Heather glanced at the funeral home's parking lot that was filling fast. She guessed the ratio of cars to pickup trucks to be one to four. Steve's hand rested on her shoulder and she told him the approximate distance to the front door. Rance walked alongside, matching her pace. Mae and Patrick were almost to the door when they moved away from those entering and stood off to the side. Mae nodded at something he said and followed the direction his head nudged. She led the way toward them, and it didn't take her long to cover the distance.
"I thought you were in jail," said Mae in an accusatory voice.
Steve stopped and faced Mae. "Why would Rance be in jail?"
"I wasn't talking to you, but since you asked, it's all over town they found the rifle that killed Hector in Rance's truck."
"They did," said Steve. "But whoever put it there made some big mistakes. I can't go into detail on what they are, other than to say someone tried to set Rance up and failed. The rifle and Rance's truck are being examined now by top forensic experts. I pity the person who put it there and thought they were too smart to get caught."
Heather knew Steve stretched the truth on the last statement. She also knew he counted on her to look for reactions from Mae and Patrick. Mae put on a cheerful face and said, "I knew it couldn't be you, Rance. You and that old Mexican were like this." She held up the index and middle fingers of her right hand held tight together.
Patrick dabbed sweat from his brow with a monogrammed handkerchief. Heather didn't know what to think of his reaction since the temperature was in the mid-nineties and climbing.
"I'm glad you're not in jail," said Mae. "That will save me the trouble of hiring local riffraff to round up the cattle and send you a bill. I want those cattle off my property."
Rance straightened his spine. "I've been working dawn till dark to do just that. I'm not dragging my feet, Mae. It takes time. We can't push the horses all day in this heat."
Mae took a step toward him. "I didn't ask for excuses. Every stinking cow is to be off my land by Wednesday."
Rance tilted his hat back on his head. "What about the other parcels?"
"Who cares?"
Heather hoped Rance would tell Mae to take a long walk off a short pier, but it took more than his eldest sister's selfish rant to provoke him. He resettled his hat and shrugged in a way that communicated he didn't have a care in the world. "If I can find another hand or two, and if we work all weekend, I might have them penned by Wednesday. Of course, there's no guarantee I can find good cowboys on short notice. There's also a chance we miss a few strays."
Patrick spoke up. "That's no problem. In fact, several cattle on the land will allow us to claim an agricultural exemption until we develop it. The surveyors are out there now. I've given them instructions not to get in your way."
Heather expected Steve to say something about starting work before he'd formally awarded the land to Mae, but he remained silent.
"Steve," said Patrick. "The two senior partners in our law firm have offered to help with title transfers."
It took all the self-control Heather possessed to keep from releasing a tactless refusal to Patrick's offer.
Steve spoke while she was forming her rejection. "That's very generous. I plan on getting the family together one last time Monday afternoon. I'll reread the entire will, make my last awards of the land and Heather will distribute the settlement checks for the life insurance policies."
From over Heather's shoulder, she heard a man's voice. The jovial words could only belong to Roy. "Did someone say we're having a family reunion? I'll bring the old-style lawn darts. The way Mae's luck is running, she'll eliminate all three of us and rake in the whole enchilada."
It occurred to Heather that Roy had a way of expressing gallows humor that made it hard not to smile. She turned to face him. "One final meeting on Monday. The insurance company said the checks will arrive that morning."
"Meeting at the hotel at five," added Steve. "I've arranged for us to be in the Live Oak room."
Roy looked at Mae. "Tie the knot yet?"
"Tomorrow morning." A smile that didn't reach Mae's eyes accompanied the curt reply that didn't include an invitation.
"Try getting someone who doesn't tie a slip-knot this time."
"Run along, Roy. The grownups are talking."
Roy responded with a boisterous laugh and walked away.
Everyone turned to leave when Heather spotted Sue Ann and motioned for her to join them. Instead of waiting for her, Mae took Patrick by the arm and pulled him away. Heather concluded that what Mae lacked in manners she made up for with a nasty personality.
The smile on Sue Ann's face told Heather that her sister's snub didn't bother her in the least.
Steve must have caught Sue Ann's scent. "How are you holding up with Grant in jail?"
"The hens laid two more eggs than usual, there’s fresh tomatoes and the kids slept through the night. I think everyone is enjoying the peace now that Grant's not around."
Rance spoke up. "Why don't you and the kids come live with me once I get a new place?"
Sue Ann’s eyebrows arched. "Where?"
