The two of them looked like Jack Spratt and his life partner? Short and stout and tall and thin. Both men were clean shaven and wore navy Smokey the Bear hats.

aOf course,a I said, chastened.

A man hopped out of the pa.s.senger seat of the ambulance, and all four of them went around the corner. Tabby and I stayed put. I sure didnat want another look at Joe, and no doubt she felt the same way.

I looked sidelong at her. Her hands were tucked into her back pockets, and her shoulders slumped forward under the invisible burden of her husbandas death. She stared down at the dirt with red-rimmed eyes, unblinking.

aAre you okay?a I whispered.

She nodded but didnat say anything. I encircled her shoulders with my arm and squeezed. There was no response, and after a few minutes it felt awkward enough that I let my hand fall to my side.

Two vans arrived. Their occupants were hatless and one wore a dark jumpsuit. Crime scene investigators? I pointed to where the others had gone, and one of them nodded. They went around the corner, too.

Then another county vehicle came down the road, a big Suburban this time, and the small parking lot was officially full. The SUV stopped. The door opened. Cowboy boots emerged below it, and a large man stepped out. He had thick ginger hair streaked with gray and a luxuriant moustache topped his lip. Broad shouldered, thin hipped, and wearing sungla.s.ses, he looked like a quintessential lawman. He reached back into the car and drew out what had to be a non-regulation hat. Not Smokey the Bear for him, no sir. He clapped the brown Stetson on his head and started toward us.

Tabby watched his approach with wary eyes. He stopped in front of her and nodded. aMs. Bines.a aSheriff Jaikes,a she said.

Under that thick moustache he had thin lips and a receding chin. He removed his sungla.s.ses to reveal small, watery blue eyes. aHear youave had some trouble here.a aSomebody killed Joe.a He stroked that barely-there chin. aShot him?a She shook her head.

aLooks like they hit him with a bottle of cream,a I said.

His eyes cut my way, then returned to Tabby. aWho did it?a aI donat know,a she said.

aHmmm. Weall find out, donat you worry.a Beside me, Tabby only sighed.

The sheriffas attention turned to me. aI donat believe weave met.a aSophie Mae Reynolds,a I said.

aFriend of Tabitha here?a I glanced at her. aIam visiting my parents in Spring Creek, and Tabbyas teaching me how to make cheese.a aVisiting from where?a aCadyville, Washington.a aI see.a He watched me. There was considerable intelligence behind those pale eyes. It didnat take long to make me squirm. I tried a smile, but even I could tell how weak it was.

Thank goodness a flurry of voices attracted our attention. Jack Spratt and his buddy came back from the side of the outbuilding, spied Sheriff Jaikes, and came over.

The first words out of Jaikesa mouth were, aSeparate these two and conduct preliminary interviews. Whereas the body?a aRight around the corner there, Boss,a the skinny deputy said.

The sheriff tipped his hat to us. aLadies.a And off he went to survey the mayhem.

_____.

I got Jack Spratt, whose real name turned out to be Inspector Thomas Schumaker. We spoke in his car, with the motor running and the air conditioning on full blast. That right there made me like him. It was soon clear he knew the Bineses, especially Joe. I got the feeling Tabby had glossed over Joeas abar fights.a First he asked me to tell him everything that happened. I did my best to keep it simple, ending with, aand then I called 911 on my cell phone, and Tabby called her mother.a aHer mother?a aTo ask if Celeste could leave work and go pick up Tabbyas daughter from school.a aAh.a Schumaker mopped his flushed face with a graying handkerchief. The air conditioning didnat seem to make much of a dent in his overheated state. I wondered whether men got hot flashes.

aYou didnat leave the body after finding it?a he asked. aNeither one of you?a aWell, we didnat sit beside it, but we stayed there by the building, waiting for you.a Except for when I got my tote bag out of my car.

aBoth of you.a aUh huh.a aAnd you both saw him leave the house late this morning.a aYes.a aBoth of you.a aYes.a aAnd you and Tabby were together the whole time up at the house.a I nodded. For Peteas sake, was this guy thick or something?

