Melvin stumbled into the house to find Bette sitting impatiently in one of the high back chairs. “Where the hell have you been?” Melvin blinked his eyes a bit until Bette came into focus. “Oh, I know you. You’re my daughter. I’ve been in the woods with the boys reading poetry. Why? Did I break curfew, again?”

Bette stood and taking Melvin by the arm, began helping him with his coat. “Question number two, who are the Kennards?” Melvin pulled his arm free and said, “What are you talking about, Bette, you know the Kennard family. Why are you asking me that, what happened here?”

“Nothing happened, here, Daddy. I just want to know how we know them.” Melvin made his way toward the couch and collapsing into the cushions, said, “Your mother knew them, well, I knew Mary from school…you used to play with the girl when you were younger, what’s her name?”

“Tina, her name is, Tina.”

Bette watched, unable to do a thing, as Melvin drifted off to sleep. She folded his jacket and throwing it over the back of the sofa, said, “Good talk, Daddy. Maybe tomorrow we can talk about the pool house.”

Bette stood in front of the door, unable to move for the longest time, until, finally, she reached for the handle. Entering her mother’s room instantly flooded her with memories. She could smell her mother’s favorite fragrance wafting around her, engulfing her, and how the big bed still seemed so inviting. She wanted to run across the room and jump into it like she did when she was a little girl. Doing her best to ignore the loud silence the room now held, she quickly opened the top drawer of her mother’s armoire, and reached in for the box.

Only back in her childhood room did she seem to relax. She once again cracked the window and lit a cigarette. Sitting at the window seat, she placed the box on her lap and slid open the handle. Carefully, she leafed through newspaper clippings, death notices, buttons, and pictures before finding the address book. She immediately opened it to the letter ‘K’, and reading out loud, said, “Philip Kennard.” She noticed the only number written down had a North Carolina area code. “Shit.” Taking a drag off her cigarette, she continued thumbing through the book, but her efforts were in vain.

Mary and Tina were quietly watching television, neither one having said a word since they left the Porter estate, and when Tina saw Mary’s hand reach for the lamp, she said, “Wait…just wait. I have to ask you something.”

Mary pulled her arm back and said, “I knew this was coming,” and pulling the covers over her legs, said, “Well? Are you going to ask or not?” Tina sat up and tucking her hair behind her ears, said, “I know you think I’m foolish…”

“I don’t think you’re foolish, Tina, I would never think my own daughter was foolish.”

“Well then, what, what is it about them that I should be so afraid of, Mother?”

“I never said you should be afraid of anybody, Tina, darling. I merely said there is a lot about the Porter’s you don’t know. You should be cautious of them, if anything. I don’t want you to ever be afraid of anybody…”

“Please, say it. Just say it, for once.”

Mary may have looked back at the television, but her thoughts were a mile away. “It’s about Mrs. Porter, and…come on, I’m a big girl, Mother, I can handle it.” Mary reached over and shutting the lamp, said, “Don’t leave the television on too long, Tina. We have a long day tomorrow.”

Bette was lying in bed looking up at the ceiling; her thoughts, now racing, would force her to sit up and look over at the box still sitting on the window seat. Realizing that sleep wasn’t coming any time soon, she got up and emptied its contents onto the bed in front of her. Philip Kennard Wins Award. Philip Kennard Named CEO. Philip Kennard…dead at 52.

Bette threw the clippings back into the box and falling backwards onto the floor, whispered, “Philip Kennard!”