“The will is out of probate, and the statute of limitation has expired. Challenging the will is out. One option you have is to go after the law firm for negligence since they provided the wrong will. However, the lawyer who executed it is deceased. Unless we can find where it was filed with the law firm, it won’t hold any weight in a court of law. It can also be a lengthy and expensive process. The moment they realize what we’re doing, it will become nearly impossible to get the information.”
“How could she? How could she do this?”
Drake stood off to the side as I vented. I’d been ready to hop in my car and find my mom, but Drake had suggested that I calm down a little. Spending the night in jail wasn’t on my to-do list.
My mom had lied. She’d lied. To me… Dad…
Does she know Dad figured it out? Does Raquel know?
And it all felt too coincidental—the land offers, the paternity, Dad’s death. Drake shared with me what he’d found out about the accident. All the paperwork was gone. Just gone. Are the cops in on it?
How? Why? Who?
I grabbed my phone and dialed my mom. Voicemail. “I can’t believe she sent me to voicemail! I’m her daughter!”
That was it. I’d had it. I took the paternity test results and the will to Drake’s computer and scanned them in.
“What are you doing?”
“Giving the Twiner Tellings a red-hot newsletter.”
“Do you really want the whole town involved?”
I stopped what I was doing and sank into the chair. Drake leaned against the doorframe. That’s what he did when I was so mad I could see red, gave me space.
“I’m just saying—once you put it out there, you can’t take it back. You’ll lose any element of surprise. I get that you’re pissed and hurt, but what will this accomplish? If you want to talk about it, I would suggest confronting Irene and Raquel to their faces. Then you’ll know if they knew.”
I pulled my legs onto the seat. “Do you think my mom was involved in Dad’s accident somehow?”
“I’d like to think not, but…” He let it hang out, obviously unsure how to finish. The sad thing was, I wasn’t sure how that sentence ended either. The whole situation made my mom look suspicious.
I leaned my head back and stared at the ceiling. “I wonder if it’s Chazz or Raquel. But that seems so obvious. Do you think Raquel knows?”
“I don’t know. Do I think Raquel knew when you lived here before? Maybe, but it seems doubtful. Is it a possibility now? Yes.”
“I want to talk to her. And Mom.”
“You sure about that?”
“Yes. I need to know if they knew.”
* * *
The B&B was a bust. Mom wasn’t home. Next up was Raquel’s illustrious home on the side of the mountain. The house was completely out of place for Skagway. This was the first time I’d been there.
The lights were on, and Mom’s car was parked out front. Of course she hadn’
t taken my call. I balled my fists as I thought about what I’d found.
“You sure you want to do this?” Drake asked.
I appreciated Drake trying to be the reasonable one in all this, but I wanted to see their faces. I needed to know if they knew. Keeping my voice steady, I said, “Yes, this isn’t me acting irrationally. Maybe scanning the results to the Twiner sisters had been, but now I just feel numb toward them. I want them out of my lives forever after this.”
“I get it, Lex. I do.”
Honestly, family was good to have. But I would be glad to be rid of them.
We got out of the truck and headed to the massive, ornate front door. It was like approaching some sort of castle. Ridiculous. The stone exterior looked cold. When I pushed the button, some fancy tune played. We waited, and I got even angrier as the seconds ticked by. I refused to leave until I saw them, so I pushed the button again. And again. As my finger headed toward the button for a fourth time, the door opened. A woman wearing a black-and-white uniform answered, “Hello, how may I help you?”