“Is that what they’re calling it?” She waved me off and started digging through a pile of folders. “My granddaughter has an account, but she goes by some other name. I don’t know how anyone is supposed to know who she is when she’s listed as a songbird.”
Chuckling, I leaned against the counter. “So, listen, Bea, I was thinking?—”
“That you needed another file,” she said, handing one over.
“How did you know?” I flipped through it, shocked to find the same information as before.
“Well, honey, your house burned down. I assumed you didn’t stop to collect the murder investigation on the way.”
“There was no time for that.”
She huffed, continuing her work. “Murder robots. What is this world coming to?”
“I suppose it could have been worse.”
“In what way?” She leaned hard on the stack, whispering conspiratorially. “My grandson said that he heard of this gadget called a hoverboard. Now, I don’t know what that is, but it sounds dangerous. And apparently, people can buy them.”
It took everything in me to stifle my laughter. “Yes. You can buy them.”
“And you just roll around town on them. I’ll tell you what, if this thing goes nuts by Christmas, we’re going to have complaints out the wazoo.”
“Perhaps, you should put the town on notice.”
“That’s not a bad idea. Maybe we could ban them from the city streets.”
“I think the kids would use them on sidewalks.”
She snorted in amusement at that. “Just imagine Mrs. Butterworth nearly getting run over. Or worse! Mrs. Abernathy. Lord, we’d never hear the end of it.”
“The station would be filled,” I chuckled.
“So, how did the honeymoon go? I know there were no babies made, but I’m sure you still found a way to have some fun.”
If she only knew how horrible the honeymoon really was.
“It was nice,” I lied through my teeth.
“You weren’t gone very long. Trouble in paradise?”
“No, just wanted to get home.”
“I heard about that house on wheels you bought. I’m not sure it’s suitable for a baby?—”
“It’s only until the house is finished. It’s actually quite an adventure,” I grinned. “And watching Parker walk around in it has been hilarious.”
“I bet. That man is too tall for his own good.”
I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I went along with it anyway.
“So, I’m sure you heard about what happened last night.”
“Oh, with Wesley?” Pursing her lips, it was clear she wasn’t happy about any of it. “That poor kid. His parents should be in jail instead of him.”
“I’ve heard some rumors, but what’s the deal with them?”
Glancing around, she lowered her voice. “Well, to be honest, they never wanted kids. Neither of them was prepared to care for another human being, let alone an animal. When Wesley came along, it seemed like it might be okay at first. But after the shininess of a new baby wore off and reality kicked in, those people just tossed that kid off to whoever would take him. Honestly, the town raised him for the first few years of his life.”
“And after that?”
