chair had not been left empty.
It had been removed.
That detail remained with me.
An empty chair can accuse people.
Removing it lets them pretend no one ever belonged there.
Sylvia was carving the turkey when the first knock came.
According to witnesses, she rolled her eyes and instructed a cousin to answer.
Marcus continued smiling.
Then came a second, harder knock, followed by a voice identifying the police.
One guest said Marcus stood so quickly that his chair struck the wall.
Another remembered Sylvia saying, nobody open that
