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Authors: Andrew Neiderman
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deliver if you can’t get to the store yourself.”
“Oh?”
“But they charge considerably more for everything,” Nikki added, her lips twisting with obvious disapproval. Without instruction, she began unloading the bags of groceries. She went directly to the cabinet in the right corner and began putting away the staples. Kristin stepped back and smiled quizzically. How did she know I wanted them there? she
wondered. When Nikki turned to get some more, she saw the look on Kristin’s face.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said. “I just assumed you wanted them in here.”
“Well, I suppose that’s fine,” Kristin said.
“It’s where Elaine kept her staple items,” Jean explained.
“Oh?”
“It’s where they belong anyway,” Nikki said. “You should keep your cold cereals in here.
This cabinet is perfect for the jar goods,” she continued as if she were selling the house.
“You can display a lot and they’re easy to reach.”
“That’s where we keep ours,” Jean added.
“You mean you have the same kitchen cabinets, the same design?” Kristin asked.
“Practically. My home is the one across the street and to the right,” Jean said. “Nikki lives two houses up.”
“They’re both beautiful houses,” Kristin said.
“Thank you,” Nikki said. “Actually, all the homes in Emerald Lakes are exceptional,”
she added as if it were a crime to lord your house over another in the development.
“Here’s all of it,” Teddy announced, struggling to get the last three bags on the counter.
Jean rushed forward to grab the middle one. “Thanks. I feel like a contortionist,” he said, moving his hip against the counter. He placed the bags carefully and looked at Kristin, discerning a strange expression on her face. “Everything all right?” he asked instinctively.
“Fine,” she said. “Nikki and Jean were just showing me exactly where to put
everything.”
“Oh?”
“An organized kitchen makes it all so much easier,” Nikki said. “These houses were all designed to be as efficient as possible when it comes to domestic chores. If you employ a cleaning girl, even on a part-time basis, you’ll want to hire one from the Marsh Agency.
They’re all pretty well schooled in how our homes are organized—where the vacuums
and cleaning materials are kept, where to put the bath towels for the guest rooms, how to organize your dishes, pans, and pottery . . .”
“You mean everyone does it all the same way?” Teddy asked, smiling.
“Essentially. As I said, it’s the way the homes were designed,” Nikki replied.
“Some diversity on the outside, but conformity on the inside,” Jean Levine recited as if it were the motto of Emerald Lakes.
“Um, interesting,” Teddy said, folding his arms and leaning against the counter. “So, how long have you guys been here?”
“Nikki was here at the very beginning. What’s that, about five years, Nikki?”
“Five years and seven months this May 5th.”
“Sid and I moved in four years ago. Nikki’s on the board of directors,” Jean added.
“They know that already, Jean,” Nikki snapped. Teddy considered the diminutive
woman. He hadn’t really looked at her closely at the interview, directing himself more to Philip Slater. She had a firmness which made her size deceptive, and her eyes had that no-nonsense look.
“Oh,” he repeated, the name sinking in. “You’re Bill Stanley’s wife? The banker?”
“Around here, Bill’s known as Nikki’s husband,” Jean quipped. Nikki shot her a look of displeasure, but Jean only laughed. “My husband’s a broker with Gantz and Gantz on
Wall Street,” Jean said.
“How long is his commute?” Kristin asked.
“About an hour and ten, which isn’t bad when you consider what he comes home to,”
she added. Teddy raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Oh, I didn’t mean . . .” She looked again at Nikki who smirked with clear disapproval. “I meant our home, this beautiful development,
“Oh?”
“But they charge considerably more for everything,” Nikki added, her lips twisting with obvious disapproval. Without instruction, she began unloading the bags of groceries. She went directly to the cabinet in the right corner and began putting away the staples. Kristin stepped back and smiled quizzically. How did she know I wanted them there? she
wondered. When Nikki turned to get some more, she saw the look on Kristin’s face.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said. “I just assumed you wanted them in here.”
“Well, I suppose that’s fine,” Kristin said.
“It’s where Elaine kept her staple items,” Jean explained.
“Oh?”
“It’s where they belong anyway,” Nikki said. “You should keep your cold cereals in here.
This cabinet is perfect for the jar goods,” she continued as if she were selling the house.
“You can display a lot and they’re easy to reach.”
“That’s where we keep ours,” Jean added.
“You mean you have the same kitchen cabinets, the same design?” Kristin asked.
“Practically. My home is the one across the street and to the right,” Jean said. “Nikki lives two houses up.”
“They’re both beautiful houses,” Kristin said.
“Thank you,” Nikki said. “Actually, all the homes in Emerald Lakes are exceptional,”
she added as if it were a crime to lord your house over another in the development.
“Here’s all of it,” Teddy announced, struggling to get the last three bags on the counter.
Jean rushed forward to grab the middle one. “Thanks. I feel like a contortionist,” he said, moving his hip against the counter. He placed the bags carefully and looked at Kristin, discerning a strange expression on her face. “Everything all right?” he asked instinctively.
“Fine,” she said. “Nikki and Jean were just showing me exactly where to put
everything.”
“Oh?”
“An organized kitchen makes it all so much easier,” Nikki said. “These houses were all designed to be as efficient as possible when it comes to domestic chores. If you employ a cleaning girl, even on a part-time basis, you’ll want to hire one from the Marsh Agency.
They’re all pretty well schooled in how our homes are organized—where the vacuums
and cleaning materials are kept, where to put the bath towels for the guest rooms, how to organize your dishes, pans, and pottery . . .”
“You mean everyone does it all the same way?” Teddy asked, smiling.
“Essentially. As I said, it’s the way the homes were designed,” Nikki replied.
“Some diversity on the outside, but conformity on the inside,” Jean Levine recited as if it were the motto of Emerald Lakes.
“Um, interesting,” Teddy said, folding his arms and leaning against the counter. “So, how long have you guys been here?”
“Nikki was here at the very beginning. What’s that, about five years, Nikki?”
“Five years and seven months this May 5th.”
“Sid and I moved in four years ago. Nikki’s on the board of directors,” Jean added.
“They know that already, Jean,” Nikki snapped. Teddy considered the diminutive
woman. He hadn’t really looked at her closely at the interview, directing himself more to Philip Slater. She had a firmness which made her size deceptive, and her eyes had that no-nonsense look.
“Oh,” he repeated, the name sinking in. “You’re Bill Stanley’s wife? The banker?”
“Around here, Bill’s known as Nikki’s husband,” Jean quipped. Nikki shot her a look of displeasure, but Jean only laughed. “My husband’s a broker with Gantz and Gantz on
Wall Street,” Jean said.
“How long is his commute?” Kristin asked.
“About an hour and ten, which isn’t bad when you consider what he comes home to,”
she added. Teddy raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Oh, I didn’t mean . . .” She looked again at Nikki who smirked with clear disapproval. “I meant our home, this beautiful development,
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