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Hillcrest Manor Nursing Home, but would you let me talk to her about her son. She’s doesn’t have any other family.”
    Now that was a fib, Eugeena.
Louise certainly does have more family.
    “Certainly, Mrs. Patterson. Why don’t you get some sleep? We will touch base tomorrow morning.”
    After Detective Wilkes walked away, I turned to Amos. “I wasn’t very truthful. Louise does have other family. Don’t you think it’s odd that this all happened today.”
    Amos eyed me. “Don’t get any ideas, Eugeena. Like the detective said, let’s get a good night’s sleep and we’ll talk more tomorrow. Lock your doors up tight.”
    “Okay.” Amos stood on my porch until I shut my front door and locked it. Despite Amos’ warning, I was full of questions.
    Who was the woman that came to visit William? Was it really about a house sale or did William say that as a cover up for something else? Then there was that moment when William seemed suspicious of Jocelyn earlier. Did he know who she was?
    I changed into my flannel nightgown and tried to settle my nerves, but so much had happened today I was too restless to just lie down. I knelt by my bedside and prayed for Louise and the loss of her son.
This is going to hit her hard, Lord.
    It occurred to me after I climbed into bed. What if today’s visit from Jocelyn was a part of a plan that included taking out Louise’s only heir?

Chapter 8
    Dreams of Jocelyn shooting at William invaded my sleep. I don’t know why because it seemed so illogical. While I couldn’t clearly see the woman, I didn’t think the female voice I heard was Jocelyn’s voice. But then I kept replaying William’s face as he questioned Jocelyn. Had he seen Jocelyn before? It was the timing of it all. There was so much more to my neighbor’s son getting killed next door.
    By the time I arose Monday morning I felt like I had run a race in my sleep. I lingered on my knees longer than usual in prayer because I didn’t know how to tell Louise her son was dead. Louise’s eyes had also haunted me as I slept. “How do I break the news to Louise gently, Lord. If it was one of my sons, I know I would need to be buckled down from the sheer pain.”
    I struggled up from my knees and turned to see my housemate watching me.  I have to say Porgy impressed me more and more each day. Whenever I knelt down to pray, that little doggie of mine sat near me just as quiet as he could. I imagined when his former owner and my now deceased friend, Mary, prayed, the dog had gotten used to being quiet and almost reverent. No one could convince me animals were lacking sense.
    “Alright, let’s get going for the day.” Porgy bounded down the steps before me. While he gobbled his Kibbles, I made a cup of green tea. Knowing I needed to eat, I made toast and then checked my glucose levels. I needed to remember to take care of me and my diabetes, which I must say has been quite a learning experience over the past year. Some days I still don’t quite get it right.
    After giving Porgy a good run in the backyard, I dressed and headed towards my car. I briefly looked over at Louise’s house and found the yellow crime scene tape in the front of the house a bit sobering. All these years I’ve been here, I hadn’t seen as much violent crime as I had in the past few months. Here was yet another death, this time right next door to me.
    I felt a bit ashamed that I didn’t even speak to William when he arrived yesterday, not that we were the kind of folks to greet each other. William had a distinct dislike for me and I never quite understood why when his mother and I were such good friends.
    When Bill was alive, we all got along fine with him. Ralph and Bill would talk to each other across our yards. William and my boys grew up together. For whatever reason since he was a teenager, William had grown more distant and callous, even more so after his father died. Bill and William were always at odds. Louise would never admit it, but