"It's okay," I answered Roxie as she pulled out a long, glazed cinnamon twist then I looked around. "What are you all doing here?"

"Eddie heard the news. We had to come up to the Highlands anyway for La Reunin so I came with him," Jet told me on a smile then lifted the pot. "I'll make more coffee." And she exited the room.

"Lee heard too," Indy said. "I came because you left your purse in the Explorer and because I'm nosy." Then she scrunched her nose, took a bite of a powdered sugar, chocolate icing filled donut and grinned.

"Hank heard too. I thought I'd come to introduce you to Shamus, our chocolate lab. He's out in Hank's SUV," Roxie added.

"Marcus heard too, I decided to bring the donuts," Daisy finished.

That was super sweet of her, of all of them, because I knew they weren't there because of Family Meetings, returning my purse, being nosy, wanting to introduce me to family pets or bringing donuts. They were there for me.

This felt nice. Super nice.

Though, the very thought of donuts made me queasy.

I looked at Roxie.

"Why's Shamus in the car? Why didn't you bring him in?"

"I didn't know if you'd want me to but I can go get him now," Roxie answered, her eyes lighting up.

"That'd be great," I smiled.

Before Roxie could move, Detective Marker cleared his throat.

"Maybe you can meet the dog in a minute, Sadie. If you don't mind, we need to talk."

Oh darn.

I minded.

I minded loads.

But my father taught me never to procrastinate. Get things done in a timely manner and do the tough jobs first to get them out of the way.

I'd much rather meet Shamus but instead I blew out a sigh (even though it was rude) and said to Detective Marker, "All right."

I walked into the room and sat on the arm of the couch next to Indy.

"Hector told you Harvey was found dead last night?" Detective Marker asked me.

I nodded. "What happened?"

"We don't know, we're investigating. It looks like poison," Detective Marker answered.

"How could someone poison him in jail?" I asked.

"Don't know that either, they're lookin' into it. You know Donny posted bond for Ricky?" Detective Marker carried on.

Indy's hand went to my knee, she squeezed there and then her hand went away.

I took in a deep breath, weirdly fortified by Indy's knee squeeze and nodded at Detective Marker.

"You been in contact with your father recently?" Detective Marker asked.

So, this was what this was all about.

I looked around the room and noted everyone was watching me.

The daughter of a killer, sitting in their midst.

I felt bile fill my throat and I swallowed it down.

I looked back at Detective Marker. "It can't be him; he's in prison."

"Have you talked to him? Does he know what the Baluccis've been doin' to you?" Detective Marker pressed gently.

"I got a call from him a few days ago. He didn't mention it but I did," I answered. "Not Harvey just Ricky and the rape. Still, I think he's got a way of staying informed."

"He didn't say anything about Harvey or Ricky?" Detective Marker pushed.

I shook my head. "He was more concerned about why I haven't been in touch, why I haven't visited him. And he'd heard about Hector and me and he wasn't happy."

Detective Marker nodded.

"Do you think he did it?" I asked softly, trying not to think of everyone in the room and what they might be thinking of my father, of me, of what this all meant.

"Lotta folks would do Ricky, he's not got a lot of friends. Marty and Donny, I could see them being put on hit lists, they're not friendly guys either. Harvey was just a dumb fuck, annoying and stupid, he rubbed people the wrong way but he wasn't a threat to anyone. Makes the list of suspects shorter," Detective Marker told me.

"So, you think it's my father," I answered for him, my heart sinking.

"No, we're lookin' into every possibility. Including Marty, Donny and Ricky. Their brother might not have been a threat to anyone else but he fucked up, forced your hand, put himself and Ricky behind bars. Him bein' stupid meant he was a liability. This wasn't the first time he fucked up, weakened the family position. Those boys'd eat their own young; I don't put anything past them."

This was true, the Balducci brothers weren't only insane. They were mean and insane. I knew that better than anyone.

"I'm not sure I can help you, I'm trying not to have anything to do with my father," I told Detective Marker.

"I know that, Sadie, that's why I'm gonna ask you to do somethin' that might not be easy."

Blooming heck.

He was going to ask me to do something not easy.

My whole life was something "not easy".

"What?" I asked.

"Eddie tells me one of your father's boys tried to pass you a message last night. I know you two are estranged. Still, he's your father so I understand this might be tough for you but, if he contacts you, however he does it, I'm askin' you to let me know he's done it and what he said."

Oh.

Was that it?

"Certainly," I replied immediately.

Detective Marker blinked and I felt a strangeness fill the air in the room.

"Sadie, I know this is hard " Detective Marker went on.

"It's not hard," I answered easily then I offered, "I try not to take his calls. Do you want me to take them and get him to talk?"

Detective Marker blinked again then his head turned and he looked at Hector.

