Summary

The Belsey family is in London for their Christmas vacation. Rather than spending Christmas at home, they are staying with a Jewish couple whom Howard knows from college. One day, Kiki receives a phone call from Michael Kipps, then announces that Carlene Kipps is dead. An hour earlier, the Kipps family were sitting in their own home in London, discussing Carlene’s passing. She died of an “aggressive cancer she had told her family nothing about” (277). Monty points to a note Carlene had written before her death, bequeathing the painting Maitresse Erzulie to Kiki. The family is outraged by this note, believing that Kiki “took advantage” of Carlene’s illness in order to take this painting. The family agrees to destroy the note, but they will still invite Kiki to the funeral.

Chapter 2 takes place at Carlene’s...