"She was my best friend in high school," said Candy wandering up behind the startled Trixie, confirming the older woman's guess. "She and I were close. We still talk a lot on the phone. I think smashing up the picture and leaving the phone were that jackass's way of making a point."

"Why would he care that much about . . ." Trixie remembered that Candy's ex was the jealous type. "She wasn't just a 'friend' was she?"

Candy blushed, though it was hard to tell under the tears. "No. We fooled around a bit in our senior year. We taught each other a lot. I think he was always...