Myra almost killed herself getting up from the table and running to the pantry off the kitchen, where the others were doubled over laughing. “She’s a loose cannon. Someone has to rein her in,” Myra said, her voice so garbled, the others could barely understand what she was saying. “This is not funny, girls. What if she…crashes and burns? Then what?”

“That is not going to happen. We’re all going to take her under our wings and teach her a thing or two. That’s not to say she needs teaching. It will be more like taking a refresher course.” Nikki giggled. “You’re getting married soon, Myra. You’re welcome to sit in. You know what they say. You’re never too old to learn new tricks.”

Myra’s hands flew to the pearls at her neck. “Oh, dear God!”

“Okay, fun’s over. Time to get to work. Straight faces, everyone,” Kathryn said. “Let’s take the small safe and the digital gizmo, along with the instructions, into the living room and see which one of us is proficient at modern safe-cracking. I can’t believe that schmuck said my fingers are too thick. I think I have nice fingers. Rings look nice on my fingers.”

“Give it up already,” Nikki snapped. “Do you hear me complaining that he said my fingers were stubby? I think we should push him off the mountain after he teaches us all he knows.”

As they sat in the kitchen at the Post, Maggie scarfed down pancakes and sausages as she rattled off orders to Ted and Espinosa, who were trying to eat and take notes at the same time. “You can take Carmody with you if you feel you need more manpower. It’s your job to convince the Dawsons and Evanses to go public. I want family pictures, not the ones you had earlier. All new parents take pictures all day long. I want a regular gallery. I want sweet, I want sad, I want devastated. Now, listen to me carefully.” Maggie stopped eating long enough to show how serious she was about what she was about to say. “Only as a last resort are you to mention the vigilantes and their willingness to step in to help. You can mention that there will be financial aid to both families if they agree to go public and their employers terminate them because of the publicity. Take your food in a to-go bag and get on it. I want all this by noon, so get going.”

“How am I going to eat waffles with syrup in a to-go bag?” Ted grumbled.