“You’re not going to make sure she continues to get an allowance?”

“Is that part of this deal?” My mother was no candidate for mother of the year. She wasn’t as bad as my father. Only Hitler and Stalin had that honor. But she’d turned a blind eye to his antics the entire time we were kids. She let him beat the shit out of us, and she’d let him go into Riley’s room at night. “Why do any of you care about that shrew?”

“Because she’s our mother, Rock,” Reid said. “She was his victim too.”

Boy, was my brother short-sighted. “I don’t buy that. Not at all. If we’re going to talk about Connie, I’m going to need another drink.” I signaled the waiter.

“He cut her off,” Reid said. “Spousal maintenance ceases when the payor dies. He didn’t leave Fonda anything either. They’re both pissed.”

“Then maybe they’ll have to stop wearing designer clothing and going in for plastic surgery every other month,” I said. “Cry me a river.”

Roy stood, his countenance rigid. “Seriously, we’re all about this? About Rock’s upended life? About Mom and Fonda being broke? Don’t any of you care about the real mystery here? Our father was murdered.”

“Good riddance,” I said.

“I have to agree with Rock,” Reid said. “He was a bastard. Everyone is better off.”

“You’re missing the point,” Roy said. “Someone killed him, and they could very well come after one of us next.”

10

Lacey

“Since Dad was a paragon of society”—Rock rolled his eyes—“obviously he couldn’t have had any enemies.”

That got a laugh out of Reid. “Who wasn’t Dad’s enemy?”

“That’s my point,” Roy said. “Shouldn’t we be watching our backs?”

“Dad’s enemies aren’t our enemies, Roy,” Riley said.

“Besides,” Reid said, “if we try to nail down all the people Dad screwed over in his lifetime, that list would be a mile long.”

“But he was murdered. Someone hated him that much.” From Roy.

“A lot of people hated him that much.” Reid rubbed his forehead. “Including all of us.”

“But someone hated him enough to murder him.” Again Roy.

“Including all of us,” Reid echoed again.

“My point,” Roy said quietly. “They’re going to come after us. We need to figure this out before they drag us in as suspects.”

“Reid,” Rock said, “You and I don’t have time to try to track down Dad’s killer. We have a company to run, and I have a hell of a lot to learn. Roy, if you want to look into it, have at it. I, for one, don’t give a damn. Whoever killed the fucker did the world a service.” He downed the last of his bourbon and turned to me. “Let’s go.”

“Go?” Reid said. “Where the hell are you going?”

“Anywhere but here.”