aAnd then you both came down here and found the body together.a aYes.a I tried not to grit my teeth. aShe was out of my sight for less than fifteen seconds.a aHear or see any vehicles come or go?a I tried to think. aThe window in the kitchen was open, and I heard a lot of traffic. Most of it was on the county road, but someone could have driven in here, I guess. The drive and the parking lot are far enough away from the house that I might not have noticed. Tabby would be more tuned into the sounds of coming and going here at the dairy.a He made a couple more additions to his notes. aYou didnat help her kill him, by any chance.a aWhat!a He held up a hand. aJust checking. Because it sure looks like you give her a solid alibi.a Skepticism leaked out around his words. aMind telling me why your shirtas dirty and your hands are all sc.r.a.ped up?a I looked down at my hands sitting in my lap. The scratches from earlier were red against my pale palms. aIt was a goat.a aPardon me?a My not-so-friendly billy goat was eating weeds over by the chicken house. I pointed. aThat one. It came up behind me while I was walking up to the house from the parking lot here and, well, b.u.t.ted me.a Beside me, Inspector Schumaker struggled not to laugh.

aRight in the tush. Sent me flying. See? My kneeas skinned, too. He hit me hard.a A quick snort, and he had himself under control.

I felt myself flush bright pink, but did my best to ignore it, hoping he would, too. aNow why on earth would Tabby Bines want to kill her husband?a He hesitated, weighing what to say. aHow well do you know the Bineses?a aNot very. Tabby used to date my brother back in high school, and Joe was his best friend. But I havenat seen him since my brotheras funeral.a He considered the word funeral. aYou used to live here?a I nodded.

aWhat was your brotheras name?a aBobby Lee Watson.a aI see.a Pity crossed his face. aThat was a very sad business.a He made another note.

aYou remember what happened?a aYes, maaam. I was going to Northern Colorado University, finishing up my criminal justice degree. I recallaa He realized who he was talking to and clamped his mouth shut.

aWhat?a He shook his head. aDoesnat matter.a As if of its own volition, my hand slipped into my tote bag and retrieved the envelope with the copy of Bobby Leeas letter in it. I gave it to Schumaker. aThis recently came into my familyas possession. Itas why I came back home, frankly, and Iam trying to find out what it means. Any help you could give me would be great.a Mixed feeling about getting the authorities involved crowded my thoughts. What if Bobby Lee had done something criminal? Anna Belle would have a fit if she found out.

He gave me one long look, then took the letter out and unfolded it. The inspectoras eyes narrowed as they moved down the page, then flicked back to the top as he began to read through it again.

Sheriff Jaikes rapped on the window with his knuckles. We both jumped, and Schumaker reached for the door handle.

aCan I have my letter back, please?a He scanned it one last time before handing it to me. Opening the door, he got out. I did the same.

Jaikes spoke. aWhatas taking so long? Pickelas been done with the wife for ten minutes.a Deputy Pickel. I just managed not to snort.

aTrying to be thorough, sir.a Jaikes scowled. aPlease get back into the car, maaam. Schumaker, come with me.a I was happy to slide back into the cool front seat, at least until the inspector removed the key, which turned off the air conditioner. He shrugged at my sound of protest. aSorry, Ms. Reynolds. You understand.a Bah.

The sheriff and his two deputies consulted, notebooks open. I peered at the bells and whistles tacked all along the dash, the computer within easy access of the driver. I wondered whether the inspector could type and drive at the same time. Probably. That couldnat be safe. Maybe he played solitaire at stoplights.

The interior of the vehicle was an oven by the time they were done and Schumaker came over and opened my door. Apparently Tabbyas story matched mine, because they let her go back up to the house. She threw me an agitated look over her shoulder as she walked away. Sheriff Jaikes gestured me out to the parking lot.

aI take it weare done?a I asked.

The sheriff frowned. aFor now.a aDo you have any idea who might have killed Joe? Did Tabby tell you anything useful?a I already knew I hadnat.

But my question only earned me twin basilisk gazes.

aI mean, it sounds like he had a history. Enemies. And it was probably someone he knew, right? Because, being hit from that angle, on the side of his head like that, he probably would have been able to see his a.s.sailant. Unless they surprised him, and he turned toward them. Which way was he facing? Could you tell from the blood spatter a Seeing the looks on their faces, I trailed off. They were lawmen, for heavenas sake. What was with the horrified expressions?

aYou appear to have a real taste for the macabre,a Sheriff Jaikes said. aMost ladies would be happy to remain ignorant of the more, uh, graphic details of a violent death.a Not only implying that I should lay off the questions, but that I wasnat a lady.

aSorry,a I said.

aThatas okay.a A bit of condescension in his voice there. aYou have yourself a real nice evening, all right?a The sheriff walked away. Tall and lanky like Barr, only with those ma.s.sive shoulders. And, unlike Barr, he had an att.i.tude I didnat particularly care for.

