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As Gramps and Mimi finished eating, Gramps caught her up on all the latest swamp gossip. He always seemed to know who was seeing who, who was sleeping with who and who was mad at somebody. These conversations usually wound up with plenty of laughter, and tonight was no different. Gramps’s gossip seemed particularly outrageous tonight, and she knew it was his effort to ease some of the tension she’d carried home with her from the store.

Their conversation turned to the latest murder. Gramps had heard about it through the swamp grapevine. “Chief Breaux must be tearing his hair out right about now,” Gramps said.

Chief Breaux was chief of police, Beau Breaux. “I’m sure he is,” Mimi agreed. “I hope he finds the guilty party before somebody else is murdered. I can’t believe there are already three victims. It’s absolutely horrendous how he leaves their bodies hanging in the trees.”

“Horrendous…it is that,” Gramps agreed.

Once the kitchen was cleaned up, Mimi and Gramps moved to the living room where Gramps took his usual seat in the recliner and Mimi sank down on the sofa.

Danny pulled his box of blocks into the room and set about trying to reach heaven with his structure. They hadn’t been sitting there very long when there was a knock on the door.

“Uncle River,” Danny exclaimed happily and ran to the tall, attractive man Mimi let in.

River picked Danny up in his arms. “How’s my little man doing?”

“Good,” Danny replied as he hugged River around the neck. River returned the hug, then smiled at Mimi and Gramps as he set Danny back on the floor.

“I told you I might stop by this evening, so here I am,” he said.

“And we’re glad to see you,” Mimi said with a smile at her friend. She scooted over on the sofa, and River sat next to her.

For the next few minutes, River visited with Gramps. They talked about favorite fishing holes and the hot weather and what was going on in town. “Have you heard that Chief Breaux has called for a town meeting tomorrow night?” he asked.

“No, I haven’t heard anything about it,” Mimi replied.

“Flyers are just now going up all over town announcing it,” River said.

“I’m assuming it’s about the murders,” Mimi said.

“Yeah, I’m assuming the same thing. It’s at seven o’clock. Want me to come by, and we can go together?” he asked.

“Sure, that would be great,” she replied.

“Uncle River, look at my tower,” Danny said.

“It’s a great tower, Danny boy.” River smiled at Danny, who beamed with pride.

For the next fifteen minutes, they all visited. Danny’s tower fell down, but he started building it all over again, this time with River’s help.

There was another knock on the door. It was Gus Martine. He greeted them all, then pulled a small yellow car out of his pocket and gave it to Danny.

“Cool,” Danny exclaimed as he took the little car.

“What else do you have to say?” Mimi asked her son.

“Thank you, Uncle Gus,” he said.

“It’s terrible when you have to bribe a kid to like you,” River said dryly. He returned to the sofa and sat.

Gus laughed good-naturedly. He stepped into the kitchen and returned with one of the chairs from the table. He sat down and almost immediately began to argue with River about who was the better fisherman.

Gramps and Mimi listened in amusement. Any time the two men were here together, they sparred with each other over a number of subjects. Their arguments often became completely absurd, making Gramps and Mimi laugh. Affection for the two of them welled up inside her.

Gus turned and looked at Mimi. “Have you heard about the town meeting tomorrow night?”

“Yes, River just told me about it,” she replied.

“You want to go with me?” Gus asked.