Page 13 of The Unraveling of Julia

“Do you know why she didn’t tell me about the inheritance, when she had you draft the will?”

“No.” Lombardi shrugged his padded shoulders. “Perhaps she tried to reach you, but couldn’t, as with me.”

“No, I checked.” Julia had searched her email and spam folder. “She had my name and address, right? Isn’t that how you got it?”

“Yes, she gave me your contact information. I don’t know how she got it.”

“Maybe she found it online?” Julia’s name and address were in the online White Pages. Her email was on her website under Contact Me. “But how did she even know who I was?”

“I don’t know.”

“Who notified you of her death?”

“The hospital. She had already made the necessary arrangements.”

“Do you know who was at her funeral?”

“No.”

“Were you there?” Julia asked, double-checking.

“No, I rarely attend the funerals of my clients.”

“Do you know where her funeral was held?”

“In Croce, I assume. It’s the town nearest the villa.” Lombardi pursed his lips. “You may explore the family connection with Mr. Caputo, when you meet. I administer only the legalities of the estate.”

Julia sensed he was over it. “One last question. Does my inheritance include the contents of the villa?”

“Certainly.”

“Great.” Julia was thinking about Rossi’s DNA. She’d researched online and learned that DNA could be found on almost every conceivable surface for years, if it wasn’t contaminated.

“Now, I should mention there is a caretaker couple on the property, Anna Mattia Vesta and Piero Fano. They are the only other beneficiaries under the will.” Lombardi’s spectacled gaze fell on the papers on his desk. “They receive a bequest of ten thousand euros and they are paid through the month. They intend to retire after that and move south to be near their grandchildren.”

“Do they live in the villa, too?”

“No, in a carriage house on the property.” Lombardi raised an index finger. “One piece of legal advice. I urge you to obtain an Italian will and I would be happy to draft one for you. You are inheriting a significant estate and you have no immediate family to inherit automatically. Here, if you die without a will, your estate would enter probate.It would lose value to the authorities, and probate would be delayed for a long time.”

“Okay, but I don’t know who I would leave the money to. My best friend, I guess?”

“You should give it some thought. Likewise, consider whether you want to sell the property. I will follow up with the realtor in Chianti. I know the best one.”

“Thanks.”

“Now, perhaps I can take you through the documents I mentioned at the outset?”

“Yes, of course,” Julia answered, and Lombardi returned to his packet, which turned out to be printed versions of Rossi’s will and various other documents. She signed where he asked her to, then he packed up the papers and slid a set of brass keys across the desk.

“Here are your keys.”

“Wow.” Julia picked them up, turning them in her hand. She realized she might be holding the keys to her biological family, literally.

“One final matter. I should mention that I spoke with Emilia Rossi on the phone, on one occasion. She told me she was related to Caterina Sforza, a daughter of Galeazzo Sforza and Lucrezia Landriani.”

“Great!” Julia’s heart leaped. She didn’t know why he hadn’t said so before. “Who are they? Can I meet them?”

“No, they’re long gone.” Lombardi smiled tightly. “They were very important historical figures who lived during the Renaissance.”

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