Interior Motives by Ginny Aiken Read Free Book Online

surprise, Haley. I came to make arrangements for . . . for Darlene’s final farewell.” She glanced up at the sky, as if to look for her friend among the clouds. “And Jacob’s the same. I’m not sure he’s aware of Darlene’s passing.”
    “That’s sad, but understandable.” The dark circles under her eyes tattled on her. “You haven’t slept much, have you?”
    She shook her head, and a tear rolled down her cheek. “She was my closest friend. Yes, I worked for her, but she hired me because we’d been friends for so long. I really miss her.”
    “I understand. I lost a close friend about a year and a half ago, and I still miss her.”
    “Please tell me it doesn’t hurt this much anymore.”
    She didn’t shake off the arm I wrapped around her shoulders. “The loss is still there.” I tried to put into words what had been feelings and sensations too private to expose. “But that hole the death leaves behind . . . it never fills back up. The pain? It’s not as sharp anymore. It’s kind of . . . like when your hammer smacks your thumb. The first wham really hurts, but then it turns . . .”
    Cissy gave a weak chuckle. “I understand. Of course, I’ve lost my parents, my husband, and my daughter . . . my daughter died back in the sixties. Losing Darlene is different. I don’t have anyone left.”
    “My dad and one of our neighbors have said something like that. They use their work to fight the loneliness.” If you could call Bella’s fads work.
    Cissy stepped back, and I didn’t try to hold her. “I’ve tried to do that since yesterday. Work, work, and more work. I had no idea how complex Darlene’s business matters would turn out to be.”
    “You’re handling her . . . what? Is it the estate?”
    “She named me executrix, if you can believe it. To be honest, I don’t understand the half of it. I do know I have to keep those two sons from getting their greedy paws on her funds.”
    “I don’t understand. Don’t they inherit her estate?”
    “Not at all. Nine years ago they demanded she turn over their trust funds, and she did just that. They went through the money as fast as I expected, and they’ve mooched off her ever since.”
    “So if the sons don’t inherit, then I suppose she left everything to Jacob—for his care, I’d imagine.”
    “Something like that.” She nodded toward the parking lot. “Walk with me to the car. It’s hard to drive it. I can still see Darlene behind the wheel of her brand-new silver baby—that’s what she called it. But I still can’t get used to all that luxury.”
    Luxury? Uh-oh. “You were saying about the sons . . . ?” Cissy nodded. “Darlene loved her sons, but she knew them too. Can you believe she left me the house, her investments— everything—so I can care for Jacob until . . . until . . .”
    My mind freaked at all the bizarre input. Flashing red alerts went off. You’d have thought I had an ambulance, complete with siren and spinning lights, way up there.
    Suddenly Darlene’s death didn’t hit me as natural, caused by cancer. Greedy sons cut from the will; a husband lost in the mist of Alzheimer’s; a best friend who inherits everything, everything but what it costs to care for the terminally ill widower.
    But Darlene had suffered from liver cancer.
    I couldn’t get away from that.
    “. . . and I even have to meet with the president of the Wilmont People’s Bank tomorrow. Something about the transfer of loan payments into my name.”
    The word bank stuck on my freaked-out mind. “Huh?” “Oh, more about the estate. It’s what Darlene arranged with Roberto Díaz.”
    “Díaz? Is that the same Díaz who sold her the HGH?”
    “The same.”
    I felt like Alice in my very own, hyperloopy Wonderland. Things grew curiouser and curiouser by the minute. “Loan payments? Darlene owed the doctor for her treatment?”
    “Of course not. She made him a loan so he could buy the lab that manufactures the HGH serum. He’s been paying