The next morning, Nicki woke up around eight, dragged herself into an old Danzig t-shirt, a set of striped tights, and a pair of cut-off denim shorts, and slouched her way downstairs. Megan was in the living room eating a bagel with cream cheese and watching the TV. It was Saturday and neither of them had to work. Megan still worked at her old job, a legal counselor for the free clinic downtown, but now as the head supervisor, appearing in court less and less as her duties had become more administrative. Nicki had a job in the mall at the big chain bookstore. She was rehired seasonal help and not allowed to supervise much of anything, except the most completely untrained employees. She mostly ran the cappucino machine and restocked the magazine racks when she wasn't lurking out back smoking.
Tossing herself into a nearby chair, Nicki sleepily rubbed one eye and glared at the TV, the sound of which had woken her.
"What has you out of bed so early, Sunbeam?" Megan asked without looking away from the TV. That was Megan's nickname for Nicki ever since her "niece" had gotten into this morbid black-clad phase, especially when she was irritated with her late night outings.
"Couldn't sleep," Nicki mumbled, her mind distracted by trying to remember the dreams that were already slipping away. Something about a coffin, being buried alive and then dug back up again.
"That's a change of pace," Megan snorted in genuine amusement.
"Why are we watching this?" Nicki grunted, ignoring her "aunt." It was some show about a dog-trainer. Ever since the fateful day the medallion had first been lost Nicki had hated dogs.
"We weren't watching anything," Megan rolled an annoyed glance toward Nicki then back to the screen, "I was enjoying my morning in peace."
"Just turn it, Meg," Nicki growled in a sulky voice. God, why did Meg have to try to force her to accept everything. Fine, she was female. Fine, she had to go to school. Fine, she had to work. Why couldn't she be allowed to hate dogs?
"Yeah, because that brings the medallion back, right?" Megan snapped, even as she complied, "Me changing the channel. It makes everything better, huh?"
"No," Nicki bit her lower lip, debated whether or not to tell Megan. She thought about how Keith had said she would have to seduce her target. She thought about what sort of advice she might get from Megan, and still couldn't decide if she should tell her. So, instead, she hinted, "That won't bring the medallion back- - but something else might."
"Nicki, honey," Megan began in a tired voice, "It's been three years. Katie isn't coming back. Maybe she can't. She could have had an accident. Maybe she lost the medallion too. You have to- -"
"She did," Nicki interrupted, closely watching Megans face, "Katie did come back. And Katie did lose it - - but she knows where it is. She knows how I can get it."
"WHAT?!" Megan came out of the chair, dropping her bagel, hands trembling. She looked around wildly as if expecting Katie to come in through the door or perhaps the window, "Where?! When?"
Nicki inwardly cursed. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything just yet. Now it wasn't a matter of whether or not to tell Megan, but a matter of how much to tell.
