“Yeah,” he mumbles.
“Interesting,” mom says. “And where might Henri be?”
“Eight and I traded kids.”
Her eyes flick between me and Oscar. “Forever?”
“Thinking about it,” I reply.
“No way,” Oscar says.
I look at him. “Sadly, your opinion won’t get you far with my mother.”
“Elle,” she reminds me with a glare. To Oscar, she says, “Please call me Elle. Not gramma.”
He scowls. “I wasn’t gonna call you gramma.” His tone implies he isn’t going to call her anything.
He turns to me with desperation in his eyes. “Should we go to the murder house now?”
Mom talks over him. “If anyone asks, you tell them I’m Selkie’s sister and you’re her son.” She pauses like he’s an idiot. “Which would make me your aunt.”
I sigh. “Mom… Elle, the only one who would ask is Tyler and he knows that I only have Henri.”
“Who’s Tyler?” Oscar asks.
“He’s her boyfriend, but he’s like 35 or something, so she doesn’t want him to know she’s 49.”
“Selkie, you don’t tell people my age. It’s gauche.”
“I doubt Oscar cares.”
“He might tell his dad.”
As if, but I nod anyway. “Fair”
Oscar touches my elbow. “About that murder room?”
“Yeah. But we should shower first, get the camping smell off us.”
“You can use my shower, Oscar,” mom says sweetly.
“Alternatively, he can use the main shower and I’ll use your shower.”
“Or that,” mom replies. She heads to the kitchen. “I’m having crackers, pork liver pate and red pepper jelly for lunch. I’ll make some for you too, Oscar.”
Oscar screws up his face. “Henri eats that stuff?”
I shake my head. “Henri would starve to death first. She’s a hamburger and hot dog kind of girl.”
He grabs his backpack off the floor. “I’ll go shower, then maybe we could get a burger on our way to the murder house.”
Poor boy looks desperate to escape. I expect I have the same expression on my face.
Oscar’s still showering when I’m finished. I shove my hair into a ponytail, check my face in the mirror and grimace. Then I take advantage of the kid’s absence and flip open my laptop to check the Bail Enforcement Agency’s website. There’s no one from Hell’s Jury on it, which will keep me from temptation. I can’t hunt down one of those boys. Not while Henri’s in their possession.
Or could I? I mean why not? Mom seems totally on board with keeping Oscar.
I shake my head. Despite her crazy, I still love Henri.
