Time flew by, and early February 2009 arrived. As far as the police were concerned, the Man-Eating Spider case had long since been closed.
Because Lina Massinger was suspected of killing eight people across Portland, Phoenix, and Albuquerque, making this a typical interstate serial murder case, the prosecution had been handed over to a U.S. Attorney under the U.S. Department of Justice.
Although Nick had introduced the Massinger family to Labe, the "Bear Wesen lawyer," as things stood, at least three or four first-degree murder charges were unavoidable.
The remaining cases, especially the three that had occurred in Albuquerque ten years earlier, might run into complications because so much time had passed and the local police lacked sufficient evidence, but that no longer made much difference.
In Nick's dining room, everyone raised their glasses in celebration. There was nothing special about the day, but nearly everyone was there because Nick had notified them well in advance.
Rosalie and Monroe, Hancock, the siblings Hansen and Gracie, the Bear Wesen lawyer Labe, and two people who could be considered new friends-Bud the Beaver Wesen and Charlotte the Man-Eating Spider-had all gathered together.
Nick had never been particularly interested in European or American holidays, while Dahlia, the Russian girl, usually only celebrated holidays according to Eastern Orthodox customs, so they had invited no guests over for either Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Next came Valentine's Day, a more private occasion usually spent as a couple, but that day also happened to be the anniversary of Dahlia's father's death (Chapter 37). The closer it drew, the worse her mood became.
Seeing that their various affairs had either been settled or reached a temporary stopping point, Nick suggested having everyone over for a small gathering to keep in touch and liven things up a little, helping improve