He shrugged. "Somewhere between I-35 and I-45 and not too far from A&M. I'm looking for several hundred acres with good land and water. I think a million dollars and the money from the sale of the cattle will get us started."
Sue Ann looked at Heather. "Is there enough money for me and the kids to build a house? I don't want Rance to feel crowded."
Heather had to clear her throat before she answered. "You have plenty to build a house, and a barn for Buttercup, and a chicken coop."
Rance nudged his head toward the door. "Come on, Sue Ann. Let's get inside. I'll show you some places I found online later. One already has a four-bedroom house and a mother-in-law house in the back. That bungalow is all I’ll need."
"Before you go," said Heather, "I have something for Sue Ann." She pulled a stack of Visa gift cards from her purse. "There's ten of these and they have a thousand dollars credit on each one. Buy whatever you need for yourself and the kids until we work out how much you'll be getting from the investments I'll make for you."
Rance looked skeptical, so Heather included him. "I expect you to help us this coming week in deciding how to allocate her funds."
He agreed, and the two youngest siblings walked ahead. Heather noted their differences. He was dark and lean. Sue Ann tended toward a fuller figure, light hair and fair skin.
"Are we going to stand in the heat all day?" asked Steve.
"I was giving them some space," said Heather.
"You can't fool me. I heard you digging in your purse for a tissue."
"Guilty as charged, and glad of it. It's not every murder case I get to cry for the right reason."
Steve reached out his hand and Heather placed it on her shoulder as he said, "Let's hope we both aren't crying before this is over. We're heading into the home stretch and things may get rocky."
As they reached the door, cool air met them, and so did Angelina. "Thank you for coming, Mr. Smiley. And you too, Ms. McBlythe."
Steve leaned toward Angelina’s voice and whispered, "Take us away from all these people."
Angelina led the way down a hallway opposite the crowd's direction. Halfway down, they slipped into a room filled with rows of empty caskets, their lids open and price tags displayed.
"No one can hear us in here," said Angelina. "I wanted to tell you I've been looking everywhere for what you wanted and I can't find it."
"Did you ask your mother?"
"She says it might be in her safe deposit box at the bank. We can't get to it until Monday."
Steve rubbed his chin. "That will cut it close. If worse comes to worst, I'll postpone the final meeting until we're sure." He pointed to the door. "You need to be with your mother. Are we still on for tomorrow morning?"
"Ten o'clock." Angelica stopped at the door. "We'll have coffee and Mama's special pumpkin cream cheese empanadas."
Heather tented her hand on her hips after the door closed, leaving them in a room of caskets. "When were you going to tell me about all the things you did while I was in Montana?"
"Don't blame me. Flying off in the middle of a case wasn't the deal we had. You agreed to drop everything whenever we have a case to work. If that wasn't bad enough, you got tanked and had to nurse a hangover. That lost another half a day. You can't blame me for making unilateral decisions if you’re off doing your own thing."
Heather looked around the room. A strange place for a business meeting, but Steve was right. Regardless, he wouldn't like it if she didn't put up a defense. "You're not fooling me. You always keep something back so you can amaze everyone when you unravel the crimes."
He chuckled. "That's better. Let's pay our respects to Hector and I'll bring you up to speed on most everything on our way back to the hotel."
"Most everything? That means you'll be holding out on me."
"Sure. I'm not the only one who hasn't laid all my cards on the table. You haven't told me all you know."
"I certainly have."
He shook his head. "What did you find in the box of documents that Sue Ann gave you?"
"Nothing of value. Ranch receipts. Bank statements. Some family photos and the marriage license for Charley and the kids' mother, Pearl."
"See," said Steve. "You have your little secrets, too. I'm not complaining. Just stating a fact."
"Nothing was important," said Heather. She knew she'd made a mistake, so she cut him off. "I know what you're going to say: 'Everything is important in a murder case.'"
He nodded. "How many years passed between the time Charley married and Mae was born?"
Heather had to think for a minute to get the timeline straight. "Nine years."
Steve smiled. "That's important. I'll tell you why after the graveside service. I need you to tell me if Mae and Patrick go to it." He stopped. "Come to think of it, look for them in the service we're almost late for. I bet they've already left."
She was glad she didn't take the bet. Mae and Patrick must have accomplished what they desired by speaking to Rance and had no intention of attending the funeral. The service passed without drama until Rance stood to speak. His heartfelt eulogy left tissues shredded and handkerchiefs damp.