The food at Mary’s was as good as it always was, and by the time I was done with the dumplings and a second helping of collards, I was even more motivated to not cross any lines into ill-taste or disrespect because I needed time before I ate that coconut cake. Not eating it was simply out of the question.
So when we sat down to talk in Mary’s living room after eating, I made a point to be as truthful as I could, within the boundaries to protect the investigation that Santiago had set out this morning, and explained that we were looking for more information about the woman whose body had been found under the school house.
The two elders who had joined us didn’t waste any time telling their stories. Mrs. Marines went first and explained how she had been a student there. “Enid here was smar
