Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“What about your fees, sir?” Ava asks.
Mr. Wolfram nods. “We’ve been on retainer from the Fleming Corporation for years, decades even. Our fees have already been taken care of. Now that Wendy is gone, the Fleming Corporation basically no longer exists. All her assets will be transferred via the will to Ava.”
“You send me a bill for anything that’s not covered,” Ava says. “We’ll take care of it.”
“You’re an amazing young lady,” Mr. Wolfram says. “And you, sirs, are lucky to have such a fine daughter and girlfriend.”
“I know,” Ryan and I say in unison.
“I’ll get the paperwork started. We will make this happen.”
“We need to get on the road if we’re going to be home for dinner,” Ryan says.
“Yeah,” I agree. “Sir.” I shake Mr. Wolfram’s hand. “Thank you for everything.”
Ryan drives, and I sit in the front seat with him because of my long legs. All I can think, during the entire four-hour drive home, is how the one woman who was the culmination of all the evil and greed in the world could be only two generations removed from the most generous and wonderful person I’ve ever met.
Chapter Forty-Two
Ava
Once we’re back, we find Mom sitting with—is that Dr. Sheraton, the veterinarian?
“Doc?” Dad narrows his gaze. “What the hell are you doing here in my house?”
“I’ve already been in touch with Jonah and Bryce,” Doc says. “I came because that’s what my instructions told me to do.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Easy, Ry,” my mom says. “He’s not here to make trouble, are you, Doc?”
“No.” Doc Sheraton shifts uneasily in his chair. “I’m here to answer some of your questions.”
“So it’s all related,” Dad says. “You, Wendy, everything.”
Doc looks at his hands clasped in his lap on top of a manila envelope. “I don’t expect you to understand why I got involved.”
Dad shakes his head. “I know exactly why you got involved. You were mad at Joe for not giving you the veterinarian position on staff at the ranch.”
“That was my initial reason, yes. But it was pretty clear, once things escalated, that I had gotten in way over my head, and for all the wrong reasons.”
“Yeah. I can’t think of any right reasons to get into human trafficking.”
Doc holds up his hands. “Hey, I didn’t know what was going on, and I stand by that.”
“Sell it to someone who believes you,” Dad says.
But I walk forward. “My grandmother chose me to clean up her mess, Doc, so I want you to level with me.”
“That’s what I came here to do, Ava.” He holds up the manila envelope. “It’s all right here in this packet I received this morning at my office.”
“Another contingency,” I say. “Just like the one the law firm received upon Wendy’s death.”
“She always did dot her i’s and cross her t’s,” Dad says. “That’s how she kept my father in line. Why he never went to the authorities, why he never got Talon the help he needed as a boy.” Dad clenches his hands into fists. “I’m not interested in apologies, Doc. I’m interested in seeing you behind bars.”
“Hear him out, Ryan,” Mom says.
Dad plunks down in the seat directly across from Doc Sheraton. I take a seat next to Mom.
“I’m not here to talk to you, Ryan. I’m here to talk to Ava.”
Dad sneers at Doc. “Then why didn’t you go to Ava’s place?”
“I did, first. She wasn’t there, so I came here.”
“Well, when you’re in my house, I’m going to listen to everything you have to say. So is Ruby.”
Doc nods. “I don’t have a problem with that. I’m sure Ava would tell you everything anyway.” He sighs. “First of all, I’m going to need your assurances that you won’t have my daughter arrested.”
“I’ve talked to my brother, Doc,” Dad says. “I’m well aware of Brittany’s involvement… Not just in the recent activities, but also in her mother’s death.”
My jaw nearly drops.
Clearly there’s a lot I still don’t know. A lot Brock hasn’t told me.
“You’ll have to start at the beginning, Doc,” I say.
“It’s a long, sad story,” Doc says. “Brittany is not well, and ever since Brock and Joe visited my property in Wyoming, I’ve had her under the care of a psychiatrist. She’s currently hospitalized.”
“Where?” Dad asks.
“A facility in Denver. One of the best.”
“Did she go voluntarily?”
“She did, but not until after I made it clear what would happen to her if she didn’t.”
“That she’d probably be arrested,” Dad says.
“Yes.”
“Did you work this out with Joe?”
“No. This was my decision.” Doc pulls documents out of the envelope. “Though Joe knows. I told him as soon as this folder crossed my desk this morning.”
“And what was his take?”
“He’s deferring to you on everything, Ryan. Because you’re Dyane Wingdam’s—that’s the name I knew her by—son.”
“So everybody’s going to know now,” Dad says. “Just what I never wanted.”