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nineteen years.
    Judith also exchanged a half-dozen phone calls with Renie, checking on details and schedules. She not only wasn’t tired, she couldn’t remember when she’d been so excited. Even breaking the news to Gertrude went better than she’d expected.
    â€œYou have been looking peaked lately,” her mother allowed. “Though I don’t know why you need to go off on a boat to a bunch of islands where they probably have cannibals who’ll make you into a stew. Not that you’ve got much meat on your bones.”
    â€œI’ve looked up the Cook Islands,” Judith replied. “They’re in the heart of Polynesia and belong to New Zealand. The islands sound lovely—and safe.”
    â€œIf you say so,” Gertrude said, then brightened. “With Arlene and Carl taking over, we’ll play pinochle and I’ll get to eat food I really like.”
    The Rankerses were fond of the old girl and indulged her every whim. Besides, Judith knew that Arlene and Carl would keep Gertrude from bedeviling Joe while he tried to focus on the upcoming trial.
    That night Judith went to bed right after locking up the B&B at ten. The airport shuttle was due to pick up the cousins at 4 A.M . for their six-twenty flight to San Francisco. Renie had chosen the early time because she reasoned that she wouldn’t be awake until after their arrival, and thus wouldn’t be so terrified of flying. A couple of stiff shots of Wild Turkey would also help calm her nerves.
    In fact, when Judith got into the shuttle after bidding her husband and her mother farewell, she realized that Renie was drunk as a skunk.
    â€œHiya, coz!” Renie said in a cheerful voice. “Whazzup?”
    â€œOh, good grief!” Judith exclaimed under her breath. Swiftly, she scanned the three other passengers: a young couple holding hands in the row behind the cousins and a silver-haired woman sitting ramrod straight next to the driver. They were all avoiding any glances at Renie.
    Judith fastened her seat belt. “Just keep your mouth shut,” she whispered to Renie. “And don’t pass out. I can’t carry you.”
    â€œS’a fine,” Renie said, keeping her voice down. “S’a dark.”
    â€œOf course it’s dark,” Judith replied, again whispering. “It’s March, it’s four in the morning.”
    â€œNi-ni,” Renie said, and put her head on Judith’s shoulder.
    Judith didn’t know whether she should kick Renie—or herself. Bill had told horror stories about air travel with his inebriated wife, including a flight from Vegas during which she’d spotted a former Olympic decathlon champion and jumped in his lap. It was hard to tell who was more embarrassed—Bill or the decathlete. It certainly hadn’t bothered Renie.
    The trip to the airport took less than twenty minutes in such light traffic. When the shuttle stopped, Renie jumped up like a jack-in-the-box, hitting her head on the vehicle’s roof.
    â€œOuch!” she cried. “’S building’s na’ verra tall.”
    â€œHoly Mother.” Somehow—artificial hip and all—Judith managed to haul her cousin out of the van. “Take deep breaths,” she ordered Renie. “Try to stand up straight while we check our luggage.”
    Judith had one suitcase and a carry-on bag. Renie had three suitcases, including a fold-over, and a train case. She communicated with the baggage attendant by nodding or shaking her head.
    Security was the next hurdle. Judith was thankful that the line hadn’t yet grown to the long, snaking proportions that it would later in the day. There was no problem for either cousin. Renie marched through like an automaton. Judith suspected that airport employees were used to the frightened flyers who drank, took tranquilizers, and even used self-hypnosis to survive their ordeal. Indeed, Judith wasn’t fond of