“Isn't it wonderful of him to have had this session today?" a woman sitting next to Jane and Shelley said as Tony Belton and the boys took to the field.

“Wonderful," Jane said, perplexed. "But why today especially?"

“Well, his partner died just a few hours ago. I imagine he's devastated."

“His partner?" Shelley asked.

“Robert Stonecipher. You know, that lawyer who's always starting trouble."

“He really did die?" Jane asked.

The woman nodded. "Killed by a rack of hams that fell over on him at the deli opening. It sounds so silly."

“I know. We were there when it happened," Jane said. "So Tony Belton is his law partner?”

She and Shelley exchanged a quick glance that said Tony Belton was either a very good actor, or he wasn't exactly devastated by his partner's death.

Soccer practice was mercifully short because the grade school graduation was that night. When they arrived home, Mike had his new truck in the driveway showing it off to Jane's daughter Katie and her friend Jenny. “Way cool, Mom!" Katie cooed.

Jane knew exactly what this meant: that Katie considered Mike's graduation present a precedent to be met in two years when she graduated. This was something Jane had considered — but apparently not seriously enough.

“It is not a graduation present, Katie. It's because Mike needed it for his job." But Katie's grin at this disclaimer said it all. She'd have a delivery job, too, when the time came. Jane patted the hood of the station wagon and said, "Pull yourself together, old dear. We're in this together for life." She added, "Mike, why are you here instead of working?"

“I was delivering dinner to Mrs. Williams and saw Katie in the yard. I'm off. Oh, by the way, Mom, Mrs. Baker's in the hospital."

“Oh, no! What happened to her?”

Mike came over to talk to her quietly without his siblings listening. "She went to pieces about that guy dying. I mean, it was awful and I'm glad I wasn't there, but she just went bonkers and they took her away, too. Just thought you might want to know. You going to the twerp's graduation tonight? That's kinda dumb, a grade school graduation."