“I guess not.”
“Making them martyrs just because they’re dead is pure crap.” Lily opened a cupboard, found her favorite mug, and, realizing Nikki hadn’t agreed with her, said, “What?”
“I don’t know,” Nikki replied. “I guess I’m just surprised at your attitude.” She set a wriggling Chloe onto the floor, and the girl dashed to her aunt.
“You’re a Mavis Greenlee fan?”
“No, but—”
“Oh, come on, Nikki. You know what I mean. It’s a shame Mavis is dead, and it’s really, really awful that someone killed her, but again … truth. Okay? Mavis Greenlee was pretty dreadful.”
Nikki couldn’t deny it. Although Mavis had been involved in all kinds of charitable events within the city, she had a reputation of being self-involved and cold, even with her own family.
“Up!” Chloe demanded, tugging on her aunt’s robe, raising her chubby little arms.
“Just a sec, sweetie.” Lily found the creamer and sugar and set it next to the cups as the coffeemaker gurgled to life, coffee drizzling into the glass carafe. “Okay, come on, you.” She picked up her niece and burrowed her nose in Chloe’s soft cheek.
Chloe giggled. “Stop!”
Lily grinned at her. “So, how’re you this morning, Little Miss Sunshine?” she asked, giving her cheek another buzz.
Laughing, Chloe ordered, “Dance!”
“You got it. Hey, Alexa, play some … dance music from … uh …” She looked at Nikki for help. “… oh, I know. Alexa, play Beyoncé!”
“Shuffling songs by Beyonce,” the virtual assistant announced, as the coffeemaker hissed, filling the air with the scent of warm java. Soon the distinctive beat and intro to “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” filled the room. “Ooh, I love this song,” Lily said, swinging Chloe around as the little girl squealed in delight.
“You’re dating yourself,” Nikki observed.
“You like it, too.”
“So you’re dating us both.” Nikki spied the dogs on the patio and walked to the French doors. “Come on in, guys.” Arlo sped inside with Mikado, tail slowly wagging, following at a more leisurely pace.
As the song ended, Lily, breathing hard, set Chloe onto the floor. “Go wake up Phee,” she suggested, “And when you get back, we’ll make pancakes.”
“Mickeys?” Chloe said.
“Sure. Mouse pancakes.” Lily was already reaching for the filled coffeepot as Chloe, bare feet flying, sprinted toward the stairs.
“Phee’s not gonna want to get up,” Nikki predicted.
“I know, but tough. She has to get up for school. I mean, we’ll probably be late as it is.” As she heard Chloe clambering up the steps, then the rapid footsteps streaking down the hallway overhead, Lily lowered her voice and said, “So what happened? To Mavis, I mean. Like how and where?”
Nikki filled her in on what few details she had gleaned from Pierce and the early news reporting, leaving out her own deductions. At least this time someone else had broken the story. It bothered her that she hadn’t been the first on the scene, so to speak, but at least it put off her eventual head-butting with her husband over her reporting.
“Is this killing related to the other one, with Billy What’s-His-Name?”
Nikki shrugged. She wasn’t going to go there with Lily.
She found a travel mug and poured coffee into it just as her phone buzzed. Pulling it from her pocket, she saw that the caller was Fink and didn’t answer. Again. He’d called once already. She’d sentthat call to voice mail and ignored the three subsequent texts—all about the Greenlee homicide. As she capped her cup, she said to Lily, “Look, I’ve got to run … You’ve got everything, right? With the girls, I mean.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Lily, leaning against the island, sipped from her cup and nodded as she eyed the clock. “No doubt about it, we’re gonna be late.” She walked to the bottom of the stairs. “Ophelia?” She waited a beat. “Come on! Get up. Now! Hurry up! Rise and shine like you’ve never shined before.”
“That should do it,” Nikki drawled.
“It better.”
Chloe was taking the steps deliberately, one at a time, as she descended. “She told me to ‘Go way,’” she complained, pouting as Nikki reached the staircase.