investigating, he had nothing to worry about, nothing at all.
There had been a moment when she stepped into the neighborhood gathering that he thought she might know what had happened. She and Abby had always been close. How much had Abby blabbed? But then she had given him her usual vacant smile and he was reassured. No one knew his secret; Abby had taken it to her grave.
Comforted and secure once again, he rolled over and fell asleep.
Chapter 6
The next morning, Sadie was still on the fence about whether or not she wanted to stay and investigate Aunt Abby’s death. She wanted to carry out her friend’s request, but she didn’t want to have to spend another minute in the town she had stopped considering home soon after her mother’s death. Her father was the one who made the decision for her.
“You’re not actually going to listen to that letter, are you?” he asked. He had apparently been up for a while, eaten, shaved, and read the paper. Sadie stumbled into the kitchen, relieved not to see him. He appeared as she was eating her cereal, startling her with his ability to enter the room undetected. At first she didn’t answer—her mouth was full of bran. He must have taken her silence as defiance because he continued. “Sadie, you cannot go stirring things up over Abby’s death.”
“She wants me to,” Sadie said as soon as she was able.
“If Abby had thought someone was capable of retrieving it, she would have demanded the moon,” Gideon said.
“That’s not true!” Sadie exclaimed, tossing her spoon onto the table with a clatter. “Abby was the most generous person I know. She wasn’t selfish or demanding.”
“You saw what you wanted to see in her,” Gideon said.
“No, you saw what you wanted to see in her. You pigeonholed her into being a self-absorbed, eccentric airhead, but it was never the truth.”
“What do you call that crazy will if not self-absorbed, eccentric, or airheaded? Who ever heard of leaving someone a task in their will? Are you really going to tell me that it doesn’t bother you that Luke got the mansion and you got a chore? And a futile one at that?”
“I didn’t want the mansion,” Sadie said. “What would I do with that house when I don’t even live here? Luke is better suited to take care of it than I am since he seems intent on living here until he dies. Sadie gave me a task because she trusted me to carry it to completion, to find answers about her death.”
Her father snorted his opinion.
“Is anyone else asking questions?” Sadie said. “Who found her? What was her cause of death? Was anyone with her when she died?”
She could tell by his expression that he didn’t know the answers to any of her questions, and she felt a moment of triumph. With Gideon, a moment was all there would ever be to celebrate victory. “You want to stay here and fill your head with nonsense, that’s fine. But I won’t support this idiocy, neither with my help nor with my money. You don’t have to pay rent or board for the duration, but if you think I’m paying your way for anything else, then you’re as batty as Abby. Get a job or get out.” He turned and stalked away, anger and frustration dogging his every step.
Sadie’s hands were shaking as she turned back to her now-soggy cereal. She stood and dumped what was left into the garbage disposal, watching as it swirled down the drain. When it was finished, she took a few steadying breaths before turning around. Now she had to stay, if only to prove to her father that she could do what Abby asked without his help. She didn’t need him; she didn’t need anyone. She was Sadie Cooper, former Miss Teen Clean Smile, weather forecaster, and all around nice person. All she had to do was get a job. How hard could that be?
Hard, as it turned out. Sadie started with a temp agency. She had visions of being a fill-in secretary for a week or two as she
There had been a moment when she stepped into the neighborhood gathering that he thought she might know what had happened. She and Abby had always been close. How much had Abby blabbed? But then she had given him her usual vacant smile and he was reassured. No one knew his secret; Abby had taken it to her grave.
Comforted and secure once again, he rolled over and fell asleep.
Chapter 6
The next morning, Sadie was still on the fence about whether or not she wanted to stay and investigate Aunt Abby’s death. She wanted to carry out her friend’s request, but she didn’t want to have to spend another minute in the town she had stopped considering home soon after her mother’s death. Her father was the one who made the decision for her.
“You’re not actually going to listen to that letter, are you?” he asked. He had apparently been up for a while, eaten, shaved, and read the paper. Sadie stumbled into the kitchen, relieved not to see him. He appeared as she was eating her cereal, startling her with his ability to enter the room undetected. At first she didn’t answer—her mouth was full of bran. He must have taken her silence as defiance because he continued. “Sadie, you cannot go stirring things up over Abby’s death.”
“She wants me to,” Sadie said as soon as she was able.
“If Abby had thought someone was capable of retrieving it, she would have demanded the moon,” Gideon said.
“That’s not true!” Sadie exclaimed, tossing her spoon onto the table with a clatter. “Abby was the most generous person I know. She wasn’t selfish or demanding.”
“You saw what you wanted to see in her,” Gideon said.
“No, you saw what you wanted to see in her. You pigeonholed her into being a self-absorbed, eccentric airhead, but it was never the truth.”
“What do you call that crazy will if not self-absorbed, eccentric, or airheaded? Who ever heard of leaving someone a task in their will? Are you really going to tell me that it doesn’t bother you that Luke got the mansion and you got a chore? And a futile one at that?”
“I didn’t want the mansion,” Sadie said. “What would I do with that house when I don’t even live here? Luke is better suited to take care of it than I am since he seems intent on living here until he dies. Sadie gave me a task because she trusted me to carry it to completion, to find answers about her death.”
Her father snorted his opinion.
“Is anyone else asking questions?” Sadie said. “Who found her? What was her cause of death? Was anyone with her when she died?”
She could tell by his expression that he didn’t know the answers to any of her questions, and she felt a moment of triumph. With Gideon, a moment was all there would ever be to celebrate victory. “You want to stay here and fill your head with nonsense, that’s fine. But I won’t support this idiocy, neither with my help nor with my money. You don’t have to pay rent or board for the duration, but if you think I’m paying your way for anything else, then you’re as batty as Abby. Get a job or get out.” He turned and stalked away, anger and frustration dogging his every step.
Sadie’s hands were shaking as she turned back to her now-soggy cereal. She stood and dumped what was left into the garbage disposal, watching as it swirled down the drain. When it was finished, she took a few steadying breaths before turning around. Now she had to stay, if only to prove to her father that she could do what Abby asked without his help. She didn’t need him; she didn’t need anyone. She was Sadie Cooper, former Miss Teen Clean Smile, weather forecaster, and all around nice person. All she had to do was get a job. How hard could that be?
Hard, as it turned out. Sadie started with a temp agency. She had visions of being a fill-in secretary for a week or two as she
Similar Books
