“I have a good feeling about it,” she said.
I heard a noise in the backyard, and saw Matt coming through the shrubbery opening, carrying the metal detector. He waved and strode toward the back porch. I opened the door, feeling anxious and self-conscious, not sure how to greet him.
He gave me a hug—one that was tighter, longer, and warmer than the standard-issue hello hug—then came into the kitchen and bent down to plant a peck on Gran’s cheek.
My heart danced. “Can I get you some coffee?”
“Sounds great.” His smile let me know he was definitely not having any regrets.
He turned to Gran, then angled his thumb toward the dining room. “Okay if I look at the dining room mural for a moment?”
“Of course,” Gran said. “Hope does beautiful work, doesn’t she?”
“Sure does,” Matt said from the other room.
He came back into the kitchen a moment later and sat down across from Gran. I placed a cup of coffee in front of him and sat down beside him.
“I have a question, Miss Addie.”
“Certainly. Ask away.”
“Well, you have a partially rotten stump in the backyard next to the shed. I think it’s the pecan tree that’s pictured in Hope’s mural in your dining room. When did you cut it down?”
“After Hurricane Katrina. More than half of the branches had broken off and it was leaning.”
“Was it planted after the suitcase was buried?”
Gran gazed thoughtfully out the window. “It might have been. One spring Charlie got a deal on a truckload of pecan trees. The store sold them. It was the first time they’d sold trees, and Charlie’s dad was miffed—said they were a lumberyard and hardware store, not a nursery. Anyway, Charlie planted three of them here, as well as three at both of our parents’ houses.” Gran looked at Matt, her eyes bright and excited. “If someone wanted to make sure something remained buried, the best way to do it would be to plant a tree right on top of it, wouldn’t it?”
Matt nodded. “Would it bother you if we dug up the tree trunk?”
Gran’s hand covered her chest.
“Are you okay?” I asked, immediately worried about her heart.
“Yes, honey. I’m just feeling... Oh, I’m so sure you’re right, Matt. And the fact Charlie planted trees on everyone’s property—well, that would have kept me from being suspicious.”
“If it’s okay with you, then, that’s where we’ll look.” He turned to me. “I’ll be back in an hour or so. I’m going to rent a stump grinder and a saw, and we’ll get to work.”
“Where are the girls?” I asked.
“At Sunday school. After church, Peggy, Griff, and Jillian are taking them to the zoo in New Orleans.” He briefly placed his hand on my back as he rose.
The simple touch warmed me to the core. I watched him pull his cell phone from his pocket as he walked out the back door, then turned to my grandmother. “Gran, are you sure you’re ready to deal with the consequences if we find that suitcase?”
“Yes, dear.”
“You know you’ll have to tell Eddie.”
“Oh, I know, honey.”
“We’ll have to call the police, as well. You could be in some kind of trouble for not reporting your suspicions.”
Gran’s chin tilted up. “I’d rather face the consequences here in this world than in the next.”
I swallowed.
“Ready for your bath, Miss Addie?” The aide stood in the doorway, a towel over her arm.
