Page 28 of The Unraveling of Julia

Julia felt a twinge at the idea of selling the place, even though it was a dump.

“It was herhome.”

“True, and…?”

“I’m not ready to sell it yet.”

Franco clucked. “I hope you’re not thinking about renovating, especially remotely. It’s not just the money you’d spend, it’s the trouble. You’d have to hire somebody to manage construction. There are zoning restrictions, and the permitting process is lengthy.”

“I’m sure.” Julia didn’t think she wanted to renovate.

“You won’t come as often as you think anyway. Nobody does. I call it second-home syndrome, I see it all the time. The villa stays closed for months. Vermin and scorpions move in. One of my clients had a viper infestation.”

Julia shuddered. She thought of the vipers on the Sforza coat of arms.

Franco’s expression softened. “I don’t know if you already own a home, but every homeowner knows that things go wrong unexpectedly.” Franco frowned. “Plumbing breaks. Hot water heaters explode. Leaks spring in roofs. I can’t believe nothing catastrophic has happened already. The longer you keep the villa, the more of a chance you take. I’m the best realtor around, and if you like Tuscany, I can help you find a lovely apartment in Florence. You don’t need the villa. It’s a money pit. Your best financial move would be to sell the house before you have to put money into it.”

Julia mulled it over, clarifying her thoughts. She didn’t want tokeep the villa, she barely wanted to sleep there. But if she sold it now, she felt like she’d be severing her relationship to Rossi and giving up any chance of finding out if they were related.

Franco tapped the signature line. “Sell. That’s what I’d do.”

“Let me think it over.” Julia handed him back the pen, then she had another thought. “But can you do a title search? I’d like to know who owned the villa before her.”

17

Julia’s phone rang as soon as she and Piero pulled into the driveway, and she glanced at the screen, happy to see Courtney was calling. She pressed Accept and got out of the car. “Hey, lady!”

“How’s my girl?” Courtney asked sweetly, and Julia cheered at the sound of her voice. She thanked Piero and walked to the side of the driveway to talk, overlooking the hill that led to the carriage house, the equipment shed, and the scorched clearing.

“I’m hanging in.”

“Good for you! I’m so proud of you, going over there on your own. It’s a big deal. So you’re really okay?”

“Kind of.” Julia launched into a recap, telling her about Rossi and the decrepit villa, the burned belongings, and even the nightmare. She finished, asking Courtney for her thoughts.

“Mythoughts? Jules, sell the villa! It’s worthtwo millioneuros!”

Arg.“But it’s her home.”

“So? You’ll make bank!”

“But it’s not only about the money, is it?”

“Yes, well said! Exactly!” Courtney laughed.“It’s only about the money!”

“But I’m already inheriting so much.”

“Who turns down more money? Wait, somebody wantslessmoney?” Courtney laughed. “Besides, I know it sounds like a lot, but it’s not like you’re set for life. Get as much as you can and invest it. Paul will help. You know he loves that.”

Julia’s gaze went to the blackened circle, where she’d found the pearl. “What if Rossi’s related to me?”

“So what? What’s that have to do with the villa, now that you can’t get her DNA? If you sell, you can still figure out if she’s related to you. You have an appointment with the family investigator tomorrow, right? Hire him like you planned. Then see Florence. Eat pasta, drink wine. Shop ’til you drop.”

Julia’s chest wrenched. “But if I sell, it breaks the connection.”

“What connection?”

“Between me and Rossi.”

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