come downstairs and say hello “It was just a mess was what it was, I'm telling you. A whole mess. I had this notion of him leaving, then of her leaving, then of even their doggone cat leaving, and the whol…

the party upstairs In effect, they were having a party—a real, full-blown party upstairs. Theyhad said it would just be a gathering,a social gathering of friends andfamily, that there was nothing to worr…