Hour Game

"Bobby and Remmy had lots of friends and business associates. Throw in the curious and the ones who came merely to gloat, and you have a staggering turnout."

"So I guess the Junior Deaver case is over," said King.

"Technically yes. You can't prosecute a dead man for burglary; what would be the point?"

"Technically, but…," said King, watching his friend closely.

"But if my assumption is correct and Junior was innocent, I'd still like to catch the thief."

"You want us to keep investigating?"

"Yes, I do, Sean. I have his wife and children to consider. Why should his little ones grow up thinking their father was a thief if he wasn't?"

"In fact, we have our own motivation to follow that up."

"I can see that, considering how Junior was killed."

"Exactly. What are you doing after the funeral?"

"I've been invited to the Battles'," answered Harry.

"So have we. Maybe we can find a quiet corner and discuss tactics."

"I look forward to it." They all sat back and listened as the preacher commenced his talk about the dead man, the resurrection and life eternal. The rain continued to fall, making a somber afternoon even more depressing.

As the lengthy homily finally ended, the preacher went forward to comfort the family. King's gaze moved beyond the group assembled by the grave, and out in grids to the surrounding area. It was the same technique he'd used when in protection detail at the Secret Service. Then he'd been looking for potential assassins; now he was looking for someone who'd already killed.

King spotted her as she came over the slight rise of ground to the right.

Lulu Oxley was dressed all in black but, unlike Remmy Battle, wore no veil. And then it suddenly occurred to King: Junior's funeral had been today as well. And there was only one cemetery in the area. Appearing behind Lulu as she marched toward them were Priscilla Oxley and the three Deaver children.

"Oh, shit," whispered King to Harry and Michelle. Michelle had already seen them coming. Harry hadn't until King pointed her out.

Harry jerked back and said, "Oh, good Lord."

Lulu turned and motioned for her mother and children to stay where they were. They instantly obeyed, and then Lulu kept right on coming. King, Michelle and Harry rose as one to head her off. Others in the crowd had seen her too, because the murmuring was growing louder.

When they reached her, about fifty feet from the Battles, King said, "Lulu, you definitely don't want to do this."

"Get the hell out of my way!" said Lulu in a voice that told King she'd been drinking.

Harry took her by the arm. "Lulu, listen to me. You listen to me now!"

"Why the hell should I? I listened to you before and Junior's dead!" To King she looked like she might collapse any moment or else pull a gun and start shooting anything with clothes on.

"No good can come out of your being here," continued Harry. "No good. Mrs. Battle is grieving too."

"She should be rotting in hell for what she did!" She tried to jerk her arm away from Harry's grip, but the old man somehow held on.

His voice was steady and calm. "There isn't a shred of evidence that she had anything to do with Junior's death. In fact, everything points to his being killed by the same person who killed all the others, including Bobby Battle. The same person killedboth your husbands."

"Then maybe she had her husband killed, I don't know. But she threatened Junior and now he's dead."

King looked back and saw that Remmy Battle had raised her veil and was now staring at them. And then King's worst fears were realized. Remmy went over to Mason, said something to him as she pointed at them, and then she started walking over holding an umbrella against the rain.

"Oh, this just gets better and better," muttered King under his breath. All others in the crowd sat watching, waiting for a catastrophic collision of widows.

With long, methodical strides Remmy reached them quickly. King immediately blocked her path to Lulu.

"Get the hell out of my way, Sean. This isnot your business." Her southern drawl had never been more prominent, at least in his experience. Her look and tone brooked no opposition, and King reluctantly did as he was told.

Harry was the next barrier, but it only took a fierce expression from Remmy to move him aside as well. Probably sensing the futility of it, Michelle didn't even try.

Remmy was now face-to-face with Lulu, who stared back at her on tottering legs, the tears running down her face, which was twisted into an expression of hatred.

Without looking back at them Remmy said, "I want to talk privately with Ms. Oxley. We have some things to discuss that are just between us."

Lulu began, "I got nothing to say to-"

Remmy held up her hand, but King, who couldn't see her features, concluded it was probably the look on the older woman's face that had halted the usually indomitable Lulu from launching into her tirade.

"Please let us talk," said Remmy in a calmer tone.