Page 130 of The Body in the Backyard

“We’ll drop them off at your place in a few hours. After texting first, of course,” Riley said with a smug look in Gabe’s direction.

Wander’s grin was almost sly. “That would be very much appreciated.”

“Okay, ladies or however you choose to identify,” Nick began.

River held up a finger and conferred with her sisters. There was a lot of whispering and nodding.

Rain stepped forward. “We have chosen to be identified as unicorn chipmunk skunks.”

“I like skunks,” Janet announced.

“Nice choice. Now we’ve got eight minutes to forage for supplies,” he said, leading the way into the kitchen.

“What are you doing with the girls?” Wander asked, swapping minivan keys for SUV keys with Riley.

Riley shrugged. “I have no idea. Nick planned the whole evening.”

“I can’t wait to find out. We’ll see you later.” Wander linked her arm through Gabe’s.

“Have fun chanting rhymes at Big Pharma,” Riley said as she walked them to the door and opened it.

“Oh, it’s you,” said the woman on the front porch.

Nick’s sister, Carmela, stood on the welcome mat, looking none too thrilled that Riley had answered the door. On the other hand, her husband, Andy—Riley’s old college boyfriend—looked delighted.

“Hey, Riley! Great to see you again. You look good,” Andy said. “Really good.”

Carmela swiveled on her husband. “Excuse me. I worked my literal ass off to fit into a cocktail dress that cost as much as my first semester of college, and all you said was ‘You look nice.’”

“You do look nice,” Andy insisted, either unaware of the thin ice bearing his weight or not particularly concerned with it. “How’s the psychic investigation thing going?” he asked, turning back to Riley.

“Uh, it’s going well.” Minus the whole working for her ex-husband and reminding herself what a terrible human being he was. “Is Nick expecting you?”

It was Andy’s turn to swivel on his wife. “You didn’t call your brother?”

“It slipped my mind. Excuse me for being busy running a commercial real estate empire and raising your child.”

Carmela was a pretty, prickly cactus of a woman who was constantly on the lookout for something to be offended by.

Esmeralda, Nick’s ten-year-old niece, appeared in the doorway. Her glasses were slipping down her nose, and she hugged a thick hardback to her chest like it was a teddy bear.

“So what was the plan? You were just going to throw Esmeralda out of the car and yell as you drove by?” Andy teased his wife.

“No, I was going to tell Nicky that it’s his turn to do something for the family for once?—”

“What are you guys doing here?” Nick demanded, leading Riley’s three nieces out of the kitchen. Each had child-size tumblers with bendy straws and a personalized baggie of snacks.

“You’re watching your niece tonight,” Carmela announced, giving Esmeralda a gentle push across the threshold. “We have a thing with Mom and Dad.”

Esmeralda looked up, up, up at Gabe as he looked down at her. He smiled and gave a finger-wiggling wave. She gave him a shy smile back and pushed her glasses up her nose.

“Please excuse my wife. She forgot her manners in her other nice cocktail dress,” Andy said.

Nick ruffled Esmeralda’s hair. “Hey, kid. Long time since we’ve hung out. Looks like it’s ice cream for dinner for us again.”

Carmela shoved a giant tote bag into Nick’s hands. “There will benoice cream for dinner.Nolearning to play poker. Dinner will consist of a lean protein andtwovegetables. Esmeralda needs to practice the violin for thirty minutes, and you need to quiz her on her vocabulary words for Wednesday’s test. We will be home at precisely nine p.m. You will meet us there, and our daughter will be intact and ready for bed without a stomachache or a sugar rush. I expect proof of life photos every thirty minutes.”

“See? Buzzkill,” Nick said to Wander and Gabe.