Cooked Goose

me his name. He was a beautiful young man, with fine cut features and a strong, muscular body.” Savannah had pictures of Dunn, McGivney, and DeCianni in her purse. She pulled out the one of Dunn, as he was the one most likely to be described as “a beautiful young man.“
    “Is this him?”
    Mama Talula looked at the picture and nodded. “That is him. I would remember his face anywhere. As I said, he was beautiful, but part of his aura was dark, very dark, as though there was evil around him. I was afraid for him.”
    Savannah thought of Titus’s blood-splattered walls. Yes, evil had been very close to Titus Dunn.
    “Have you read the newspapers lately, Mama?” Savannah aSked, replacing the photo in her purse.
    “No. I don’t like to read such things. All the wicked doings in the world, they make me sad.”
    “I can understand that. The young man who bought your ring, he’s missing.”
    “I’m sorry to hear that. Is that why you’re asking about the ring?”
    “Yes. That’s right.” She took McGivney’s and DeCianni’s pictures from her purse and held them out to the woman. “Have you seen either of these men?”
    Mama studied them carefully. “This man, I have never seen,” she said, pointing to McGivney’s picture. “But this one, he came in with the first man and asked me to make him a ring, as well.”
    “And you did?”
    “Of course. Just like his friend’s.”
    “So, you made those two?”
    “And another for a third friend of theirs. I never saw him. They told me his size, said it was to be a surprise, a gift for him.”
    “They didn’t mention his name?”
    “No. But I believe they were in military service of some sort.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    Savannah could feel an area on the nape of her neck start to tingle, just the way it always did when she was about to get something good.
    “Because when they came in the last time, to order the fourth ring, they—”
    “A fourth ring? There were four rings? Are you sure about that, Mama?”
    “Of course, I’m certain. My rings are like my children. I made four, exactly alike, except for size, of course.”
    “And what were you saying about the men being in the military?”
    “I think they were. When they came back for the fourth ring, I remember the younger man said to the other, ‘The captain’s really going to like this. Now we’ve all got one.’ ” Savannah resisted the urge to vault over the counter and give Mama Talula a kiss.
    “Now, you are a very happy woman?” Mama asked, her face lit with a broad smile.
    “Mama... I’m beyond happy. I’m ecstatic!”

    * * *

    12:25 P.M.

    “This was a good idea,” Savannah told Margie as they sat at the table in Burger Heaven and watched the twins happily burying their faces in their ice cream cones—their rewards for having polished off their junior deluxes with cheese.
    Margie lowered her voice and leaned closer to Savannah . “Anything’s better than sitting around at your place, listening to Vidalia and Butch ‘make up.’ ”
    Savannah took a sip of her chocolate malted. “No kidding-
    I think I liked it better then they were fighting.”
    “Mommy and Daddy were playing bum-bum again this morning,” Jack announced with an ice cream smeared grin.
    “Bum-bum?” Margie said.
    “Maybe you shouldn’t ask,” Savannah whispered.
    “Yeah!” Jillian nearly dropped her cone onto the table. “Jackie went in the bedroom to tell them he wanted some soda and guess what he saw...”
    “I really don’t think we should—” Savannah just had a feeling.
    “He saw Daddy’s bum-bum going up and down and up and down, and Mommy was under him, and she was laughing really hard.”
    “Yep, that’s what I thought,” Savannah muttered. She gave Margie the eye. “You just had to ask.“
    “And Daddy got all mad,” Jack said. “He told me to knock next time, but I’m not gonna because I thought it was funny and I wanna see it again.”
    “Why don’t you finish your ice cream there, young man,” Savannah told him, ruffling his curls, “and then you and your pretty sister can go play in the balls.”
    She pointed to the cage full of red, orange and yellow, plastic balls where other children were diving in, screaming with glee.
    “Oooo, neat! Hurry up, Jackie,” Jillian exclaimed, then attacked her cone with renewed vigor.
    Savannah looked up and saw Dirk walking toward them, a grimmer than grim expression on his face. The last time they had spoken on the