We are on our way to Morrie's, Evvie and I, where we'll meet up with Jack. I've had some of the worst dings taken off the old Chevy, so it doesn't look as awful as it did.

Evvie says from her seat next to me, "What's different?"

"When? Now?"

"Yes."

"I don't know. What?"

"When's the last time we've had time to spend time together alone? Since before the hurricane."

"Come to think of it, we haven't."

"My point, exactly. Now that we have men in our apartments and our lives. In our kitchens, in our bathrooms, in our closets-"

I stop her hyperbole. "Now, now." She would go on forever if I let her, my drama queen sister. I glance at her face. Her lips are tightly pursed. "Well, you know what's been going on in my life. You just got the latest update this morning. I haven't a clue what you're about. With Joe."

Evvie looks out the window, not answering. Finally, she says, "University Drive is still a mess. The city looks like a war zone."

"Old news. And windows are still shuttered and stores are still closed. Yada, yada, as Seinfeld used to say on TV. You're stalling. Out with it."

She faces me. "Joe doesn't want anyone to know."

"I'm your sister. We don't keep secrets from each other."

She blurts, "He's got cancer and he's decided he wants to spend what time he has left with me!"

I almost lose control of the wheel. I turn to her in anguish. "Oh, Evvie."

Now the two of us are silent.

"I've hated him for years," Evvie says. "Now I'm not allowed to hate him because he's dying."

"What kind of time are we talking about?" I ask softly.

"Maybe six months. Prostate. And now . . . now, now, he starts to be nice to me." he starts to be nice to me."

"Can't you forgive and forget?"

"All those years of treating me like dirt. He and his family making me feel small and useless. Dumping me on a New Year's Eve in front of everyone-"

"Ev," I stop the litany from continuing. "I know how much pain he caused, but get a little perspective here. Think of that old saying: I complained because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet."

"Yeah, yeah. I know I should count my blessings."

"Think of Enya and what she went through."

She sighs. "You're right. My new mantra: Forgive and forget."

"Just keep saying that to yourself. Turn things around. Change the negative into positive. Find what's good in him."

"Why do you always have to be so d.a.m.n smart?"

"Because I am." I smirk. She grins.

We arrive at the police station. Evvie and I hug each other. I wait a few moments until she wipes the tears from her face, and we get out of the car.

We fill Morrie in, Jack, Evvie, and I, as we sit in his office. He has this habit of tapping his desk when he's impatient, and he's doing it now. I speed up my dissertation. All of it. My trip to Tampa with Stanley, meeting the sister. We track the Johnny Blake line from there to Lanai Gardens. Reminding Morrie that the forensics lab report on the skeleton proves it's not anyone already identified.

Now he pays close attention. "So you have two unsolved murders from fifty years ago. In two different counties." He looks at me.

"I know."

Morrie looks at Jack.

"She knows."

"We need you to take up the slack," I say."Nice of you. Thanks for giving me an ice cold case to handle."

I pinch his cheek. "No statute of limitations on murder. We already did the hard stuff, bubbala. bubbala."

Evvie gets her dig in, too. "All you have to do is find out everything about that ship, and how and where the guy got on, and who knew about it. A piece of cake."

With that, we take our leave, with me saying "I know you'll want to get on this right away, so off we go. Ta-ta."

With those long legs of his, he gets to the door before we can. "Not so fast, Gladdy Gold. Don't think I haven't noticed. You aren't getting out of here that easily." He lifts my left hand. "Nice ring. When's the party and when's the wedding?"

Jack, Evvie, and I exchange glances. "I told you so," I say with my grin.

Denny waits at his truck in front of building Q. Sophie and Bella, all dressed up, hurry to him.

Bella says, "I hope we didn't keep you waiting."

"No problem," he says, opening the door for them. "I got all my ch.o.r.es done already, so I got time."

"Denny, a moment, please."

The girls turn at the sound of the voice. It's Abe Waller, hurrying toward them. He seems agitated. "I have a problem. My faucet just broke off in the kitchen and water is gushing. I'm glad I caught you before you left."

Denny is chagrined. "I'm taking Mrs. Fox and Mrs. Meyerbeer somewhere."

