Faithless in Death (In Death, #52)(29)

Another kitchen, not as big as the other, and this one so white it looked like a lab. White walls, floors, counters, cabinets.

It made up for the white with a dining and small lounging area with candy-pink walls.

“Need my sunshades,” McNab said, and winked at Bella.

“Gut job,” Mavis said.

“Not entirely. They’re good cabinets and laid out well. I’d paint them out,” Roarke suggested. “And tear up the white tile on the floor. If the hardwood doesn’t run under it, I’d install it, match what runs through the rest.”

“Tell them about it all,” Mavis requested, “while we do the tour. You do it better.”

“Well then, the owners—it’s been in the same family for four generations—converted this space to accommodate visiting friends and family, and then for parents who they wanted close—but not in the same space, so to speak.”

They walked through, paused at a sunny little room with a small fireplace flanked by built-ins—and dominated by floral wallpaper.

“The mother-in-law of the owner used this as a craft room.”

“It’s a good size for it,” Peabody commented. “Sunny, and plenty of storage.”

Mavis just beamed at her.

“And the living area, with more unfortunate wall coverings, and the fireplace—as throughout the house—converted from wood-burning. The basement area’s finished—floors, walls—though they used it primarily for storage. A full bath down there, and potentially another bedroom. There are three upstairs, and two full baths with the master and a Jack-and-Jill for the other two.”

“The woodwork’s amazing. I’m so glad they didn’t paint it. The high ceilings, the oak floors.” Peabody sighed. “Are you going to tear down the walls, open it up to the main?”

“Too much house for us,” Leonardo said.

“Rent it out.” McNab nodded. “You could close off the back door if you didn’t want tenants back in your yard. You got that private entrance there on the side.”

“Yeah, it’s nice the way the entrance faces the side. You’d get morning light in here. Do the fixes,” Peabody said, “and you’d rent it out in a heartbeat. This neighborhood, all this room.”

“You gotta get Dallas to do a run on any potentials though.” McNab wandered the room. “You’re really private back here. You want the right tenants, and the security we already talked about.”

“We already picked the tenants.” Still beaming, Mavis cuddled next to Leonardo, who had Bella back on his hips. “You guys.”

McNab turned slowly, and Peabody just blinked.

“Some cops you are,” Eve muttered. “You didn’t see that coming?”

Peabody found her voice. “Oh, listen, this is beyond mag of both of you, but we are cops. We’re cops and can’t afford the rent on a place like this.”

“You could if it’s what you’re paying now.”

Peabody immediately shook her head. “Mavis—”

“Shut up. You, too,” Eve ordered McNab. “Shut up and hear her out.”

“I knew you’d get it.” Tears welled again as Mavis threw herself at Eve. Tears fell again as she drew back. “Sorry, sorry. I can’t. Leonardo, you tell them.”

“These are my girls,” he said. “The most precious things in my life. And I’m going to have another precious thing come into my life. How could I risk them? You said it yourself. It’s private here, and we’d need to do background checks, and even then … It’s not the same as apartment living. We don’t want someone we don’t know living here with us, sharing the yard with us. We need friends. Someone we know, without question, Bella and the baby will be safe with.”

“You’re cops,” Mavis managed. “What’s safer than living beside cops? And we love you.”

As if hitting a cue, Bella threw out her arms to Peabody.

“But it’s—”

“Don’t be stupid.” Eve spoke flatly. “Because I’m going to tell them, flat out, they don’t rent to anyone they don’t know. Not here, behind a gate, when they’re fricking celebrities with a kid and another coming. It’s you or it goes empty, which is stupid. This is the perfect solution for everybody.”

Tears still raining, Mavis hurled herself into Eve’s arms again. Eve just rolled her eyes, and patted Mavis on the back.

She watched Peabody and McNab exchange looks, could interpret the nonverbal conversation between them. Especially when tears spilled from Peabody.

“Please, for God’s sake, say yes before we drown in here.”

“Peas,” Bella said, and stroked Peabody’s damp cheek.

“We’d love to be your tenants.”

To Eve’s relief, Mavis launched herself at Peabody. Somewhere in the hug, they both began to bounce, and Bella to laugh like a maniac.

“Great, that’s settled. Now I have to get to work.”

“Don’t you want to see the rest?”

Eve shook her head at Mavis. “I’ve seen enough. I don’t know how or why, but this place is perfect for the five … five-point-whatever of you,” she corrected with a gesture toward Mavis. “Roarke says it’s rock solid, so it is. He says you can fix it up in a couple or three months, so you can. Between him and McNab, you’ll have the best security there is.”