Chapter 69

Ramon Escobedo had driven his wife to spend a few days with her sister in Laredo. She had wanted him to come with her, take a few days off from his job as a county worker and go with her, but he'd made some excuse to her. His sister-in-law was a bitch on wheels. Five minutes in her company and he was ready to strangle her. How was it possible, he wondered, for the two women to be so completely different? Brenda, his wife, was a sweet-natured woman who loved with her whole heart and volunteered everywhere in their small community. Nelda Rodine, on the other hand, was a virago with the disposition of a wasp and a voice that reminded Ramon of a saw on metal.