He nodded. “Yes, you can. But I suggest — in an entirely professional capacity as your PA, of course — that you schedule swamp creation for later and we get to the funeral now.”
“In your professional capacity?”
“Sure. I’m in charge of your calendar, right?” He stood and took my hand, drawing me to a standing position.
I looked at all the boxes. “Did I just waste my time here? Should I have been at Gold Moon all along?”
“You know what? You met me. I can’t think why that would ever be a waste of your time.” He sounded so sincere that I laughed my surprise. “And now it’s time for us to get out of here. I’ll have a moving company pick up all your shit later, okay? We have a car waiting downstairs.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “You’re right. We have to go.” But it still felt like I was cutting myself adrift as I left the office.
At least here, I’d known the routine. Going forward, the only thing I could be sure of was uncertainty.
When we stepped outside, the sun beamed down on us and I cursed the cloudless sky. This wasn’t the time for a beautiful day. I wanted the whole world to reflect my sorrow. But instead, it was flawless.
Carwyn City at its best and most beautiful.
* * *
Sunlight glintedoff the Novelli river’s surface like shards of glass or freshly cut diamonds as we arrived at the pier where the service was being held. Dad had done many a business deal here, always preferring the outdoors to being trapped in an office.
He and Wes would have bonded over that. I imagined my dad had probably taken off for a lot of random runs throughout his life. His wanderlust was part of the reason for his and Mom’s big trip.
I smiled as I thought of him, but slipped my sunglasses into place. There was no way I wouldn’t need them today.
“He loved this spot in particular,” I said to Wes. It felt weird to remain silent about him on a day meant to celebrate as much as to commemorate my father.
“I bet.” Wes shielded his eyes as he looked out onto the wide river.
Today was lazy, but boats passed by and seagulls shrieked as they rode on air currents above us.
Mom stood on a small portable stage that Agatha had arranged as part of the package and had assembled at the end of the pier. I hurried to take my seat in the front row. Wes hovered nearer to the back of the arrangement of chairs, giving me plenty of space for privacy, but still nearby if I needed him for additional support.
Mom opened her mouth, then closed it again and smiled, her lips tight. She looked across the assembled guests, nearly making eye contact with me, as though she could see through my sunglasses before looking away.
“I don’t have a lot to say,” she began before trilling a nervous laugh and offering a flutter of her left hand. Assorted delicate bracelets on her wrist jingled when she did. “What does one say on an occasion like this?” She waited a moment before speaking again, appearing to carefully gather her composure.
“Maybe all you really need to know about Joseph is this: he was a family man before anything else. He cherished family, and he cherished the life he'd built for all of us. And we cherished him the same.”
She began to say something else, but my attention wandered to the person moving quickly and carefully toward me.
The woman with brown eyes and coiled black hair slipped into the empty seat next to mine, and she kept her gaze fixed firmly on Mom as she began to speak — she was using only half her mouth, as if she didn’t want anyone to know she was talking to me.
“I’m Charmaine,” she murmured.
I rolled my eyes. Well, shit. Did the woman have no sense of timing? There was no need to do this right now. “I don’t think—” I started, but she flicked her gaze at me, and there was something nervous in her expression. I didn’t finish my sentence and sat quietly to see what she’d say next.
Her voice shook slightly as she continued, and her hands were tightly clenched in her lap. Her knuckles were glowing white where the bones strained at the skin. “There’s something wrong at Gold Moon.” She was whispering now, and I strained to hear, even with my wolf hearing. “Joseph and I were investigating some of the odd things that were happening, and I need to talk to you about it before you go to the office. We need to meet before you officially take over.” She glanced at me again and her voice became more urgent. “Don’t trust any of the employees.” She slipped a business card from her tiny purse and passed it carefully to me. “I’ll wait there for you. Eight pm.”
I turned it over in my hand.Clover’s. An upscale shifter bar I’d heard of, not too far from the center of town.
Well, shit.
Charmaine slid away again, merging back into the crowd of well-wishers, who were all watching Mom step down from the podium. What the hell could I do with this information right now?
Nothing, apparently.
Mom beckoned to me. My turn to speak. I scrunched the business card, concealing it in my fist, and walked toward the stage.