will, however, inherit a substantial portion of your mother’s estate, as well as mine. When you find Elaine’s body, I will make sure you are rewarded.”
More money than K even thought I’d get . He’d estimated a low six-figure amount. Relief beat hard in Mattie’s heart. “I don’t want anyone other than lawyers and us to know the exact amount.” Mattie licked her dry lips. “How will I find Elaine?”
“Ask Brant. Talk to Brant.” She opened her eyes once more. “You’re so much better for him than that Emeline. My own granddaughter, and I can’t stand her. Go on now. If you don’t find her before I die, I won’t finalize the changes to my will or release the letter that absolves you from any sort of fraud. We need to meet again next week. My lawyer will join us, and we’ll finalize the details.”
Her eyes closed tight again, and even when Mattie whispered her name, Ruth Ellen didn’t respond.
Slowly, disappointed, Mattie left the room. She had so many questions, so many things she needed to know.
If she and Elaine were both illegitimate, why had she been abandoned? Why had Elaine been allowed to stay?
Had Karen ever wondered about her? Wanted her back? Had she ever cared at all? Mattie sat down on a sun-warmed bench outside the front doors and waited for West to return to pick her up. Moments after she sat down, her cell phone rang. “Hello?”
“How’s the reunion, hot stuff?”
“Shut up, K. And it’s going. That’s all I can say. Nothing’s happening.”
“Got the money yet?”
“K, I’ve been here all of a day! McKendrick is talking blood tests and all sorts of things. Did you think they would just let me walk in, write me a check, and let me walk back out? People have tried to scam them before. They aren’t easy marks.”
When K spoke, his voice was bitter, angry. Mattie felt a tingle of fear in her belly. If K had been physically close to her, she’d never speak like that to him. Her hands shook just thinking about what he would do to her. Only when she was far away from K did she lose the mindless dependence and numbing fear. For a while, she could be herself, try to find the bits of herself that had been lost over the years. After she argued with K for a little longer and listened to his veiled threats without a single flutter of fear, she promised him results in a week and hung up. A woman with long white-blonde hair walked by. Her hair gleamed silver-white in the sunlight, reminding Mattie of Emeline’s hair. My sister .
All her life she’d known about Emeline. Emeline was the pretty one. The one everybody loved and fawned over. Emeline the model, the actress. The socialite. She hung out with young Hollywood starlets and rubbed shoulders with seasoned celebrities. Carmen made sure she knew where she came from, and why she wasn’t there anymore. Money was Carmen’s driving force in life.
K rubbed it in that Emeline had grown up in the fancy house with everything money could buy. He saved clippings from magazines and society pages about her little sister.
Mattie only wanted to know where she came from. The money only mattered because it was a way to get away from K.
She just wanted the family. The mother. The father. The sister. People who loved her.
West’s beat-up old truck pulled into the circular drive. Mattie stood up and waited by the curb, still half-lost in her thoughts.
She pried at the door but couldn’t get it open. West kicked it open and waited for her to climb in. “How’d it go?” he asked.
Mattie shrugged. “As well as can be expected, I suppose. She wants to see me again next week, with her lawyer.” She sighed and rested her head against the window.
“It’s a little overwhelming.”
“I bet. It’s been a hell of a day so far. Want to get something to eat?” Mattie nodded, her eyes closed. This wasn’t the usual con, and it was more than she could integrate at the moment. She needed a little while, a
More money than K even thought I’d get . He’d estimated a low six-figure amount. Relief beat hard in Mattie’s heart. “I don’t want anyone other than lawyers and us to know the exact amount.” Mattie licked her dry lips. “How will I find Elaine?”
“Ask Brant. Talk to Brant.” She opened her eyes once more. “You’re so much better for him than that Emeline. My own granddaughter, and I can’t stand her. Go on now. If you don’t find her before I die, I won’t finalize the changes to my will or release the letter that absolves you from any sort of fraud. We need to meet again next week. My lawyer will join us, and we’ll finalize the details.”
Her eyes closed tight again, and even when Mattie whispered her name, Ruth Ellen didn’t respond.
Slowly, disappointed, Mattie left the room. She had so many questions, so many things she needed to know.
If she and Elaine were both illegitimate, why had she been abandoned? Why had Elaine been allowed to stay?
Had Karen ever wondered about her? Wanted her back? Had she ever cared at all? Mattie sat down on a sun-warmed bench outside the front doors and waited for West to return to pick her up. Moments after she sat down, her cell phone rang. “Hello?”
“How’s the reunion, hot stuff?”
“Shut up, K. And it’s going. That’s all I can say. Nothing’s happening.”
“Got the money yet?”
“K, I’ve been here all of a day! McKendrick is talking blood tests and all sorts of things. Did you think they would just let me walk in, write me a check, and let me walk back out? People have tried to scam them before. They aren’t easy marks.”
When K spoke, his voice was bitter, angry. Mattie felt a tingle of fear in her belly. If K had been physically close to her, she’d never speak like that to him. Her hands shook just thinking about what he would do to her. Only when she was far away from K did she lose the mindless dependence and numbing fear. For a while, she could be herself, try to find the bits of herself that had been lost over the years. After she argued with K for a little longer and listened to his veiled threats without a single flutter of fear, she promised him results in a week and hung up. A woman with long white-blonde hair walked by. Her hair gleamed silver-white in the sunlight, reminding Mattie of Emeline’s hair. My sister .
All her life she’d known about Emeline. Emeline was the pretty one. The one everybody loved and fawned over. Emeline the model, the actress. The socialite. She hung out with young Hollywood starlets and rubbed shoulders with seasoned celebrities. Carmen made sure she knew where she came from, and why she wasn’t there anymore. Money was Carmen’s driving force in life.
K rubbed it in that Emeline had grown up in the fancy house with everything money could buy. He saved clippings from magazines and society pages about her little sister.
Mattie only wanted to know where she came from. The money only mattered because it was a way to get away from K.
She just wanted the family. The mother. The father. The sister. People who loved her.
West’s beat-up old truck pulled into the circular drive. Mattie stood up and waited by the curb, still half-lost in her thoughts.
She pried at the door but couldn’t get it open. West kicked it open and waited for her to climb in. “How’d it go?” he asked.
Mattie shrugged. “As well as can be expected, I suppose. She wants to see me again next week, with her lawyer.” She sighed and rested her head against the window.
“It’s a little overwhelming.”
“I bet. It’s been a hell of a day so far. Want to get something to eat?” Mattie nodded, her eyes closed. This wasn’t the usual con, and it was more than she could integrate at the moment. She needed a little while, a
Similar Books
Italian Billionaire's Black Love (BWWM Interracial Romance)
Mya Black, Nicki J.
The Driver
Alexander Roy
Hercufleas
Sam Gayton
Protected by the Major
Anne Herries
Fire Raiser
Melanie Rawn
The Hudson Diaries
Kara L. Barney
Bride Enchanted
Edith Layton
Damascus Road
Charlie Cole
Mad Dog Justice
Mark Rubinstein