“Maddie and I were trying to find out who else might have had a reason to murder him. Then I hear how the two of you had a big fight.’’

Jeb clenched his jaw hard. “Did you tell anybody else about that?’’

“Not yet. I wanted to give you the chance to explain first.’’

My mind flashed back more than a decade, to the night I’d caught Jeb with another girl at a popular lookout over the lake. I’d given him the chance to explain then, too. I should have cracked his truck’s windshield with Emma Jean’s tire iron instead.

“I’m gonna tell you the truth, Mace. I borrowed some money from Albert. The man was bleeding me dry. We argued, yes. But I swear to you, I never laid a hand on him.’’

“I heard different.’’

“And I’m saying I never hurt the man.’’ His warm hazel eyes went cold. “I don’t know where you got that. Did that girl behind the counter tell you something?’’

“No,’’ I lied.

“Well, whoever it was is wrong. And why would you believe them over me? We’ve known each other since we were kids, Mace.’’

I thought about that long-ago night at Lake Okeechobee. Jeb had rushed after me, telling me I’d misunderstood everything. The girl meant nothing. It was the first time he’d even kissed her. It was a mistake. He begged me to forgive him.

I did, and found out later he’d been seeing her on the side for five weeks.

“Mace?’’ he said again, jarring me back to the present.

I took my time before answering, looking around the restaurant. Mama had taken a seat with Ruth Harris’ grandson. She and the girlfriend-in-black were sharing a slice of butterscotch pie.

In a quiet voice, I said, “You don’t have the best track record with me for being truthful.’’

Jeb picked his hat up and stood. “All you can see in me is that stupid twenty-something kid, cheating on you with another girl. I was a scoundrel, Mace. I’m sorry I broke your heart; but that was a long time ago. I’ve grown up. I’ve changed.’’

He placed the hat on his head, and tapped the brim as he looked at me in the mirror. “My regards to your mama. I think I’ll skip dinner tonight. It seems I’ve lost my appetite.’’

He started to walk away, then turned to whisper in my ear. “I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t go around spreading lies about me and Jim Albert.’’

“What?’’ I whispered back. “Like you owed him money and now he’s conveniently dead? That’s not a lie, Jeb. That’s a fact.’’

He straightened, staring at me for a long moment. His eyes looked just the same as the night I’d accused him of cheating. Hurt. Bewildered. Angry that I could believe something so awful about him.

I couldn’t help but remember how convincing Jeb had seemed back then. And all the while, he’d been lying like a tobacco company bigwig testifying to Congress.

“What in the name of Mike was all that about?’’ Mama slid her coffee cup back onto the counter and climbed up on the stool in front of the hamburgers Charlene had finally delivered.

“I don’t want to talk about it.’’ I stared straight ahead at the stainless steel wheel above the kitchen. So many white order slips were clipped up there, it looked like laundry day for a race of tiny people.

Mama reached over to straighten my bangs. “Well, I’m not surprised. You seem just about talked out after that scene with Jeb. What were you two whispering about, Mace? I could hear you all the way over to the table with Ruth’s grandson. The way you were hissing, it sounded like somebody stepped into a mess of snakes.’’

There was a snake, all right; and its name was Jeb Ennis.

“Mama, did you know Jim Albert loaned money to people?’’

“I didn’t know too much about him, Mace. But what I had heard, I didn’t like. Truth is, this whole marriage came up awfully fast. I don’t believe they dated for more than a few months. And I always thought Emma Jean could do better. I think she sensed I disapproved of Jim, because we didn’t talk much about him.’’

I took a bite from my burger and watched the order slips flutter in the breeze from an air conditioning vent. I was thinking about how Jeb was linked to Jim Albert, who in turn was linked to Emma Jean. And then there was Mama’s boyfriend, Sal, and his ties to everything. The whole mess was looking exactly like that nest of snakes Mama mentioned.

“Honey.’’ Mama tapped my shoulder. “Your purse is ringing.’’

I fumbled in my purse for my phone, past some packages of beef jerky and a jar of peanut butter, which I use to bait animal traps. By the time I found it, it’d quit ringing. I’ve got to get Maddie to sew me one of those little cell phone cases.

I went to the phone’s log and called back the last number that called me.

“Where are you two?’’ Maddie said. “Marty’s waiting for y’all. Mama left her things from the jail in the car this morning. Marty decided to run them by on her way home from her meeting at the library. You know that promotion she got? She’s running the whole show now.” My hamburger and fries awaited, salt crystals sparkling like diamonds on hot grease. I longed to take a bite, but I knew Maddie would yell at me for talking with my mouth full.

“How was church?’’ she asked.

“Just about like usual,’’ I lied. “We’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.’’

“I should have been there, too. But I couldn’t move a muscle after Kenny went and got us barbecue from the Pork Pit for supper. I ate so much, all I could do was unzip the waist of my slacks and lie there on my couch like a big, fat hog.’’

I got an image of my normally proper sister stretched out with her undies exposed, and smiled for the first time since Jeb sat down.

“Thanks, Maddie. I needed that. Listen, we’ll finish here and head over to Mama’s in about a half hour. Can you tell Marty? Tell her I want to hear all about the promotion.’’

“Will do,’’ Maddie said. “She already opened a bottle of Mama’s white zinfandel and she’s watching Cops on TV. It’s a good one, too, Mace. They caught this guy who got stuck in a hole he made in the ceiling when he was trying to burglarize a store. So far, I haven’t seen any of your old beaus.’’

Once, while watching the show, we’d spotted a boy I ran with during my wild period. Drunk and shirtless, he was being hauled out of a trailer on a drug charge. Maddie, of course, had never let me forget it.

After I rang off, Mama and I polished off our burgers, split the check, and headed home.

___

Teensy was running in circles and yapping at Mama’s front door. We could see Marty through the sheer curtain at the window, trying to navigate around the dog to let us in.