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thought you might have some books around . . .” Hilo had stopped mid-sentence to reconsider his words. “I know you have a full plate with Hank and the farm to look after, Marjorie,” he said. “And I hate to ask you such a thing, but I think it’s important. That thing there is the only real clue I have. It might be nothing. Peter and Jaeger had never seen it before, but that don’t mean it wasn’t something that belonged to Erik or Lida. I just don’t know why he was holding it, why the killer didn’t take it, just left it there. Helps rule out burglary at the very least, I suppose, if there’s any value to it.”
    â€œHard to say,” I said, studying it.
    â€œKind of ugly, ain’t it?”
    I nodded yes, then hesitated and listened for a stir of noise coming from Hank’s room. Silence. “If you think it’ll help you find out who killed Erik and Lida, I suppose I can look in to it.”
    â€œI think it might.”
    â€œI’ll have to go into town, check some books at the library.” I sighed inwardly. It meant that I would have to go see if my cousin, Raymond Hurtibese, still had my Aunt Gilda’s jewelry. He might know something about this kind of thing or be able to send me to talk to the right person at the college, but that didn’t mean I was happy about the idea. “I don’t have anything around here that I think would be of any help,” I offered to Hilo.
    Hilo nodded, relaxed. “I’ll send Ardith out to look after Hank while you’re gone. You keep the amulet. I won’t tell anybody you have it, and it’s probably best if no one knows that I asked for your help. I won’t be hard to find if you need me,” he said.
    Hilo edged away from the door, toward the steps. Shep stood up and wagged his tail. Hilo ignored the dog. “I appreciate this, Marjorie, I really do. This is the first murder around here in twenty-five years, and the last one was pretty easy to figure out.”
    â€œI remember.” Benefield Frankels had shot his wife square in the forehead at a roadside motel for stepping out with another man. Hilo had secured his position as sheriff for as long as he wanted after he solved that crime. “I’ll stop by and see Peter and Jaeger while I’m out,” I said.
    â€œI’m sure they’d like that.” He was as fond of the Knudsens as I was. “But don’t mention that you have the amulet.”
    I agreed silently with another slight nod.
    Hilo pushed past Shep and slouched to the truck, his shoulders heavy, his steps less calculated and more unsure than I could ever remember. Shep made his way up onto the porch, and we stood there and watched Hilo drive away.
    The dust plume lingered just like it had when Hilo had driven up, and the amulet felt cold in my hand. I tucked it into the front pocket of my housedress as quickly as I could, all the time visualizing Erik and Lida Knudsen, lying in a pool of blood in their marriage bed.
    At least they went together , I heard a chorus of voices whisper inside my head. The vision was clear; a gathering of church women, hands clasped tightly together, shaking their heads over a pair of walnut caskets.
    â€œThat would be the only blessing,” I said out loud to the wind, to the sky, and to the meadowlark that was standing sentinel on the fence post at the end of the lane.

CHAPTER 3
    I went about my business in the kitchen, resisting the atrophy of grief. My heart ached and my muscles were full of tension as I imagined two wounded angels ascending to heaven much sooner than they, or anyone else, had anticipated.
    I’d never been one to keep an eye out for a pervasive dark cloud of tragedy on the horizon, even when it lived and breathed in my own bed, but for the life of me, I couldn’t believe that Erik and Lida Knudsen had left the world. I wanted to cry, but I couldn’t find the recipe for