Sheesh, spirit. What were you doing while I gave you instructions? Picking your nose?
Francine tapped her chin. “She was there another night, too.”
I nearly slammed on the brakes. “What?”
“Yes, I could swear I saw her before the night she died. Out in the woods with someone.”
I wanted to rake my eyes out. “Was it someone from the funeral home? That’s what you were supposed to be doing. Looking at all the faces and seeing if any of them were familiar.”
She clasped her hands over one knee and rocked from side to side. “Tell you what—I’ll keep tagging along with you, and if the right person presents themselves, I’ll give you a shout.”
A growl nearly escaped my lips. “Sounds perfect.”
Francine turned toward me. “You seem tense. Is everything okay?”
I shook my head. “No. My life’s falling apart.”
“Oh no. Dear, you can tell Auntie Francine anything. I’m here to help. I have all kinds of ways to make things better.”
Seeing as I didn’t have a different way to pass the time, I spouted off about my problems—Roan and then the call from Anita.
“So I’ve got to catch Lucky Strike within one week and I don’t know if I can save a relationship with a guy I care about.”
“Love?” Francine batted her eyelashes. “Do you love him?”
I shrugged. “Maybe.”
She studied at me as if she could pick apart my soul. “Really?” she said in a tone that suggested I was pumped full of cow malarkey.
“Okay,” I relented with a sigh. “Maybe I really care about him.”
Francine’s lips curled into a devilish smile. “Well, anyway. However you feel is how you feel. I can’t do anything about your relationship, but maybe there is something I can do about the other.”
My eyebrows hiked up. “Lucky?”
“Yes,” she purred. “We’ll discuss it.” She pointed toward the road. The ATV slowed. “Looks like we’ve arrived.”
Ruth stuck her hand out the open window and waved for me to pass them.
Thinking she wanted me to park someplace inconspicuous, I headed a few houses down and stopped at a large two-story brown house.
Ruth and Alice met me at the house. “I didn’t expect you to park right in front of it,” Ruth said.
“You waved me on.”
“There was big pothole. I wanted you to avoid it.”
There was no arguing the silliness of the situation. Best to move ahead.
I glanced around to make sure the street was empty. “Glad I parked right in front. Nothing suspicious about that.”
“It’s not.” Alice held a napkin over her purse. “We’re just bringing food to the family members who might be inside.”
“It’s clearly empty,” I argued.
“Oops, I forgot to wear my glasses,” Alice said, stuffing them in her pocket.
Ruth latched hold of Alice. “And I just got my eyes dilated. I can barely see. Blissful, you’ll have to lead us up the stairs and inside.”
