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Rock, then you really must know beer.”
    â€œActually, it’s what my grandpop used to drink.”
    â€œNana Celia’s husband?”
    â€œYep. He’d slip me a quarter of an inch in a glass when no one was looking.”
    While there was still peace between them, and still an easy atmosphere, Caprice went to pick up Lady’s leash, fuchsia in color, which was lying over the coffee table. She’d just looped it over her arm, ready to wake Lady, when her cell phone vibrated, then played.
    The caller couldn’t be Bella. She’d just left there. Taking it from her blazer pocket, she saw it was her mom.
    She held the phone to her ear. “Hi, Mom.”
    â€œSomething awful has happened,” her mother said, sounding close to tears. “Louise was taken to the hospital.”

Chapter Three
    Caprice felt as if she’d had the air knocked out of her. “What happened? Louise was perfectly fine on Saturday. Did she catch the flu? Was she in an accident?”
    Louise and her mom were best friends, so she could only imagine what her mother was feeling.
    â€œNo one’s exactly sure what happened,” her mom explained. “Rachel was out. When she came home, she found her. It was some kind of stomach upset and then her heart condition factored in, so Rachel called nine-one-one and that’s all I know. Chet called me, beside himself. He’s pacing the emergency room while they do tests on her. He thinks they’re going to admit her. I asked if he wanted me to come down there and he said that would be useless tonight. But if they do admit her, of course, she’d want me to visit tomorrow. I’d take a personal day, but we have midterm exams.”
    Louise was one of those mavens of Kismet who had tons of friends. She belonged to the Garden Club and was involved in a multitude of charities. But how many close friends did she have? She and her mom went way back and that made a difference in friendship.
    Caprice thought about Roz Winslow, the high school friend who’d gotten caught up in a murder investigation. She and Caprice had reinvigorated their friendship, and now were almost as close as sisters again. Good friends were so important.
    â€œMom, I know you want to be with Louise, but it might be useless to take the day off without knowing her condition, and how long she’ll be there. I’ll call the hospital in the morning and if I can, I’ll go in and visit.”
    â€œI’d go during lunch if I could, but I wouldn’t have enough time to make it to York and back.”
    Kismet wasn’t large enough to have its own hospital. They had doctors and an urgent care center where Seth had worked. But for a hospital, Kismet residents had to travel to York, about twenty minutes away.
    â€œIf Louise is there and can have visitors, I’ll tell her you’ll be there as soon as school dismisses.”
    â€œI don’t want to let her down,” her mother said. “There were many times she backed me up when I needed someone to stay with you kids. Remember when Nikki was in that biking accident when she was sixteen? Your father was on a job site and I couldn’t reach him. Louise was with me when I got the call, and she didn’t hesitate to drive me to the hospital and stay with me and Nikki until she was taken care of . . . until your father arrived. I haven’t seen her as much as I’d like over the past few years. She seemed to grow a little distant. But we’re still good friends, and friends help each other in the rough times.”
    â€œI understand, Mom, I really do. I’ll check things out and text you or leave a message on your phone. Then you’ll know how she is, and when she’s going to be discharged. They don’t keep anyone in the hospital very long anymore. She could be sent home before you even think about visiting her. Nikki was going to come over tomorrow morning. We have a couple more