Abe seems upset. "But what can I do with all that water running?" He looks at Bella and Sophie. "So sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt. Where are you lovely ladies going?"

Sophie preens. "Were going to a luncheon. In Margate."

"Margate? Really?" Abe says, "I'm on my way there now myself. May I give you a lift?"

The girls and Denny are at a loss.

"Well, I don't know . . ." Sophie says.

Abe bows to her. "Please, it would be my pleasure. Then Denny will fix my faucet."

That old-country-style charm works. The girls melt.

Abe asks Denny. "Do you need my key or do you have a master?"

Denny says, unsure, "I can let myself in."

"Then it's settled. Ladies, my car is right here. Allow me to escort you."

Bella and Sophie smile at each other. They wave at Denny. "Thanks anyway, Denny," Sophie says. "We'll call when we need a ride home, if that's okay."

Denny nods. "Lots better than a ride in the truck," Bella says, seating herself in the backseat of Abe's comfortable Pontiac.

Sophie sits next to Bella. They giggle. "This is like having a chauffeur," she says happily.

As they drive off, Sophie gives Abe the street address. Abe turns on a music station for them. "Cla.s.sical all right?" Abe asks.

The girls nudge each other. They are enjoying this. Bella says, "We like anything."

Abe makes conversation. "These have been very exciting weeks, have they not? I, myself, never experienced a hurricane before. Were you frightened? I know I was."

Sophie gushes, "You bet. We were scared out of our wits."

Bella adds, "I thought we were going to die."

Sophie says, "We were lucky. We got to stay with Gladdy and she kept us calm."

Abe turns slightly to them. "Your friend is a very smart woman, is she not?"

Bella says, "She sure is. She knows about everything."

Abe comments, "She even seems very well informed about the skeleton they found."

"Didn't it creep you out?" Sophie asks. "Finding out you lived with a dead guy right under you all those years?"

"Certainly gives one pause," he answers. "My dear friend Stanley told me he and Gladdy went to Tampa and found out the skeleton wasn't really that Johnny Blake person. So, I might a.s.sume the trail ends there."

Sophie beams. "Not with our bloodhound-dog leader. Even as we speak, she's at the police station with Detective Morrie Langford, Jack's son. Now they know for sure that the real Johnny Blake is buried in Tampa and she figures someone stole his papers when he was on a boat and then someone must have known the guy and he came to find him . . ."

She's out of breath, so Bella eagerly continues. "And that guy got killed, too. So the way she figures, there are two murdered men. Johnny Blake and the poor guy who became our skeleton." She grins, proud of being able to remember it all.

For a moment, there's silence. Then Abe says, "Yes, your friend is very smart."

Bella smiles with satisfaction. "That killer better watch out-our Gladdy's on his trail."

A few minutes later they arrive at the Chinese restaurant where their luncheon meeting is being held. Abe gets out and opens the doors for them. They thank him profusely.

Sophie and Bella are pleased to see he is watching them walk to the door. Probably to make sure they get safely into the restaurant. "Such a gentleman," Sophie comments.

39.

Breakdown

Darkness outside. Darkness in. From where

she lies on her bed, Enya dreams she is tied down. A movie appears on all four of her bedroom down. A movie appears on all four of her bedroom walls. Black-and-white. No color. Except for the walls. Black-and-white. No color. Except for the blood. Shouts she knows well. blood. Shouts she knows well. "Achtung! Rause!" "Achtung! Rause!"

The lights from the towers zigzag, splashing grays and sharp whites from one side of the room grays and sharp whites from one side of the room to the other. She ducks her head to keep them from to the other. She ducks her head to keep them from finding her. finding her.

Schweinhund!

The dogs bark and bare their s...o...b..ry fangs.

"Vyhlizet!" someone cries out to the others in someone cries out to the others in their filthy shack. Look out! their filthy shack. Look out!

Inmates who can still move run quickly. Others barely crawl. Confusion everywhere. barely crawl. Confusion everywhere.

The boots march relentlessly. "Achtung!" "Achtung!" Halt! Halt!

The machine guns chatter. Rat-a-tat. Rat-a-tat.