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"It depends" She rubbed her eyes "Soht have been perfectly happy there But Harris hated it, and Joey didn’t want to be left alone"

"Will you teach me how to talk to them?"

"Sure," she said "It takes so French or Spanish"

"I want Harris to bewalks, maybe even trips in the pedal boat

"He will be, for a while" Mãe looked hard at me "You realize he can’t stay here?"

"Why not?"

"It’s not safe, for one thing Soht see them and then we’d have the hotel to deal with You don’t know yet how s off lamps "Even more ie There’s a sanctuary in Panama where we’ve sent ht how to live in the wild again"

I thought this over Sadly, it did make sense "I really wanted hiht turn up ants to stay" My mother yawned "But not Harris He absolutely hates Florida"

How could anyone hate Florida? I wondered later I lay in e-blosso to the rhyths punctuated by the percussion of baainst each other I felt as close to happy as I’d thought I’d ever be

The nextin my journal, I went out to the kitchen and no one was there I sat down at the big oak table, not sure what I should do A newspaper froe headlines upside down Then I picked up the paper and ski

Toward the bottoe, I read: "No Clues in Vas" The story summarized the deaths of Robert Reedy of Asheville and one Andrew Parker of Savannah Police asked the public to call with any information about the murders Parker’s family offered a reward for any tips I carefully re-folded the paper, wondering hoould tell my mother I’d killed ato a tall wo hair I’d ever seen: it had been rolled and twisted and pinned up into elaborate shapes like cabbage roses Her eyes were enormous, caramel-colored

"Dashay, this is Ariella,"shy I’d never known before how beautiful and animated woa Springs I stared down at the table, listening to their voices

Dashay talked about the horses she’d seen at the auction, about the people ere buying and selling She hadn’t been tempted to bid, but she’dmares with Osceola

Mãe asked detailed questions about the owners while she stood at the stove, cooking oat bowls before us, and Dashay handed lass honey pot shaped like a hive "Drizzle it on," she said

We ate, and I savored eachair, and the oatrilled mahi-mahi with citrus sauce and puréed sweet potatoes -- had been equally delicious I didn’t miss my tonic and protein bars at all, but I wondered when I’d need blood again

My mother looked at me, questions in her eyes

"So you were up early with the bees, huh," Dashay said "Guess I’ll do so this afternoon, then take some honey down to the store"

Mãe was still watching o," she said "Meanwhile, I’ lesson"

In short order I learned how to tighten a saddle, adjust the stirrups, mount and dismount, and hold the reins I’d asked to ride Johnny Cypress Mãe agreed

"He’s the gentlest of the bunch," she said "I think it’s because he’s so grateful His previous owner abused him You should have seen him e adopted him, poor baby"

We headed down a trail toward the river, the horses stepping briskly, enjoying the outing I quickly got used to the rhythm and let myself relax in the saddle

"You ride well," my rinned "It’s not always so gentle," she said "Later we’ll pick up the pace"

The dirt path led through rass, and then to the river, broad and blue, se flat rock, shaded by roves "We have picnics here," Mãe said

For a while neither of us spoke The wind played with our hair, and atched the horses as they grazed Osceola was a true beauty: tall and muscular and handsome in all respects Johnny Cypress was small and jaunty, perfect for me

"I want to ride hi I’d spoken aloud until Mãe said, "Of course you will"

"Mãe, I need to tell you soain, I hadn’t planned to speak Then the words all came in a rush "I killed someone, I didn’t mean to, you don’t knoho I am, it all happened so suddenly --" Clumsy words, but such a relief to say theestureand think of my father

Her blue eyes were clear, untroubled "Slon and tell me"

I told her the story of Robert Reedy’s untimely death in the woods outside Asheville She interrupted only twice, to ask, "Did anyone see you get in his car?" (I didn’t know) and "Did you leave behind any evidence?" (I hadn’t, and I’d been wearing gloves)