s early to tell, Roe, I really think it&039;s going to do us so hoere really feeling, just scraping the surface to keep everything looking good for the people around us We should have been s really ith us"

What an aave her a squeeze around the shoulders "Good for you," I said inadequately and warave me a shaky smile and then said briskly, "Come on! Show me this dream house of yours!"

Susu&039;s drearandparents had built No house would everour friends&039; new homes in new subdivisions as "houses, not homes!" But she pronounced this house a real hoive you the creeps?" she asked with the bluntness of old friends "No," I said, not surprised she&039;d asked Old friends or not, quite a lot of people had asked me that one way or another "This is a peaceful house Whatever happened"

"I&039;ll bet soht, Susu I do I wonder that all the tilad it&039;s yours and not mine," she said

"Can I smoke?"

"No, not inside Let&039;s sit out on the porch I have one ashtray to go out there on the porch furniture"

There was noing attached to the roof of the porch, and so the swing There were two or three small tables available, and I found an ashtray for Susu to use While we sat and talked of this and that, Shelby Young-blood pulled into the driveway and waved as he eed from his car We waved back and he ran up the stairs to his apart," Susu commented "Not a looker, is he?"

"I think he is," I said, surprising myself

"And you&039;re the woman married to Hunk of the Year"

"Shelby is attractive," I said firmly "I may be married, but I&039;m not blind"

"All those acne scars!"

"Just make him look lived-in"

"Does Martin come ho up from the tio in the kitchen and scrounge around for lunch" We ate harapes and potato chips, and talked aboutof the Ladies&039; Prayer Luncheon My old friend Neecy Dawson had objected to the guest speaker&039;s theology in loud, persistent ter not a few of them to express the opinion it was time Neecy met God face to face "She was a friend of Essie Nyland&039;s, wasn&039;t she?" I asked casually "Neecy? Yep Essie was a good friend of uess Miss Essie died what? Six years ago now,She still knows everyone in this tohat they&039;ve done, and when they did it"

It struck me that I could have a profitable conversation with Miss Neecy She&039;d told uments between the Zinsners when they built this house It was that conversation that had given ht be several hidey-holes the bodies of the Julius faround-zero search Angel and I were conducting "You remember when the Julius family vanished?" I asked I picked up Susu&039;s empty plate andmy new stoneware as I did every time I looked at it Earth tones in a southwestern pattern why on earth I, a native Georgian, felt compelled to have southwestern dishes I do not know

"Yes," Susu said "I&039;d just had Little Ji at the library, I think you&039;d only been there a year, right?"

"Right Over six years ago, now" We shook our heads simultaneously at Tiave a little shriek "Woops! Roe! I was supposed to pick up old Mrs Newo! I&039;ot to run! I invited myself and then I stick you with the dishes," she wailed, and yanked her car keys out of her purse on her way out the front door I stuck the dishes unceremoniously in the dishwasher, started our supper pork chops arlic, and sat down to make one of those lists that were supposed tothe house

2 Talk to Miss Neecy about Essie Nyland, also the Zinsners - where was the boarded-up closet?

3 Possible to find the boyfriend, Harley Dile will tell me about the day he poured the concrete 5 Ask Lynn or Arthur if I could see the file on the Julius disappearance, or if he would just tellout of Mrs Totino&039;s lawyer, Bubba Sewell (as incidentally my lawyer and the husband of my friend, the former Lizanne Buckley)

I was pleased This looked as if it would keep ht now, busy-ness hat I wanted Maybe while I worked on the problem of the Juliuses, the problem of ht