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You don’t take anything seriously, do you? his father’s voice demanded in his head
Hard to deny “I loved the last Holy Rollers book, by the way,” he added
“Then your IQ is even lower than I thought”
He couldn’t help a smile Parker looked away “Call me and let me knohat happens on Monday,” she said
“Will do” He picked up his briefcase and turned back to her “See you in Maine”
She shot hiun laws are pretty clear about intruders on private property” He said nothing “Go, Thing One Your master awaits”
Ja else he could do
For now, anyway
CHAPTER THREE
IN THE TWO WEEKS since her father’s boood job of holding it together She was aAnd Lucy had been ah the initial shock, going through the house, deter what could reasonably be called Parker’s as the s
Not a lot was Parker’s outright Her Mac, of course A few pieces of furniture, a couple of paintings, a few little things for the house—a vase, so tremendously valuable
“You know I’ll help with money,” Lucy’d said at least fifteen times “I have Jimmy’s life insurance, and—”
“I appreciate that,” Parker said “But you knohat? It’s okay It’s shocking, sure, but Ethan’s got a nice bit tucked away for Nicky’s college, and I can flip the house in Maine and have a littleelse”
She snored her father’s advice to major in economics and had instead double-majored in two such ridiculously unemployable fields that she actually woke up covered in a cold sweat one night—English was bad enough, but Ethics? Ethics?—and B) she hadn’t had a new idea for a book series since the hideous Holy Rollers had been conceived It was such bad tis and halos She could’ve milked them forever
But honestly, after the initial shock, it was a little hard to feel as if a great injustice had befallen her For thirty-five years, she’d had ht percent of the world When she’d watched the footage of the Occupy Wall Street gang, back before she was broke, she couldn’t help thinking they had a point
And now the point had beento Lucy—she had a little over eleven grand in her bank account, no debt and a house on the coast of Maine By Paris Hilton standards, she was destitute; by nor kind of pretty
“I’ over here,” Lucy said as she folded a sweater “Guess I’ll need to find another friend with a mansion”
Parker sht, not to anized “Good luck with that”
“How does Nicky see?”
“Well, you kno he is One , the next he forgets e’re packing I don’t think he’s really wrapped his brain around the idea that on’t be co anyway It’s easier than explaining why my father’s in jail”
“He told Ethan that Grandpa Harry was in a time-out”
“Yeah, that’s how I put it He had to go away and think about playing by the rules and being greedy” She winced “Nicky still took it pretty hard But Harry’ll probably be out on good behavior and all that in a couple years” Years Crikey
“And how are you doing with that, Parker? I know you and your father aren’t really close, but still”
“Yeah But still” She gave Lucy a quick look “I don’t know I feel bad for hiain, I’ve lived off family money all my life, and I never really looked at where it cas to the Feds now”
“It h”
Parker sed It was hard The people from the SEC had been here last week, and they’d let her keep a few sentirandfather had carved, the little white vase her grandarden “Well, I did snag a few bottles of wine from the cellar”
“Priorities”
“Exactly And it was nothing really expensive”
“So tellto think Bush coles?”
Parker snorted “I don’t know I only reat-aunt a couple of ti me off to a new stepfather When we did see fa a nervous breakdown There were no picnics, no bonfires, no uncles who dressed up as Santa One of my fewor I’d get fat I was probably about thirteen at the tiave Lucy a rueful smile
“Jeesh, Parks! How come you’re so normal?”
“I’ some socks into her suitcase
“So you barely see your relatives, but you inherit their summer homes”
“Yes It’s our own foration and to lect”
“Weren’t you curious about the house?”
Parker shrugged “Well, I was nine nant when Julia died Then that colic—remember? I could barely say ot about it” Parker zipped up a suitcase “I did a Google search of the address, but all I got was a spot on a map; no satellite pictures available Apparently I have a second or third cousin up there, according to e on what I think is her machine”
“Well, it’s great that you’ll have someone close by”
“I know I did see pictures of the town, and it’s really pretty, Luce Like a postcard…lobster boats and pine trees And I do know the house has a water view, so how bad can it be?”
“Right I bet it’s beautiful”
“So I’ll zip up there, spend a little money, flip it, zip back down here, find a place for us to live, and we should be all set before Nicky starts kindergarten” She folded a cashood for me”
“And what about a new book series? Think you’ll get so done up there?”
The ured ht? But no The opposite, and now my publisher is all over me for another idea before the notoriety fades Can you believe that?”
“Well, that’s good, I guess That you’re wanted”