Mind Games

They’d set the wicks, and had the top of them secured to little sticks that lay over the rim of the jars and tins. Because they had to sit and cool and harden for a whole day, they sat on a sheet of brown paper on the counter in the workroom part of the kitchen.

If they had time, they’d do another batch of lavender.

They melted soy wax in the big double boiler. When Lucy made candles with beeswax, she let them stand on their own for their natural color and scent.

Thea added the scented oil, and Rem the coloring.

It all smelled good enough to eat.

As they poured the last of the tins, the dogs scrambled up to bark, and someone knocked on the front door.

“I’ll get it, Grammie!”

Rem rushed to the front door with the dogs. Like the back door and the one off the side, only the screen door was closed, so he could look right through. He saw two men outside, in suits. Both had brown hair, but one was taller, and the taller one had some gray stuff in his hair.

“Everybody, stop! Sit!”

All three dogs sat, and though Duck made noises in his throat, all stopped barking.

Rem said, “Hello.”

“Hi there.” The taller one smiled at him. “I’m Detective Howard, and this is Detective Musk.”

Obviously fascinated, Rem pushed open the door to study the badges. Then he looked up. “Are you the police who caught the”—he looked behind him, gauging the hearing distance to his grandmother—“the bastard who killed my mom and dad?”

“We were part of that, yeah. We’re really sorry about your mom and dad. Is your grandmother home?”

“Sure. I don’t get to stay by myself even though I’m ten. We’re making candles.”

“Can we come in and talk to her, to you and your sister?”

“Okay. At first I wanted you to kill him when you caught him, but then Deputy Driscoll said what prison was like, and how he’d be there forever. So that’s even worse. I guess. Is it?”

Musk looked down. “If he lives to be a hundred and fifty, he’ll still be in prison. I have to figure that’s worse. Those are nice dogs.”

“This one’s Cocoa, she came with me and Thea. That’s Duck and that’s Goose. They won’t bite you, since I told them to sit.”

But when he opened the screen door again, they tore out like the house was on fire.

“They need to run around awhile.”

He led them back as Lucy stepped into the main kitchen with Thea. “Now, that’s a job well done. We can—”

She broke off when she saw two strange men with Rem.

Automatically, she nudged Thea behind her, reached for Rem’s hand.

“Can I help you with something?”

Protective, Howard thought. Guard the kids first.

“We’re the police, Ms. Lannigan. Detectives Howard and Musk, out of Fredericksburg.”

He noted she relaxed, visibly, even as one arm went around each child.

“Oh. We weren’t expecting … We’re some of a mess. We were candle-making.”

“Smells real good in here.” Musk put on his easy smile. “Like … peaches?”