Hidden Riches Read Online Free Page B

five-foot, six-inch frame. And she’d always tended to be what their mama described as “big-boned.”
    Thick mascara and eyeliner and overly done lips, cheeks, and eyebrows were the only visible clues to her former profession. If Marguerite hadn’t seen her on a trip to Las Vegas a few years back, she wouldn’t have been able to guess now about JoJo’s talent, nor would anyone else. She could dance, really dance, and with the best of them. She could have made something of herself instead of becoming, well, whatever it was she had become.
    JoJo got up and started a pot of coffee. As it was brewing, a knock sounded on the back screen door. Before either of them could answer or even move toward the door, Rosalee Jenkins burst in.
    â€œDelcie? M.J.?” she called. “Y’all home?”
    JoJo looked at her sister. “No one’s called us by those names in years.”
    Also lost in the past for a moment, Marguerite only nodded, whether in answer to Rosalee or to JoJo’s comment didn’t really matter. Delcine had been dead and buried for almost twenty years. There was no need to resurrect her or her spirit right now.
    â€œIt’s Marguerite,” she said as Rosalee bustled into the kitchen. She’d kicked off her shoes in the mudroom off the side porch, slipping into a pair of ratty slippers on the way in.
    â€œAnd JoJo,” JoJo said.
    â€œUh huh. Okay,” Rosalee said, looking at the sisters as if both had lost their minds. “I came over to help y’all with the stuff. I know Ana Mae had a lot of it. And I know you two will probably be throwing a lot away. I can help you figure out what should go out and what can be given away. Ana Mae liked to help people, and if something she had could be put to some good use, I’m sure she’d like that. Like all of her fabric and whatnot.”
    Marguerite managed to refrain from rolling her eyes. The only decent thing they’d found so far was the blend of dark Arabian coffee in Ana Mae’s kitchen. A quick look around when they’d first arrived confirmed that all they really needed to clean out the house were a supply of trash bags and a couple of Dumpsters.
    â€œWe were just taking a break from sorting some things,” JoJo said. “Would you like some coffee? There’s a lot of cake and pie.”
    Rosalee headed to the counter. “Don’t mind if I do,” she said, opening a cupboard and pulling down a mug. “Ana Mae always kept a pot going even though she preferred her fancy tea.”
    After Rosalee settled at the table with a sliver of sweet potato pie and spooned what had to be a quarter of a cup of sugar into her coffee, the three women ate or drank in silence for a few moments. Then, dabbing her mouth with one of the paper napkins, Rosalee glanced between the sisters.
    â€œI’m still trying to get over the fact that she’s gone. I just can’t believe it or get my head around it,” Rosalee said.
    She pointed to one of the cakes on the counter. “Did Minnie Evers make that cake? That looks like the Tupperware cake set she uses for the bereaved. Minnie can put her foot in some pound cake. I think I’ll get me a slice of that too.”
    After cutting a generous slice of the rich pound cake, with its lemon drizzle topping, Rosalee came back to the table, pushed the sweet potato pie plate to the side and started working on the second dessert.
    Delcine and JoJo shared a glance while Ana Mae’s best friend wolfed down the cake. To keep from laughing, JoJo put her face in her own plate.
    â€œSo,” Rosalee said around bites, “what do y’all all think Ana Mae did with all that money?”
    Delcine’s head snapped up. JoJo’s fork clattered to the table.
    â€œWhat money?” they asked at the same time.
    Using her fork, Rosalee leisurely cut herself another bite and looked from one woman to the other. “You know, the