“Well, Mother is independent,” Antonia defended.
Benjamin’s snort said he didn’t consider that a good thing. He leaned farther forward, forearms resting on the knees of his conservative suit trousers. “Her doctor insists she doesn’t have Alzheimer’s. She hasn’t wandered off and forgotten who she is. Can I ask what your detective found?”#p#分页标题#e#
“We’ll reimburse you for his fees, of course,” his sister put in.
Seeming to understand this wasn’t necessary, Benjamin rubbed the furrow between his brows. For just a second, Zane saw Trey’s bone structure in his face.
“She hasn’t used her credit card since she checked out of the hotel,” Zane answered. “Or withdrawn money from her bank. Unless she has fake ID, she hasn’t bought a plane, train, or bus ticket. She also hasn’t rented a car. Does she have friends in the area she could be staying with? A former schoolmate maybe?”
Benjamin heaved a sigh. “I’m not sure the old bat ever made a friend in her life. The marvel is she convinced our father to marry her.”
Antonia smacked his leg, but didn’t contradict him. Zane experienced an unexpected pity for them. Their childhood couldn’t have been much easier than Trey’s—and no wonder they playacted at coming from a different background than they did.
“If you truly fear for your mother’s safety,” he said, “you should go to the police.”
“Oh no.” Antonia wagged her head back and forth. “We couldn’t. Mother would throw a fit.”
Having met Constance, Zane imagined that would be daunting. “I’d like to ask you both something,” he said, making up his mind as he spoke. “About your mother’s father.”
“You mean the saint?” Benjamin responded sardonically. “According to Mother, no man was ever as good as him. Or smarter. Or more deserving of honors the world was forever denying him.”
“Did you know him?”
Benjamin shook his head. “He died before we were born. We have some older cousins who knew him. They claim he could make their skin crawl just by laying eyes on them.” He stopped, drew breath, and started again. “Those things our mother is so desperate to have your business partner deny? I wager they damn well happened. I don’t know exactly what our grandfather did to our mom, but she sure as hell is screwed up.”
It seemed a relief for him to say it out loud. Zane wondered if he had before.
“You’re not going to sue her, are you?” Antonia broke in pleadingly. “That would make such a mess.”
He understood the reason for their visit then. They didn’t want a scandal to crack the civilized patina they’d laid across their lives. “It’s not in my immediate plans,” he said.
He got up, and the siblings did as well. He shook Benjamin’s hand. “I’ll keep you informed if the PI turns up news.”
“Thank you,” the son acknowledged. “We’ll be in town a few days.”
His sister began to interrupt, but Benjamin shushed her with a hard look. He, at least, understood when shutting your mouth was the best strategy.
~
The meeting weighed on Zane’s thoughts for the rest of the afternoon—how one man’s sins affected so many. He wondered if he should tell Trey he’d met his cousins. Would Trey want to know them? Did they have enough in common beyond the blood tie? He knew he didn’t have the right to shield Trey from making his own decisions but couldn’t seem to stop himself. He wished he’d gotten a better bead on the Sharps, good or bad.
Rebecca returned from her appointment distracted too. Zane expected this was due to turning her mind to work. Monday was tomorrow. She’d be back at the Lounge early.
She didn’t even try to talk her way into Mrs. P’s kitchen to cook dinner.
Trey attempted to de-mope the mood by dragging them to the theater in the basement to watch a movie. Zane was aware of cars blowing up and the hero saving the world. Other than that, the plot slipped by him unnoticed.
“Maybe we should turn in,” Rebecca said after Trey brought the lights back up. “We all have work tomorrow.”
When Zane agreed, Trey muttered they were pitiful.
Back upstairs, Rebecca called dibs on the suite’s bathroom. She’d become a fan of its multiple pulsating showerheads. Zane sincerely hoped that wouldn’t be what she missed most about her time with them.
He glowered as he undressed. Standing with him in the roomy custom closet, Trey smacked Zane’s diaphragm with the back of his hand. As intended, the sting caught his attention.