facing wall was mostly taken up by sliding glass doors that opened out onto a wooden deck. Saturday morning anime flamed and exploded across the television screen.
Seeing her, Nik pronounced with a grave face, “It appears we have been busted.”
Margaret kicked at him and grinned wickedly. “Turn it up.”
He shook his head. “Experiencing the full power of Chang Wu Fei’s Shenlong Gundam is not worth the price of your mother’s wrath.”
“You’re so weird,” said Margaret, grinning. “That’s why you’re cool.”
“Tack, I think.” He found the remote and lowered the volume, cutting his eyes toward Alice.
She headed for the kitchen alcove, rubbing her eyes. “Who am I to interfere with your Gundam addiction? I’m up now. Do what you want.”
She yawned hugely for their benefit and nuked a cup of water, tossing in an instant coffee-singles bag and swirling it around.
Nik leaned over the back of the couch, watching her. “Want to go run, then? Before the heat sets in?”
Alice stood at the kitchen counter, sipping her coffee. It was slightly bitter and about as nasty as the corporate stuff. She sucked it down. “Sure.”
Nik turned to Margaret. “You?”
“Uh-uh. You guys go on.” She dug the phone out from under the couch cushions and punched some numbers. “Is Judy there?”
Alice put her cup down in the sink. “Don’t go anywhere till we get back.”
Margaret scowled darkly and took the phone to her bedroom, shutting the door.
Alice got dressed and stepped out onto the deck, Reeboks in hand. Nik followed, stopping just long enough to grab a piece of toast left on the breakfast table. Dawg met them at the head of the stairs and danced around, wagging and salivating.
Alice sat down on the top step to tie her shoes. “You know, she’s developing a really smart mouth, without even saying anything.”
Nik pulled his hair back into a tight ponytail. “I can’t imagine where she gets that.”
“Half the time you’re her accomplice.” She stood up and stretched. “But it’s okay. I’d much rather have you two get along than not.”
“Dawg—fetch!” Nik tossed the piece of toast into the sandy yard below, sending Dawg thumping down the stairs. A rescued shelter mutt, Dawg appeared to be equal parts Labrador, German Shepherd, Collie, Pointer, and who knew what else. His personality, however, was all Lab.
“You know, I had my doubts about Dawg when you moved in. Now I can’t imagine life without him.” She clumped down the steps behind Nik’s back. Or you, she thought.
They walked briskly out to the dirt road that ran for a straight mile past the wooded property, and then turning north, they headed toward the intersection with Magnolia Parkway, the main road into the county seat of Magnolia. Dawg caught up with them and galloped ahead, his black-and-tan tail wagging in wide circles.
They walked in silence for half a mile, just pacing each other. Alice lifted her hair off her neck and reveled in the early morning breeze. Later on, toward noon, the heat would become humid and stifling. Then all you could do was hole up somewhere with air conditioning.
On both sides of the road, butterflies swarmed over thickets of leggy Spanish needles crowned in star-shaped white flowers with yellow centers. To most people, they were just weeds, but Alice considered them an attractive fill plant and butterfly magnet, which was why she tolerated them in her garden. But she knew that by fall she would be cursing them within an inch of their lives as their spiny seed pods stuck to socks and skin.
It was Nik who finally broke the silence. “Have you looked through the briefcase yet?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Why not?”
Alice watched her feet. “I just haven’t felt like it yet.”
Nik rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I would have thought that would be the first thing you would want to do. Did your uncle tell you what’s in it?”
“Sort of. He said it was mostly letters from
Seeing her, Nik pronounced with a grave face, “It appears we have been busted.”
Margaret kicked at him and grinned wickedly. “Turn it up.”
He shook his head. “Experiencing the full power of Chang Wu Fei’s Shenlong Gundam is not worth the price of your mother’s wrath.”
“You’re so weird,” said Margaret, grinning. “That’s why you’re cool.”
“Tack, I think.” He found the remote and lowered the volume, cutting his eyes toward Alice.
She headed for the kitchen alcove, rubbing her eyes. “Who am I to interfere with your Gundam addiction? I’m up now. Do what you want.”
She yawned hugely for their benefit and nuked a cup of water, tossing in an instant coffee-singles bag and swirling it around.
Nik leaned over the back of the couch, watching her. “Want to go run, then? Before the heat sets in?”
Alice stood at the kitchen counter, sipping her coffee. It was slightly bitter and about as nasty as the corporate stuff. She sucked it down. “Sure.”
Nik turned to Margaret. “You?”
“Uh-uh. You guys go on.” She dug the phone out from under the couch cushions and punched some numbers. “Is Judy there?”
Alice put her cup down in the sink. “Don’t go anywhere till we get back.”
Margaret scowled darkly and took the phone to her bedroom, shutting the door.
Alice got dressed and stepped out onto the deck, Reeboks in hand. Nik followed, stopping just long enough to grab a piece of toast left on the breakfast table. Dawg met them at the head of the stairs and danced around, wagging and salivating.
Alice sat down on the top step to tie her shoes. “You know, she’s developing a really smart mouth, without even saying anything.”
Nik pulled his hair back into a tight ponytail. “I can’t imagine where she gets that.”
“Half the time you’re her accomplice.” She stood up and stretched. “But it’s okay. I’d much rather have you two get along than not.”
“Dawg—fetch!” Nik tossed the piece of toast into the sandy yard below, sending Dawg thumping down the stairs. A rescued shelter mutt, Dawg appeared to be equal parts Labrador, German Shepherd, Collie, Pointer, and who knew what else. His personality, however, was all Lab.
“You know, I had my doubts about Dawg when you moved in. Now I can’t imagine life without him.” She clumped down the steps behind Nik’s back. Or you, she thought.
They walked briskly out to the dirt road that ran for a straight mile past the wooded property, and then turning north, they headed toward the intersection with Magnolia Parkway, the main road into the county seat of Magnolia. Dawg caught up with them and galloped ahead, his black-and-tan tail wagging in wide circles.
They walked in silence for half a mile, just pacing each other. Alice lifted her hair off her neck and reveled in the early morning breeze. Later on, toward noon, the heat would become humid and stifling. Then all you could do was hole up somewhere with air conditioning.
On both sides of the road, butterflies swarmed over thickets of leggy Spanish needles crowned in star-shaped white flowers with yellow centers. To most people, they were just weeds, but Alice considered them an attractive fill plant and butterfly magnet, which was why she tolerated them in her garden. But she knew that by fall she would be cursing them within an inch of their lives as their spiny seed pods stuck to socks and skin.
It was Nik who finally broke the silence. “Have you looked through the briefcase yet?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Why not?”
Alice watched her feet. “I just haven’t felt like it yet.”
Nik rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I would have thought that would be the first thing you would want to do. Did your uncle tell you what’s in it?”
“Sort of. He said it was mostly letters from
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