No doubt the kids in
Cranky Bitch were Baku and Shin. I don't know what to make of the use of italics...is that definitely something we don't see anywhere else in Croaker's writings?
As for time travel, the theory I've heard on it has Mischievous Rain and Ankou as Lady and Croaker-Shivetya from the future, having projected themselves back in time to uncover some knowledge of necromancy from Laissa/Ardath/Syleth or Precious Pearl, with the amnesia spell being cast to prevent any unintended changes to the timeline afterward. That theory also tries to explain the period of time in which Mischievous Rain is not herself, which doesn't otherwise get addressed. I suppose I can see how that all fits, but I'm not fully sold.
Mischievous Rain's looks are different enough from Lady's that Croaker does not recognize her in Port of Shadows, yet Laissa/Ardath/Syleth recognizes her as Kitty at the end of the book, which seems to imply that either Mischievous Rain's resemblance is Lady/Dorotea/Kitty's original appearance (and therefore Lady's typical appearance is adopted) or Mischievous Rain is not Lady/Dorotea.
When I originally read Port of Shadows, I figured that Mischievous Rain was Tides Elba as a Taken being directly possessed by Lady so that she could operate incognito outside of Charm, where she would be missed if absent. The period of time when she is not "herself" could just be Lady dealing with other issues at Charm rather than directly controlling her. There's problems with that theory, though: Tides Elba wasn't a sorceress herself, so where did her talent as Mischievous Rain come from? Did Lady bestow her with that power? And if Mischievous Rain is Tides Elba in body if not in mind, then why did Laissa/Ardath/Syleth recognize her as Kitty?
Soulcatcher once told Croaker that Lady had murdered her twin sister, who would be either Ardath or Syleth, whichever Laissa is not. That fourth sister is entirely unaccounted for. Could it be that Mischievous Rain inhabits Lady's twin sister's body? But if that were the case, and they were identical enough twins for Laissa/Ardath/Syleth to recognize as Kitty, then they would have to be identical enough for Croaker to mistake her for Lady as well, right? This all assumes that Soulcatcher was telling the truth. Of course, it could also be that Laissa/Ardath/Syleth is Lady's twin sister herself.
As for the amnesia spell, I figured that was performed so that no one would have any recollection of Precious Pearl and Laissa/Ardath/Syleth, so that Lady could protect them from the resurrectionists.
Anyway, this has turned into mostly speculation on the plot of Port of Shadows. I enjoyed
Cranky Bitch, but it has just left me hungry for more. I am heartened somewhat by the last line in Glen's bio printed just after the story:
He hopes to live long enough to finish the thirty-some novels still racketing around inside his head.
Maybe he is still writing? Perhaps there is still hope that we'll get Pitiless Rain and all of this speculation will end up looking silly. I enjoyed the dynamic between Croaker, Mischievous Rain, and the kids, so I hope we'll get more of that.