“Why don’t I just get the paper and read it myself? Listen, Mom, do you think you could round up some of your cronies from the convention and drop by the party tonight? We’re trying to make this gathering as interesting as possible. Divert the attention from what’s gone on, although with everything in the news now, that seems unlikely. We’ve got a lot of damage control to take care of.”

“What time does the party start?”

“Seven.”

“That’d work. Our cocktail hour is from five-thirty to six-thirty, and then people are on their own until the final sessions and brunch tomorrow. I’ll see who wants to come down. Before you hang up, your father wants to talk to you.”

“Okay.”

“Hi, honey,” Luke said. “Be careful, would you?”

Luke and Regan both chuckled. It was a family joke. Once after she had slipped and fallen in the snow, Nora had leaned over Regan, who was sprawled on the sidewalk, and said, “Be careful.”

“Too late, Mom,” Regan had replied.

“Anyway,” Luke continued, “yesterday I mentioned what you were doing to Austin. He reminded me we had heard last year about this girl who inherited money from her elderly neighbor in Hoboken and then started a dating service.”

“Yes?” Regan said, her investigative antennae roused.

“This woman left her a lot of money.”

“Yes, I know.”

“It turns out she didn’t make too many friends after the woman died. She even stiffed the Connolly brothers, who had handled the funeral, when they held a charity drive. They said she was cheap and couldn’t get out of town fast enough.”

“Being cheap isn’t a crime,” Regan said, “though maybe it should be.”

“True. But it made them wonder whether there was any undue influence with the neighbor …”

And here I am in her apartment. Could Lydia have anything to do with any part of what had happened? “Maybe I should call them,” Regan said. “Do you have their number?”

“Yes,” Luke said and read it to Regan. “For what it’s worth.”

“Nothing would surprise me,” Regan said. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Be careful. Really.”

Regan smiled. “Right, Dad.” When she hung up, she pulled on her robe and stepped out into the kitchen. Maldwin was just getting out the coffee cups.

“I’m sorry I didn’t bring coffee to you, but I think we all slept in a bit today. It’s just ready now.”

“That’s okay,” Regan said. “I’m going to go back across the hall and take a shower. My things are all there.”

“Take a cup with you.”

“Thanks. Is Lydia up yet?”

“No. I will wake her momentarily. Her pedicurist is coming in to do her nails at ten o’clock.”

I wish I had someone coming to rub my feet, Regan thought. “Tell her thanks for me and I’ll talk to her later.”