Page 73 of Sins and Secrets

Nonna pats my shoulder and steps closer to the house. “Nana left you several Picassos.” Before my brain can even wrap my mind around that statement, she says, “I hold all the keys to the grandchildren’s inheritance. When I see my sisters again, then the children can get the keys. However, if you need it now, I will take out the paintings.”

How many secrets does this family have?

How much will I never know?

Izzy calls out, “Alana, why are you digging in freezing dirt?”

Alana is, in fact, using one of the knives from the restaurant to dig a hole and slide dirt into a vial.

Izzy leans over her and asks, “You carry test tubes with you everywhere?”

“Don’t you?” She slides the test tube into her pocket.

“I’m a mom. I carry fruit snacks and band aids.”

“Hence, why we’re a good team.” Alana catches my eye. “Um, how far back does the property go?”

“The back yard is about an acre, and then five more acres into the woods.”

“Big enough for a house cow,” Alana says before pulling out her phone. “Hold off on cashing in your inheritance just yet.” Again, the phone rings three times.

“Now what?” Penny’s voice is way more recognizable.

Alana takes a picture of the test tube and says, “Waverly wants to buy a hotel. The owner’s house is surrounded by purple hythanatia flowers that grow in the springtime.”

“Interesting,” Penny says.

“While I can’t guarantee the validity of the flowers without testing, I can tell you the property is the perfect venue for your annual charity gala. Historic, grand, but not overused like the Ritz.”

“How much?”

“I want ten, and Mastodon can have their holiday party here in April.”

April? I’m about to say something when Izzy supplies, “It’s our slow season. We do all the holidays and birthdays during one event.”

The voice on the phone says, “We’ll take fifteen plus seventy-five percent of the land rights.”

Alana pauses before saying, “She’ll own seventy-five percent overall, and she can veto the land rights if there’s too much of an environmental impact.”

“Absolutely.”

“And again, I’m not sure how accurate my readers are about these flowers.”

“Understood. I’ll have the paperwork sent over to your place. She’s still staying with you right?”

“Yep.” Alana hangs up the phone. “You’ve been approved by the Bank of Olympian, no interest, but Penny owns fifteen percent of the overall property. I’ll take another ten percent, but you own the rest. Congratulations.”

Sheila points to the test tube Alana placed in her pocket. “You gonna explain what’s in there?”

“Once I get the data back. It could be something or nothing. When I know, Waverly will be the second one I tell.”

Wow. My life is finally heading in the direction I’m destined for. Which begs the question, what else do I want?

ChapterThirty

Waverly

Lukas walksinto the rehearsal ten minutes late, and with the way his mother acts, you would think he lit a bag of kittens on fire and tossed it into an orphanage. Has she always been like this to him? Or maybe I’m seeing it because I’m receiving the same treatment.

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