Schumaker swiped at his face with the soppy handkerchief again. aYouare free to go, but please donat leave town.a I put my hands on my hips. aOh, for Peteas sake. You canat make me stay here without arresting me, and it doesnat look like youare going to do that. I have a flight booked out of here on Sunday.a Which didnat leave me much time to get to the bottom of Bobby Leeas death. At least I didnat have to concern myself with who killed Joe Bines.

Unless were they related?

In my experience, life was filled with a lot more cause and effect than coincidence. But after eighteen years? That might be a bit of a stretch.

Schumaker looked unhappy. aIall have your statement typed up tomorrow. Come in and sign it in the morning.a I sighed. aWhere do you want me to show up?a He gave me directions, and then began to rejoin his comrades.

aInspector Schumaker?a He stopped and swiveled his shoulders toward me.

aAbout my brother?a aNot now.a He glanced toward the sheriff. aBut bring that letter when you come in tomorrow to sign your statement. Iad like to take another look at it.a That sounded ominous. A part of me regretted mentioning anything about my brother. On the other hand, Schumaker had started to tell me something when Bobby Leeas name first came up. Then head stopped himself. Perhaps given a little more time I could convince him to help me find the truth.

I nodded my agreement, and he walked away. It took me five minutes to maneuver Dadas car out of the sea of county vehicles.

It was after six by the time I got home feeling hot, sticky, sore and not a little cranky. Voices drifted through the open windows from the backyard, but I slipped quietly up the stairs. A quick spritz of a shower later, I donned a flowing skirt that fell below my skinned knee and an airy, paisley-patterned blouse. Then I liberally slathered on my homemade mosquito repellent. That time of day the little blood suckers were bound to be thick outside. The combination of clove, rosemary, lemongra.s.s, castor and neem oils would keep them at bay. I grabbed the bottle to share with the others.

Downstairs, I opened the sliding gla.s.s door and stepped out. Oblique light cut across the backyard, and the green scent of new-mown gra.s.s combined with the savory aroma of grilled meat from a neighboras barbecue. The fact that I hadnat eaten anything other than a gla.s.s of kefir since breakfast roared to the front of my mind accompanied by a predictably Pavlovian response in my mouth.

Everyone was intent on a lively game of Bocce. My parents were playing against Meghan and a rugged-looking man with thick black hair and a bounce in his step. Erin sat at the tile-topped patio table, watching with a scowl on her face. She looked over at me and blinked to acknowledge my presence, then returned her attention to the game. The satisfying clack of one Bocce ball connecting with another elicited a groan from my father.

I eyed the pile of corn on the cob, silk removed and rewrapped in their husks, awaiting the grill. I could only imagine what that perfect summer food would taste like dripping with Tabbyas piima-cultured b.u.t.ter. And Dad had mentioned chicken for dinner. I envisioned lots of tender dark meat, slathered with the sticky, spicy sauce my Southern grandmother had taught Anna Belle to make when she was a child. Mmmm. Maybe add some fresh sliced tomatoes, glowing red and still warm from the garden, sprinkled with a pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

I mentally shook off the culinary fantasy and walked over to put my hand on Erinas shoulder. aWe can play the winners.a She glanced up at me, then back down. aI donat want to play.a aErin,a I said.

aWhat?a I sighed. aNever mind.a From across the yard, Dad raised his hand in greeting. My mother followed suit, a gla.s.s of red wine in her other hand. She liked to adhere to tradition when it came to Bocce. Meghan flashed white teeth at me, all giddy because her beau had finally arrived. He saw me and approached, towing her by the hand.

aKelly!a I gave him a big hug. aItas so good to see you!a He was a handsome man, half Irish, half Cherokee Indian. His olive skin and light eyes were a devastating combination. Theyad certainly bewitched my best friend.

aHey, Sophie Mae. You look great.a I ducked my head at the compliment. aHurry up and win. Or lose. Whatever. You wonat believe what happened at the dairy today.a Meghan looked the question at me. Kelly c.o.c.ked his head to one side. Across the yard Dad and Anna Belle were talking. She pointed at something in her kitchen garden and laughed.

