Chapter 6

She found the rest of the family in the expansive, robin’s egg blue living room. The color, she’d read once, was supposed to be soothing. In this house, it took the theme a bit too far—frigidwas closer to the mark.

Daphne and Titi Diana were perched primly on opposing couches, sipping mugs of steaming coffee—which, judging by the glazed look on Daphne’s face, was spiked—and chatting without much warmth. Maura’s cousin Tony was seated next to Diana on the couch, wearing the same politely exasperated look as his mother. Across from him was Maura’s other step-sister Shawna, looking pinched, bored, and hostile. She was only seventeen, and still had that surly teenager look about her. It was a distinguishing contrast, considering that all of her malice was pointed at Tony, twenty-five, gorgeous, and a successful stock trader even at such an age. It was clear that the two cousins had been forced to come out and play nice.