Silence filled the room briefly, and then Lucian crumpled up the empty wrappings of his sandwich, tossed it on the plate with his now empty chip bag, picked up his plate and drink glass and stood to leave the room for the kitchen. They heard him banging around in there, presumably disposing of the wrappings and putting the plate in the dishwasher, then he returned with a notepad and a pen.
“Write down everyone you have ever known in your life and how long they have been or were in your life,” he instructed, handing the notepad and pen to her.
“Everyone?” Sherry echoed with alarm.
“Everyone who has spent a lot of time around or near you while they were in your life,” he clarified. “Friends, family friends, that sort of thing.”
“That’s a lot of people,” Sherry warned, accepting the notepad and pen.
“You have until morning,” Lucian said firmly, and then turned to Harper. “You can take Stephanie and Drina back to Port Henry, or stay for a couple days, as you like. But if you stay, Stephanie doesn’t leave the apartment.”
Harper nodded, but asked, “And Sherry and Basil?”
“They stay here until we sort out who the immortal is in her life and why they didn’t want her in Port Henry,” he announced.
Sherry couldn’t help noticing that nobody protested his dictating everyone’s life like this. Even she was keeping her mouth shut, she acknowledged wryly as Lucian continued.
“If you’re staying tonight,” he said to Harper and Drina, “they can stay here too. Otherwise, Bricker will take them to the Enforcer house after he drops me off.”
Harper nodded and glanced to Drina when she caught his hand. She tugged him to the side to whisper in his ear, and his eyebrows rose slightly. But he nodded and then straightened and said, “Sherry and Basil can stay here. We’d like to stay a couple days and try to help sort out who this immortal might be before we go.”
“To make up for my mistake,” Drina added quietly. “It can’t hurt to have more minds working on the puzzle of who the immortal in Sherry’s life might be.”
“I like puzzles,” Stephanie announced, dropping onto the couch next to Sherry and grinning at her good-naturedly.
Sherry smiled back and then glanced to Lucian as he headed for the entry, announcing, “We’re leaving, Bricker.”
Bricker paused with his sandwich halfway to his mouth and gaped after the man, then sighed and quickly wrapped up the second half of his sandwich, muttering, “Of course, we are.”
Sherry bit her lip as they all watched Bricker scramble after Lucian. No one spoke until they heard the telltale sign of the elevator door opening and closing, and then Drina glanced to Sherry and smiled.
“I’ll make some coffee and see if Mrs. Parker made brownies or anything to help fuel your brain while you make the list.”
“I’ll help,” Harper offered, moving to her side.
Sherry jumped in surprise when Stephanie suddenly squealed, “Brownies!” and leapt off the couch to hurry after the couple. She watched the girl go with wry amusement. Sometimes Stephanie seemed sixty, and sometimes she just seemed sixteen . . . or even six, she thought, and shook her head.
“Are you all right with staying here?”
Sherry glanced to Basil and started to nod, then frowned and said, “Oh, God, I’m sorry, Basil. You came to Canada to visit your daughter and now—” Biting her lip, she shook her head and said, “You don’t have to stay here, you know. I’ll understand if you want to return to Port Henry and continue your visit with Katricia.”
He smiled faintly at her words and reached out to caress her cheek, then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “We can visit Katricia after we resolve this. I meant are you okay with staying here as opposed to the Enforcer house? This is the third new place in almost as many days. I wondered if you would prefer someplace you’ve already been.”
“Oh.” She smiled weakly and glanced around. “No, this is fine. It certainly has a great view,” she said, then frowned and added, “As long as we aren’t putting Drina and Harper out. I wouldn’t want to inconvenience them.”
“You aren’t,” Harper announced, returning to the room with a tray of sugar, cream, sweetener, and spoons. “Actually, it’s nice to get some use out of this place. We spend so much time in Port Henry, this apartment is really a waste. Thank God I own it and don’t pay rent,” he added dryly. Harper smiled at her reassuringly as he set his tray on the coffee table. “There are several guest rooms, or the two of you can share one. It’s up to you.”
“Thank goodness my room is soundproofed,” Stephanie said now, carrying out a second tray, this one bearing a pan of brownies and several plates. “At least I won’t have to listen to you four going at it tonight. I don’t know how the others sleep with all that racket.”
“So says she who snores like a lumberjack,” Harper teased.
“I do not!” Stephanie gasped with dismay, and then asked worriedly, “Do I?”
“No, honey,” Drina assured her with a reproving look at Harper as she entered the room with a tray of coffee cups. “Harper’s just teasing you.”
“Hmmm.” Stephanie scowled at him as Drina set down the brownies and plates, then she slumped on the couch next to Sherry and eyed the notepad. “Would it be easier for you to make your list at the dining room table?”
“Oh!” Drina paused, her own tray still in her hand. Clucking her tongue, she turned in that direction. “I should have thought of that. We can have coffee and brownies at the table so you can write. The coffee’s on, by the way, it won’t be a minute.”