I said, aSomeone bashed Joe Bines over the head with a bottle of milk.a Concern and alarmed warred in Meghanas tone. aIs he going to be okay?a aEr not exactly.a She blinked, and realization dawned across her features. aHeas dead?a aUm yeah.a Muttered exclamations at that. aWhen did this bashing take place?a There was danger in Meghanas voice.

aWhen Tabby and I were up at the house making yogurt.a Her mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. Closed. She put her hand over her eyes and hung her head. Kelly stared at me like I was a particularly interesting bug.

aHey, I didnat kill him!a Apparently, I said that a little too loud, because Anna Belleas head whipped around. Her eyes narrowed as she strode toward us. Dad followed at a more leisurely pace.

aYouare late,a she said.

I sighed. aI know. Someone killed Joe Bines while I was at the dairy. I had to stick around and talk to the sheriff and his minions.a Well, technically Iad only spoken to one minion.

Dad joined us.

Erin said, aSophie Mae found another dead body.a His eyes widened.

We all sat down around the table, Bocce ball forgotten. I filled everyone in on my afternoon. When Iad finished, a long silence ensued as everyone a.s.similated the new information.

aLetas get the chicken and start dinner,a Meghan said. Her expression had gone from unhappy to horrified to resigned as I spoke.

Erin rolled her eyes. aBut I want to hear more.a aYouave heard it all,a I said. aBesides, Iam hungry.a aMe, too,a Kelly said.

Erin glared at him, turned on her heel and stalked inside. Meghan looked an apology at both of us.

aSo youare at it again,a Kelly said to me.

I grimaced. aI was only trying to find out what happened around the time my brotherayou know.a He nodded.

aYou should get a license, do it for real,a he said.

He was a private investigator in New Jersey, still talking about moving his P.I. business out to Washington so he and Meghan could be together. Problem was, he had a couple of long-term clients in New Jersey who kept things lucrative for him there, and he didnat have any client base in Seattle. So they still had a few things to work out. At least theyad managed to meet halfway for a few days together.

aOf course,a he continued, aYou donat have to have a license to be an investigator in Colorado.a That got my attention. aReally?a aOh, for heavenas sake,a Anna Belle said. aDonat tell her that.a But he winked at me. aReally. So what does this Joe guyas murder have to do with your brother?a aNot a thing, to the best of my knowledge.a Still, I couldnat help but wonder.

Something must have shown on my face, because my mother narrowed her eyes. aWhat did you do?a aNothing! I mean, I told him about the letter but didnat show it to him. He seemed to think Bobby Lee had incriminated him in some way. Got a little nutso about it, really. Then Tabby came in and I dropped it, figuring I could brace him again later.a I slumped. aGuess I lost my chance.a aSo he would have been able to tell us what Bobby Lee was talking about if youad shown him the letter.a Anna Belle sounded frustrated. Hard to blame her.

My shoulders rose and fell. aBut he wouldnat have. I could tell, because if Iad shown him the letter he would have known it didnat really say anything specific. No way would he incriminate himself.a I shook my head. aHe was always a real jerk, and that didnat change at all. In fact, I think heas worse.a aWas worse,a Meghan said.

aWas worse,a I agreed.

No, Joe wouldnat be insulting anyone anymore. But was that why someone had killed him? Or had telling him about Bobby Leeas letter pushed a potential killer into fast forward? Only three hours had pa.s.sed between when I talked to Joe and when we discovered him with his head bashed in.

But maybe that had been enough.

_____.

Even better than fresh garden tomatoes, Dad, in a fit of culinary experimentation, had created a beautiful platter of zucchini carpaccio: paper-thin rounds of the summer squash in overlapping layers, sprinkled with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, then topped with parsley, shaved Parmesan, and a scattering of finely chopped pecans.

aWhat a good idea for using up the glut of zucchini,a I said. aThere arenat nearly enough recipes for it this time of year.a It had also been a terrific acidic accompaniment to the sweet corn and predictable tang of barbecued chicken.

Dessert was light: fresh peaches and mixed berries tossed with a sweet balsamic vinaigrette. We were just digging in when something nudged my bare foot.

Craning to look under the table, I saw Kitty Wampus looking at me expectantly.

aYou donat like fruit,a I said to him. aYou like turkey sandwiches, remember?a Then I felt the movement and saw something lying on the concrete next to my heel. I shrieked and jumped up, scrambling away from the table.

aWampus! Bad cat. Bad cat.a Of course, by now everyone was looking under the table.

