I wrapped the towel around her and led her out the door. “Get dressed. I need to wash.”

I locked the door. Knowing Nieves, she’d try to hijack my shower.

“Carla,” I said, walking into the office. “Get my mother on the phone.”

“Actually, she’s in your office, Mr. Wolfe.”

Of course she was. “From now on, she can wait out here unless she has an appointment, which she doesn’t.”

“Yes, Mr. Wolfe. I’m sorry.”

“No reason to be. Now you know the procedure.” I walked into my office and closed the door behind me. “Hello, Mother.”

“Rock, good morning.”

“I have good news for you.”

“I figured you would.” She smiled.

My mother had been beautiful once. Dark hair and blue eyes, high cheekbones and classic beauty.

Now she looked plastic. Bleached blond and plastic.

“I’ve decided to give you the allowance you requested. I’m not exactly sure where all the money is at the moment, but I’ll get it taken care of as soon as possible.”

And it would stop as soon as my father’s murder was solved, but I didn’t add that little tidbit.

“I knew you’d see reason, darling.” She stood and patted my cheek.

Her touch burned. Not in a good way.

“Now get out of my office.”

“I’ll need some cash to tide me over. You know, to get back on my feet?”

“You were never off your feet, Connie. Dad has only been dead a little over a week.”

“Whatever you have in your wallet should be fine.” She smiled.

“I’ve got nothing.” True words.

“Goodness. I guess I could go down the hall and see Reid, then. I just hope I don’t talk too much.”

“Don’t threaten me. I know what you’re up to. I’ve got no cash on me, so you’ll have to make do. It’s not my fault you managed your millions so poorly.”

“I didn’t get near what I earned, putting up with your father all those years.”

“Cry me a river. Now if you’ll excuse me. I’ve got work to do.”

She exited with a huff.

The day was rough. Meetings and more meetings, and I didn’t understand anything Reid and the others talked about. This wasn’t going to be easy. But I’d do it. I’d cursed my father more than once today for putting me in this position. I could bail. But screwing over my siblings like that?

No, couldn’t do it.

“You thought I’d bail, didn’t you?” I said out loud to my dead father. “That way you could fuck all four of us over.”

I’d decided long ago never to have children. I sure didn’t want to be a father like my own old man. He’d had no love for any of us, and this final straw from the grave was proof of that.