The drive back to Octonia was even quieter than the one down, and only when we headed west toward home, did Mika say. “I’m actually glad that it was the fact that Ms. Agee had lived a long life that the women had to tell us. I was getting a squirrely sense from them, and I didn’t want to dislike them or think ill of them.”
Ms. Nicholas laughed. “Squirrely is right. I’ve known Alva Key for almost thirty years, and I’d never seen her be so cagey. Now, I know why. She wanted to be sure she understood what we knew before she told us the truth. Wise woman, she is.”
I sighed. “Yeah, if she knew the whole story about the woman I will now call Ms. Doe, then she didn’t give us room to argue. She and Angelia saved us a lot of time and energy.”
The silence sat heavy in the car for a few moments, b