Dad laughed. aItas just a vole. Heas not a bad cat; heas just a cat. They all do that.a aAll cats do not drop half-dead rodents on my feet!a Meghan said. aIt means he likes you best.a aGreat.a I shuddered. aNext heall leave a rat on my pillow. The one where he likes to sleep and shed.a I sighed. aI miss Brodie.a Kelly gently scooped up the little creature. aThis guyall be okay. Iall put him out by the garden.a aThank you,a my mother said.

Kitty Wampus watched Kelly walk away with the vole. Probably noting where to retrieve it later.

Anna Belle had been uncharacteristically quiet, especially in light of my news about Joeas murder. I sat back down and asked her, aIs everything all right?a She exchanged glances with Dad. Even though it was brief, the look was pregnant with meaning. Neither of then said anything.

Oh, no. Now what?

Meghan, bless her heart, picked up on it. aKelly, itas a beautiful evening and I could use a walk. Erin, come with us. You can show us that park down the street.a aNo, thanks,a Erin said. aIam done with dinner. Can I go inside and read?a aUm, sure,a Meghan said.

Without another word, Erin rose and went inside.

But Kelly stood with alacrity, always ready to spend some time alone with Meghan. They went around to the front of the house, and I turned back to Dad and Anna Belle.

Raised my eyebrows and waited.

Finally, Dad said, aOne of those articles struck a note with me last night, but I didnat realize why until I was meditating this morning.a Eager, I leaned forward. aWhich one?a aThe one about the girl who died of hypothermia.a aDid Bobby Lee know her?a I could hardly keep the excitement out of my voice.

aWell, maybe,a he said.

I made an impatient noise.

My mother spoke for the first time. aThe girl belonged to a cult your brother was interested in.a I blinked. aWhat?a Dad said, aIt wasnat really a cult.a aYes, it was,a Anna Belle said. The muscles around her eyes and lips tightened, and she looked about ten years older.

aBobby Lee was involved a cult? Since when?a I squeaked, flabbergasted. aNo one ever told me any of this.a I flapped my hands. aMy brother joined a cult?a aOf course he didnat join a cult,a Anna Belle said. aWe wouldnat let him.a aIt wasnat a cult.a Dad sounded exasperated. aThere was a pastor who had a little place outside of town. Called it Rancho Sueo. Sometimes head let kidsateenagersastay there. Runaways, recovering addicts, abuse victims, like that.a aKids,a Anna Belle said. aWho were probably from good homes and wouldnat have run away at all if it werenat for the persuasive powers of Mr. Dunner et al. He went door-to-door. Targeting teenagers.a Dad explained. aI think most of the kids that the pastorahis name was Ogden Dunnerahelped were referred by his church members. But he came to our house once. He was working the neighborhood, spreading the wordayou know how it is.a I nodded. aSaving the ma.s.ses, one doorbell at a time.a aBobby Lee was home. He let him in. Your mother came home to find them in the kitchen talking like old friends.a Oh, dear. That wouldnat have gone over well with my mother.

aHe was trying to lure my son into his cult.a My father leaned forward. aOh, for Peteas sake, Anna Belle. It. Wasnat. A. Cult.a aWell, whatever it was, it certainly piqued your brotheras interest for a while, along with Joe and Tabbyas,a she said. aThey should have all been busy with college, learning how to make something of themselves in the world. But Bobby Lee had to take a year off after high school, work in a print shop, for heavenas sake. And Joe had decided not to go to school at all. Got a construction job and moved out on his own. Tabby was the only one taking cla.s.ses, and they didnat take up nearly enough of her time, in my opinion.a I stood up and began pacing back and forth on the patio. aSo Tabby and Joe were involved with this G.o.d Rancho place, too?a My motheras lips pressed together. aRancho Sueo. Dream Ranch. They certainly spent a lot of time out there for a while.a aCeleste Atwood mentioned that Tabby and Bobby Lee might not have been getting along. Was this before or after that started?a She sat back in her patio chair. aBefore. I think Joe Bines came between them later. If anyone deserved getting murdered, he did.a aAnna Belle!a She waved her hand in the air. aOh, I donat mean it. But Iad always wondered what happened between Bobby Lee and Tabby. He never had a chance to tell me.a aSo this Rancho Sueo thing was earlier?a My mother said, aYour brotheras involvement? Oh yes. At least six months before. We caught wind of it, and sat down with Bobby Lee. Had a long talk with him and convinced him not to go back there.a aWe forbade him to go.a A layer of sarcasm underscored my fatheras words.

aAnd he obeyed?a I didnat know whether to be more surprised that Bobby Lee was involved with Rancho Sueo or that my parents had thought head do what they told him.