Page 128 of The Fixer

“How did you find out anyway?”

“The contractor was ripping into the walls and discovered a trove of letters. They spelled most of it out. The rest I might be able to piece together if I ever take a DNA test.”

“You’re going to do that?” Mary didn’t hide her surprise.

“I’m not sure. I’d like to know who my people are, where I came from.”

Mary snorted. “Why? So you can find the fine class of people who dumped you on the side of the road? They were probably Gypsies. That’s what Mom always suspected.”

“She didn’t like Gypsies, did she?”

“No, and who could blame her? Vagabonds and thieves. You’re lucky our parents took pity on you.”

“According to the letters, only our father did.”

“So did our mother!” Mary snarled. “She put up with your whiny, snotty attitude foryears! And it took its toll on all of us.”

Joy didn’t have the heart or the energy to lay out the truth in the letters. Mary loved Helene, and Helene was gone. What could possibly be gained by destroying Mary’s memory of her mother?

A revelation struck. Joy was free. Once Crystal Harmony Haven was sold, Joy had no earthly obligation to this woman whose presence in her life weighed like a millstone around her neck. If only that process could be hurried along.

A different revelation shone a dazzling light on her, as though storm-laden clouds had suddenly parted. “Mary, how would you feel about getting your money from the estate now?”

Chapter 36

Welcome to Chicago

Charlie exited the Uberand stared up at the skyscraper looming above him. Steel and glass came together in hard angles and glinted in the late-morning sun. He nearly laughed out loud because this was exactly the type of building he’d imagined Joy living in when he’d first met her.

He strolled inside a palatial marble lobby, where he was greeted by not one security guard but three, all decked out in navy-blue uniforms. Two were seated behind the massive reception counter, and the third one straightened to his full offensive-lineman frame. He eyeballed Charlie from his Merrells to his overnight bag to his earbuds.

“Can I help you?” The guy’s voice was a mixture of thunder and gravel.

Charlie dropped his bag and reached for his wallet. “Yeah, I’m Charlie Hunnicutt, and I’m here as a guest of Ms. Joy Holiday in unit 2021.” He forked over his ID. The giant man’s dark eyes shifted between Charlie’s face and his driver’s license.

“Not the best picture,” Charlie offered, “but then, they never are, are they?”

Gigantor checked something on a computer screen and handed Charlie back his license. “You know the key code?”

“I do. And the elevator code, unless it was changed in the last twenty-four hours.”

“Enjoy your stay,” the guy deadpanned.

When Charlie reached unit 2021, he punched in the code Joy had texted him and gently eased open the ten-foot door.

“Honey, I’m home.” His voice bounced around a cavernous space filled with hard white surfaces and lots of glass.

“Whoa,” he laughed. “Also like I pictured, only way bigger and way … whiter. I do believe I’ve ascended into a fucking ivory tower.” He glanced up at the ceiling. “If you’re watching me, princess, ignore what I just said.”

Removing his shoes, he texted her and began prowling the hand-scraped dark walnut floors, whistling softly at the view from each ceiling-to-floor window.Why would she want you and your old house by a railroad track when she’s got all this?

When he found the master bedroom, he fetched his bag and dropped it onto a fluffy white fur rug. He stared down at the thing, wondering if it had come off a polar bear. “Oh, we could have us some fun onthat.”

His phone chimed with her reply text.So glad you made it without any problems. Can’t wait to see you!Followed by a kissy-face emoji.

Aww.

He set up his computer in her enormous chef’s kitchen that looked as though nothing had ever touched its pristine stove … or counters … or any surface at all. His stomach rumbled. It was only midmorning in Colorado, but he checked in with Reece and Shane, and, satisfied that neither job site had experienced any new problems, he struck out to explore the Magnificent Mile and rustle up a meal.

---