“I don’t want to get in your way.”
“Nico.” She reached over and grabbed his hands to look at him soulfully. “I’m begging you.”
This was the third time today she’d touched him. If it happened much more, he might go into cardiac arrest because every time she did, a jolt of energy zapped him.
“Then I might have some.” He was sad to disentangle himself, but he needed his hands for his tablet.
They sat down on the sofa close enough for him to breathe in her new scent—something fruity—and he opened up his document. Nico had mapped out the Badgertons, their interests, and potential avenues of conversation that Valerie could use simply to get people talking. He’d also set up a chart in the classic mystery grid style, with names down the side and columns for opportunity, motivation, proof, and the catch-all “Other.” It was unnecessary, since Roger was the one playing detective, but Nico had been on a roll.
“Wow,” she said. “You put a lot of thought into this.”
He assessed her tone. His last girlfriend—not that Valerie was his girlfriend, he hastened to remind himself—had always acted as if his attention to detail was something embarrassing. Madison’s little jokeshad enough zing to make it clear they weren’t really jokes. It had eventually reminded him so much of Stefanie that he’d felt only relief the day Madison told him it was over.
Valerie, on the other hand, was pulling his tablet closer with unfeigned impatience. She seemed…impressed? Her next words confirmed it.
“I’m impressed,” she said and he felt something deep in his chest untwist.
“You’re here for two months, so you’ll only need these for the first few days,” he said. “After that, it should be organic. Try to limit one-on-ones to impersonal things like the weather if Roger’s not around.”
She pointed to his notes. “Okay, gut check. Who do you think is our person? Let’s both say it…now.”
“Penny.”
“David.”
Nico raised his eyebrow. “Why do you think David?”
“He’s jealous of Roger. He’s mad about the money. He’s kind of a dick.”
“You can be a dick and not betray your brother.”
“True. Why do you think Penny?”
He organized his thoughts. “The money. She’d do what Malcolm told her. Her name actually does start withP, and Peter didn’t seem like the kind of person to screw Roger over.”
“I can see that, but it’s still David.”
“We’ll see.”
“So we shall,” she said. “Let Day One of the Great Badgerton Investigation commence. Target: Fernie. We’ll start easy and build up to our primary suspects.”
Then she was gone. Nico made some additions to his notes, texted them to her, and went out. He’d made it to the second patio when Valerie’s voice floated up. “Here, let me help with your lighting. How did you decide on your brand aesthetic?”
It sounded like Valerie was well on her way to making friends with Fernie. One Badgerton down.
Four more, and one Morton, to go.
Eleven
Valerie loved her luxury forest bunkie. It was like a dollhouse for adults. Under the citronella, the cedar walls smelled of fresh wood and sawdust, a scent that brought pleasant childhood memories of her dad taking her to the lumberyard to pick up supplies for one of his many unfinished home improvement projects, the way he used to before his remarriage.
The queen-size loft bed was reached by a sturdy ladder and covered with linen, apparently the chosen fabric of the gentry at play. Underneath was a space that held two small leather lounge chairs draped with nautical-striped cashmere blankets, and a built-in closet for her clothes. As usual, she hadn’t bothered to put anything away—she liked seeing everything at a glance—and her luggage had disgorged her belongings in a colorful jumble over the polished floor.
Although they were at the cottage, she was dressed to impress in tailored shorts and a plain blouse with tiny polka dots. She held up a pair of small gold hoops and made a face before hunting out her gigantic dangling acrylic chains. Penny would probably hate them, but the earrings seemedlike a minor transgression given Valerie had so far ruined Malcolm’s memorial, arrived in Penny’s safe vacation space without warning, and threatened her children’s inheritance by simply existing.
She knocked on Nico’s door although she knew he would probably be out doing something productive. He was an inveterate early riser, while she didn’t mind the occasional slow morning. When there was no answer—expected but disappointing—she made her way to the dock, breathing in the fresh air, filtered through the pine trees and smelling like…likeclean. Not laundry clean, but a freshness that was like drinking cold water from cupped hands. Her pace slowed as she approached, her body giving her time to mentally prepare for interacting with the Badgertons.
Roger was the first to come into sight, wearing swim trunks brightly patterned with yellow palm trees. Then Penny, looking cool in an ivory dress. Alice stood behind her, hair tucked under a battered ball cap and picking at the breakfast tray that had been laid out on a table. Nico was nowhere to be seen, and she scanned the smooth lake looking for him. She didn’t want to be codependent about all this, but she preferred him to be close.
