Omens by Kelley Armstrong

line?”
    “Yes, and I’m going to give you the number of the new cell phone Howard gave me, in case they’re monitoring my usual one as well.”
    She did. I phoned it.
    “I’m sorry,” I blurted when she answered. “I’m so sorry about all of this.”
    I waited for her to insist it wasn’t my fault. Instead, she said, “It’s out now. There’s nothing we can do except deal with it.”
    I nodded. “That’s what I want to do, Mum. Deal with it. Maybe hire a media consultant or a PR firm. We’ll figure out how to handle this head on. Get past it.”
    Silence. Then, “I thought you were going to sit it out. That’s what your message said.”
    “Sure. I could. If that’s what you want. But I really think it’s best that we face this—”
    “I was nearly killed by those reporters last night, Olivia.”
    I bit my tongue before continuing, “All right. I’ll handle it. Tell Howard to phone—”
    “Howard thinks you were right. You should go someplace. Wait this out. I agree. That’s best for everyone.”
    Now it was my turn for silence.
    Mum didn’t seem to notice, pausing only a moment before saying, “I suppose you’ll need money.”
    “Suppose?”
A white-hot grain of fury ignited behind my eyes. “My God. You hand cash to street people more graciously than that.”
    “Then I misspoke.” Did I imagine a chill in her voice? “You’ll have whatever you need. I’ll write you a check today.”
    “Write me a check? I thought that was
our
money. Family money. No, wait. That doesn’t apply now, does it? If I want an allowance, I’ll need to visit the Larsens.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course you’re family. This business has no effect on that. Your trust fund is intact. Along with … everything else.”
    Everything else. The store. The estate. I remembered sitting in Howard’s office after Dad died, struggling to listen to him read the will. With the exception of my trust fund—which I’d get when I turned twenty-five—everything went to my mother for use during her lifetime. When she passed, it went to me. All of it. At the time, I’d been so numb with grief that the arrangement had only sparked a faint, “Why did he do that?”
    Now I knew.
    She knew it, too. After Dad had found out who my parents were, he’d made sure my mother couldn’t decide part—or all—of the estate was better off going to charity.
    “I don’t want your money,” I said. “I’ll have my trust fund in a year. In the meantime, I’ll get a job. I’ll pay my own way.”
    “A job?”
    “Mmm, yeah. It’s that thing people do to make money.”
    Definite frost in her voice now. “I’m well aware of what a job is, Olivia, but I fail to see how you would get one, under the circumstances.”
    She had a point. Just yesterday I’d been wondering what sort of career I’d be qualified for with no paid experience. Today, that was the least of my worries. Even if someone didn’t mind hiring the daughter of serial killers, they wouldn’t want the kind of publicity that might come with having me on staff.
    “I won’t use my full name. Or my volunteer references.”
    “Then how on earth do you expect to find a decent position?”
    “I don’t. I’ll take what I can get. Just like everyone else. I’m sure there’s a McDonald’s hiring somewhere.”
    “I hope you’re joking, Olivia. This is silly. When you decide where you’re going, I’ll wire you money.”
    “No.”
    “I understand you’re upset, but if you think I’m going to let a Taylor-Jones—”
    “But I’m not a Taylor-Jones, am I? Not really. I think a Larsen would work at McDonald’s. Mmm, yes. Pretty sure she would.”
    My mother started to sputter. I hung up. Then I stood there, holding the phone, resisting the urge to throw it against the wall. Smash it to bits. Better yet, put a hole in that wall, on a bill that would go to my mother. Damage a hotel room so she’d have to pay for it? Was I really that petty?
    Petty? The one