I followed his gaze and saw the Hot Bunch settled around the armchair. Hank was sitting on the arm of the chair, Lee opposite him, standing, arms crossed on his chest.

They looked almost like twins except Lee had chocolate brown eyes and Hank's were the color of whisky.

Hector stood by Hank, hands on his hips, Eddie at his side, arms like Lee's.

They almost looked like twins too except Eddie's hair was only maybe one week past needing a cut and Hector's was at least two (probably three).

They were all looking at me but Hector was watching me with that warm intensity, this time mingled with what I could swear was approval and I felt that weird happy glow start to light in my chest.

"You willin' to do that?" Detective Marker asked me and my mind moved off the happy glow and my eyes moved back to him.

I shrugged. "Sure. I might need some coaching or a script or something so he won't cotton on but I could do it."

Something flashed across Detective Marker's face before it went soft. "You been through a lot, Sadie, this would be "

I cut him off, "This would be nothing, Detective Marker. I've been playing a game all my life around my father. This is just a new game and I simply need someone to explain the rules. Give me some coaching, my phones are already tapped so it's all good."

Detective Marker kept staring at me then he said, "Sadie, if it's your father exacting vengeance for what they did to you that means Ricky is probably next."

"And?" I asked.

Detective Marker didn't answer.

"You think I'd rather not stand in his way if he's going to whack Ricky," I answered for him (again).

"I'm just " Detective Marker started but I interrupted him as my back went straight.

"My father taught me a great deal, Detective Marker. He'd had a hard knock life and he was generous with those life lessons. He's a criminal and he did bad things but his lessons were good. He didn't hide who he was from me but part of his teaching didn't include how to be a killer, either be one or be an accessory to one. If he killed Harvey and plans on killing Ricky, those sins are going to be on his soul, not mine. So if you're asking me if I'd impede, even if that impeding meant standing aside and doing nothing, the investigation into the murder of the man who assaulted me or the planned murder of the man who raped me, the answer is no." After delivering my speech, I stood, back ramrod straight and finished, "Can I meet Roxie's dog now?"

Detective Marker's lips twitched (now, what did he find amusing? really, I didn't get it) and he said, "Yeah, Sadie, we're done."

"Good," I replied shortly, leaned down and picked out a chocolate-covered yeast. "C'mon Roxie, I want to meet Shamus," I called, swept the room with a glance noticing that the entirety of the Hot Bunch had the lip twitch going on, except Hector, who was grinning straight out. Seriously, what, exactly, was so fucking funny?

I decided I didn't care, I ignored them and sashayed out of the house in my indecently short bimbo skirt that Hector made me promise never to wear again (ha! take that!), bare feet (thank goodness it was warm, even for early Autumn) and Hector's huge flannel.

It wasn't until Daisy and Indy joined us, Jet had come out with the fresh pot to give us all a warm up and Roxie was holding my coffee and donut while I threw a Frisbee for the adorable, cuddly, soft, seriously-over-happy Shamus that I realized that I'd spent the entire morning as me.

No Ice Princess, no Attitude Sadie, no Take Charge Sadie and no Pretend Sadie.

Just me.

And I didn't know what to think of that.

But I did know it brought the weird, happy glow back.

And, incidentally, Hector was not wrong about the ibuprofen and Midol, it worked like a charm.

The Best Day of Sadie Marie Townsend's Life Except for the morning, that Sunday was the best day of my life.

Better than any of the days when my father was away "on business" and I could pretend I was free.

Better, even, than any of the waning memories of being with my Mom.

Simply the best.

At first, I thought it was going to go from bad to worse.

Because, after the men held a meeting inside while the women drank coffee, played with Shamus and picked over Hector's response to my tattoo (at length and in some detail) outside, Detective Marker left. So did Indy, Lee, Roxie, Hank and Shamus.

Eddie, Jet, Daisy and Marcus stayed but only so Hector, Marcus and Eddie could go over what they wanted me to try to get my father to talk about and how I should do that.

Once they were through, I smiled and said, "Easy."

Eddie and Marcus looked at each other, not in a friendly way though, they didn't appear to like each other much but instead they seemed to be putting up with each other for the sake of whatever was happening (now) with my father.

Hector kept looking at me. "Not easy, Sadie. You're gonna have to stay sharp and on target and listen to any cues he gives you that he knows what you're up to."

"No problem," I responded.

Hector bit his lip and shook his head then he said softly, "Mamita, I know you been playin' your father your whole life but when you were, you weren't sleepin' with the guy who put him in prison. He doesn't trust you now. You're safe, no one can get to you, but you want to get anything out of him, you gotta be smart, not cocky."

Someone, please tell me Hector didn't just call me cocky!

"I'm not being cocky!" I snapped.

"You're bein' cocky," he returned.

I gave him a glare. "Trust me, Hector, I know what I'm doing."

"Just listen to what I'm sayin' to you," Hector returned calmly.