Page 126 of Positively Pricked
"By the grandfather?"
"Supposedly," Teddy said. "But even then, I knew Zane was behind it."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because everything was fine untilheshowed up."
I wasn't following. "What do you mean by showed up?"
"Lemme back up," Teddy said. "You've heard that Zane grew up in Northern Michigan, right?"
I nodded. "Right."
"Well," Teddy continued, "it used to be, we never saw him, except maybe a couple times a year. But then, all of a sudden, around a year ago, we're seeing him all the time – hanging around the house, almost like he owns the place."
Funny, he did own the place. Now, anyway. Looking to confirm that I was thinking of the right house, I said, "You're talking about the estate, right? Where Zane's living now?"
Teddy nodded. "Yeah. The grandfather's place. And you wanna know what I think?"
"What?"
Teddy leaned forward across the table. "I think he moved himself in and never moved out."
"But how would you even know?" I asked.
"Like I said, Bob was worried, so he was keeping an eye out."
Based on what I knew of that neighborhood, this made a lot of sense. "You mean from the house on Longwood? The one that Zane, um…" How to put this? "…took back?"
Teddy didn't look happy to be reminded. "So you know about that, too?"
I nodded. "Yeah, I heard."Literally.
"Oh yeah, that was a real treat," Teddy said. "And you know who took itreallyhard?"
"Who?" I asked.
"Bob's daughter."
I recalled the young woman who'd been sobbing out on the front lawn. "Oh?"
Teddy gave another nod. "She loved that place, especially the pool, cried her eyes out when Bob told her about the move."
So the womanwasBob's daughter? At the time, I hadn't been so sure, but it did make sense.
At something in my expression, Teddy said, "You look surprised."
Iwassurprised, but I'd never tell him why. After all, who wanted to hear that their stepsister might've been mistaken for a live-in girlfriend? I said, "Well, itisa lot to take in."
"I know. But there's a reason I'm telling you."
Cautiously, I said, "which is…?"
"I see the way he looks at you."
I blinked. "What?"
"You know what I mean."
