“Kala seems to think so. She convinced Jay, and he just convinced me. The firm will take a third of that. You do realize that, right, Sophie?”
“Of course. Is that enough?”
“It’s enough, trust me. Do you want to make a little bet here as to how soon you get the money?”
“Don’t these things take
“Not when you have someone like Jay being a PITA. I’d say three weeks, tops.”
Sophie frowned. “What’s a PITA?”
Linda laughed. “A pain in the ass.”
“Oh. Then I guess that’s a KISS.”
“Yeah, keep it simple, stupid. Now you’re getting it. Okay, listen. I need you to sign this bank card. I’m going to town. Kiki is picking me up. I’m going to get the lay of the land of this town and open your account at the Hawaiian Bank branch where one of Kala’s cousins works. She did it all-I just have to show up. This way when you need money, you can hit an ATM or go through the drive-through. Kala really means it when she says you need to keep a low profile and not be out and about for a while. Spenser and his camp are going to try to locate you. We do not want that. You okay with all of this? It pretty much means you are confined to this house, the beach, and surroundings.”
“I’m fine with it, Linda. I have no desire to go anywhere right now. I’ll follow all instructions to the letter. I don’t want you to worry about me.”
“Then I won’t worry, but Jay will. We have Plan B in effect, and what that is this. If one of the cousins comes for you and tells you it’s time to relocate, you go. That means Spenser or someone in his camp or maybe the tabloids has put two and two together and figured out Kala sent you here, then went off somewhere so they couldn’t bug her. I’m no seer, but I think you’re only good here for about a week once the news gets out. Spenser is looking at his career going up in smoke, so he’s going to leave no stone unturned. You okay with that, too?”
“I am. I’m going to take a walk on the beach and get some sun and maybe take a swim.”
“Before you go, Sophie, you asked about something earlier that leads me to believe that you were so excited when Kala and Jay explained everything to you that you did not take in something very important.”
“What did I ask about, Linda? Did I do something wrong?”
“No, honey, nothing is wrong. What you asked about was whether the twenty million was tax free. Which told me that since you saw that question as significant, you did not understand just how wealthy you are. Or will be once Adam Star’s estate is settled.”
“Linda, I remember their telling me that I had inherited some money from Mr. Star. But-”
“Sophie, you did not just inherit ‘some money.’ You inherited an estate worth hundreds of millions of dollars. When that estate is settled, you will be one of the richest women in America. And the difference between a tax-free twenty million and a taxable twenty million is, in your circumstances, almost negligible. Chump change.”
Sophie sat there, stunned. Seemingly incapable of speech, she got up and started into the house, shaking her head as if to clear it of cobwebs.
“Use sunblock, this sun is wicked,” Linda called after her.
“Yes, Mother.” Recovering from her daze, Sophie laughed as she headed into the house to change into a bathing suit. “See you when I see you,” she called airily.
Friday’s weather was a repeat of Wednesday’s and Thursday’s. In other words a perfect day, in Sophie’s opinion.
It was the end of the workday in Georgia and lunchtime for Sophie and Linda. And when lunch was over, Linda would head to the airport for the long flight back to Georgia and her husband.
Both women had just been served what looked like a wonderful shrimp scampi and a mango-pineapple-banana salad when Linda’s cell rang. Both their eyes popped wide, knowing it had to be Jay on the other end of the line. In other words, news
Sophie mouthed the word
Jay Brighton’s words were crystal clear. “Here we go, ladies… and let me be the first to say I have never felt this popular in my entire life. Everyone in this state wants a part of me. The media is giving this a full-court press. Sophie, you are big news. It’s all they are talking about. The warden at the women’s prison gave a brief interview, said how Sophie was a model prisoner. Said how the paperwork was in order. Said how Adam Star called the shots and wouldn’t accept anything except the deal his lawyer brokered, which translates to no one could do anything or say anything until he was dead. Told about the meetings he had with Adam’s lawyer, Clayton Hughes.
“Adam’s video has been on the news every hour on the hour. The judge who signed off on Sophie’s release has so far refused to be interviewed.
“Ryan Spenser has called here every ten minutes. Mavis is threatening to quit if we don’t get someone to help her field the calls. We have to keep the office doors locked, and I canceled all appointments till Monday. Reporters are camped outside. I might have to sleep here.
“In addition to all of that, the state’s attorneys called again this morning. I chopped them off at the knees and told them straight out what our deal was. Told them not to bother me again unless we had an agreement.
“They are now showing the urns at the mortuary. Guess the director thought it might be good for business. The media is giving them so much press, so why not.”
“That’s it! That’s all you have?” Linda shrieked.
“What? That’s not enough! What more do you want?” Jay started to grumble and mutter under his breath about not being able to satisfy women.
“Oh, honey, you
“Well, he ain’t happy, that’s for sure. He’s pissed to the teeth that he didn’t know a thing and heard it when the rest of the world heard it. That’s what he said when he left a message on our voice mail. So far he has not given an interview, and the media are saying he’s involved in something and can’t do interviews right now. The translation to that is, he’s in deep shit with a twenty-million-dollar-payout that is going to haunt his ass for many days and months to come. This is when it’s going to get interesting, so stay tuned.”
When the conversation turned personal, Sophie moved away to sift through what she had just heard. She rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders at Linda’s gleeful look.
“At last we got one up on that SOB,” Linda said when the call ended. “I’m glad he’s scrambling; he deserves to grovel. And truth be told, I’d pay through the nose to see Ryan Spenser grovel. You know that old saying,
“As much as I hate to eat and run, that’s what I have to do, Sophie. Everything is all set for you. Remember to keep your stuff ready and handy, so if they come for you, you can leave in a heartbeat. It’s wheels up at three for me, so I have just enough time to eat and get to the airport. I really hate to leave, but I’m needed back at the office,” Linda said as she shoveled the delectable scampi into her mouth.
Sophie picked at her food; it was delicious, but her thoughts weren’t on food, Ryan Spenser, or things back in Georgia. Her mind was preoccupied with her old friends. She finally asked Linda to find out where her personal things were, and if she found them, to send them on to her by overnight mail. Linda promised.
Twenty minutes later, Sophie was waving good-bye to Linda from the driveway. Tears were rolling down her cheeks.
She was alone again. “Do not feel sorry for yourself,” she muttered over and over as she made her way into the house and up the stairs to her room, where she changed into her bathing suit, which Mally had washed and dried. She pulled on a yellow wrap, made her way back outside, and ran down to the beach. She waded into the water and swam until she got tired. She didn’t see a soul anywhere nearby the entire time.
Back in her room, Sophie shed her wet clothes, took a shower, dressed again, then turned on the television. She blinked, then blinked again as she adjusted the volume on the set. Jay Brighton was talking outside the office to a gaggle of reporters.
“I’m only going to make one comment, so listen up and don’t pester me afterward, because this is all you’re
