“Do tell!” three of them said at once.

 “I shouldn’t. I don’t believe you’re entirely trustworthy,” Emma said.

 Dorothy laughed. “Don’t worry about that, angel. No one listens to us anyway. What happened at work?”

 She sighed. Truthfully, she was dying to talk to someone and these old biddies were good listeners. As long as she didn’t name names. “I’ve gone and done the dumbest thing.”

 “What? Tell us at once!”

 “But it’s not a happy story,” she apologized. “I don’t want to cast a pall on our party—I’ve been looking forward to it.”

 “Pah, we love trouble and misery. We can take it!”

 “Indeed,” Emma said with a frown. “It’s quite sad, really.”

 They had no trouble talking her into it; she was more than ready to unload. She started with the new clothes in the trash, the scarred desktop, then the diary and her bold move in leaving her number.

 “Oh, bless you, little darling!” Susan said. “You’re all mush, aren’t you?”

 Then Emma explained Riley’s rules and Bethany’s two calls.

 “Oh, my dear, you did absolutely the right thing!” Penny said. “Someone has to talk to that child!”

 “But what can I do to help?”

 “I’m sure listening helps, love,” Dorothy said. “Where is that girl’s grandmother?”

 “I asked, as a matter of fact—apparently she went downhill fast after her daughter died and is now in assisted living. I don’t know the details, but I gather she can’t be of much help in her condition.”

 “Some of us are frail,” Marilyn said. “Not us, mind you. We turned into leather. Tough old broads who have outlasted way too many friends. You can give her our numbers, Emma. There’s no group of grannies who know more about the pain of loss and the way to move on than we do.”

 “I bet you would be good for her,” Emma said.

 “What about that woman, the new wife. Wearing the dead woman’s clothes! That should be against the law. I’m calling my lawyer after Christmas. I’m going to give him a list of names of those approved to be seen in my clothing after I’m gone,” Marilyn said.

 “Save your dime,” Penny said. “No one wants your old-lady clothes.”

 “It is awful, though, isn’t it?” Emma asked. “She made a point of saying she asked them, but what’s a young, grief-stricken girl going to say?”

 “Sounds like she can’t help herself,” Susan said. “She’s probably a well-meaning idiot. Trying to make her new husband happy, keeping the house immaculate to impress anyone who’s watching that she’s a caring mother, getting expensive clothes for the girl, rather than giving time and understanding...”

 “They put her in counseling,” Emma said.

 “So what? I have an ex-sister-in-law who was a counselor!” Susan exclaimed. “Worst fucked-up piece of work I’ve ever seen.”

 “Nice language,” Dorothy said. “You know what you should do, Emma? You should talk to that nice Adam about this. You said he’s lovely with teenagers.”

 “With his niece, I’ve seen a little of that. But I’m working for his sister. I broke the rules. I wonder if he’d feel obligated to tell her. Because it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve broken the rules. Not long ago I called the police on one of our clients...”

 They all leaned toward her as one. Their eyes were wide and hungry. “I don’t believe you mentioned that, darling,” Penny said.

 “I’m going to need another glass of wine,” Marilyn said. “Don’t tell about it until I’ve gotten reloaded here.”

 “A man was assaulting his wife. Beating her,” Emma said, going through the story, explaining she was supposed to call her directors or Riley but she just called the police.

 “Good for you!” everyone said.

 “I thought strong women had died off, but look at you go!” Dorothy added.

 “I might’ve chased him with a tire iron, the bastard!” Penny said.

 “Exactly why I carry,” Susan finally said.

 “I just wish I could’ve seen them arrest him,” Emma said. “Say...” She looked around the room. “Penny, just how much have you told them about me?”

 “Well, there was that story about the bedpan. Slowed down the bridge table a bit, that one. And of course that little bit about the Ponzi...”

 “You told them all that, did you?” Emma asked.

 “You wouldn’t want them to be caught off guard,” Penny said.

 “I say good riddance,” Marilyn said. “Thank goodness he had that Saturday night special in his office!”

 “It was a Glock, you dolt,” Susan said. “At least keep your weapons straight.”

 Emma was shaking her head.

 “What’s the matter, darling?” Penny asked.

 “You’re incorrigible,” she said. “There is no logical reason why I should want to be exactly like you. Yet...”

 They all giggled and lifted their glasses. “To women with balls,” someone said.

 * * *

 If Riley was asked by a client to provide holiday housekeeping service, she charged double and offered the jobs to her senior housekeepers. There were always at least a few eager for the extra money and they would arrange their holiday celebrating accordingly. She was careful which jobs she accepted and who she sent because Nick and Makenna shouldn’t be asked to supervise. And Riley wanted to be called only in an emergency, which shouldn’t happen with a skilled crew.