Audrey Millard, meanwhile, was seated at a table as far away as possible from the one containing Warren Broome and Patsie Boatfield. She nodded to me when I lowered her plate, then handed me the photocopy of the puzzle Holly had given her.
Back in the kitchen, I posed the question about entertainment to the crew. Did anybody have any lighthearted music we could play for the guests? Arch, bless him, remembered an old boom box he’d stored in the trunk of his car. Boyd, done with his routine, accompanied us as we walked quickly through the dining room, where everyone was silently digging into their entrées. Out in the lot, Arch popped the trunk to his VW—and revealed, in addition to the boom box, an unopened CD I’d bought him for Christmas: The Best of Kenny G.
I said, “I see my ability to
