the many costs of being a Prime. You weren’t above the law, but, in many cases, you existed outside of it.
“We don’t know for sure that it’s House warfare,” I said. “Let’s get all the facts and then make a decision.”
“I don’t want to put anyone in danger,” Runa said.
“Danger is our middle name,” Grandma Frida said.
Mom stopped what she was doing and looked at Grandma Frida.
“What?” Grandma Frida shrugged. “It’s been too quiet around here. I’m ready for some action.”
“The last time you got some action, you drove Romeo through a storm mage’s compound, while Nevada rode shotgun and fired a grenade launcher at the giant animated constructs chasing you,” Mom said. “Your tank had to be rebuilt from the tracks up, and you had four broken ribs and a gash on your head that needed thirty stitches.”
“Don’t you worry about me getting action, Penelope.” Grandma Frida grabbed a handful of her white curls and pulled them back, exposing the edge of a scar. “It adds character.” She paused. “And an air of mystery. A woman can always use more mystery.”
“God help me,” Mom said.
“Thank you for inviting me into your home,” Runa said. “But this is my problem. I don’t want any of you getting hurt because of us.”
Mom pointed at the chair next to Bern and said, “Sit.”
Runa sat. The combination of mom and sergeant always worked.
“You’ve helped our family,” Mom said. “Now you’re in danger and you’re responsible for your brother, who also might be a target. His safety should be your first priority. We’re offering you a protected base and assistance. We may not have the resources and the manpower of larger firms, but we close our cases. You are the Head of your House now, Runa. Do what’s right for your House.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Runa said.
I turned to Runa. “Do you have a dollar?”
She gave me an odd look and dug through her pockets. “I have a five.”
“If you give me that five-dollar bill, I’ll consider us officially hired. Your choice.” I held my hand out.
“I don’t expect you to work for free . . .”
“Have no fear, we’ll bill you for all of the expenses that will come up. If you still feel that you need to adequately compensate us, we can trade you for poison-detecting services.”
Runa took a deep breath and put the money in my hand. “House Etterson is honored to accept help from House Baylor.”
“Good.” Mom put a plate of pancakes and sausage in front of her.
“Tell us about the fire,” I said.
“It’s bullshit,” Runa said.
“Eat your pancakes,” Mom said.
Runa dug into a pancake with her fork. “The house was four thousand square feet, two stories, and every bedroom had an exit. Mom’s bedroom was on the first floor, Halle’s bedroom on the second, and it opened to the backyard balcony. When she was little, she used to jump off that balcony into our pool. Drove Mom crazy. The house had six smoke detectors and a high-tech alarm that should have sensed the rising temperature and alerted the fire department.”
“Did the alarm go off?” Bern asked.
Anger sparked in her eyes. “I don’t know. It should have though. Somehow, despite the alarm, and the smoke detectors, and the easy access to outside, my mother and my seventeen-year-old sister ended up dying together in the study at three in the morning. My mother could kill an intruder from thirty feet away. Halle could probably do the same, although she mostly specialized in purging toxins. None of this makes any sense. Especially the part where everyone I talked to insists on referring to this as ‘a tragic accident’ as if they’re all reading from the same script.”
She was right. Nothing about this story made any sense so far.
I opened a new case file on my laptop and hit record. “January 5th, Runa Etterson interview. I’m going to ask you some unpleasant questions. The more honest you are, the better we can help you.”
Runa’s expression hardened. “Let’s do it.”
“Your House includes your mother, your sister, your brother, and you, correct?”
“Only me and my brother now.”
“What about your father?”
Runa gave a jerky, one-shoulder shrug. “When I was ten, my ‘dad’ gave up all pretense of being a father and a husband. He’d already had a string of affairs. Everybody knew it. I knew it. I was nine years old and I walked in on him having sex with some random woman on our dining table. For my birthday, he cleaned out our accounts and disappeared. My