When the dogs and I reached the estate’s back fence, I paused briefly before heading back. We’d run hard up the hill, so my plan was to mostly walk on the return trip to prevent the dogs from becoming overworked.
As I slowly began to make my way along the point toward the trail that would take me to the cottage, an image of my best friend, Keni, flashed into my mind. I’d been meaning to call her. I made a mental note to do so today. Keni had been saying that she would come for a visit for months, but so far, every time she’d set a date, she’d ended up canceling. I missed her a lot and hoped she’d finally be able to make the commitment, but I also understood that she lived a busy life and her career as an actress came first. I was proud of Keni. She knew what she wanted, and she worked hard to get it. There was no doubt in my mind that one day her name would be plastered on billboards for the world to see and know.
As the trail flattened and began to hug the waterline, I slowed even more so the dogs could splash around. I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the time and noticed I had a missed call from Adam. Deciding to call him back in the hope of catching him, I hit the call back button and waited.
“Adam, I’m sorry I missed your call. The dogs and I were out running, and I guess I didn’t hear the phone ring.”
“I should have known you might be out running. I guess it’s early morning there in Gooseberry Bay.”
“Where are you?” I wondered.
“Actually, I’m in New York.”
“New York? I thought you were in France.”
“I was, but I finished up there, so I’m heading back home via the east coast. I have a shareholders meeting Thursday for a company I hold a significant amount of stock in, and then I have a gala to attend in Boston Saturday. I was going to head home after that, but I had dinner with the president of a private children’s hospital I partially fund last night, and she managed to persuade me to stay around long enough to attend a fundraiser they have planned for the following weekend.”
“So you’ll be home after that?”
“I will. I haven’t made plane reservations yet, but you should expect me in about two weeks.”
“I look forward to it.”
“So, how are things going? Any new developments with your origin story?”
When the dogs grew tired of swimming, we started to slowly walk back toward the cottage while I talked.
“Not really. Although I did receive two boxes of mementos, along with an envelope full of financial information, and a note from Warren yesterday.”
“It was nice of him to send all that along.”
“It was,” I agreed. “I have to admit I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed. In fact, overwhelmed is too tame a word for what I’m feeling.”
“It’s okay to take things slowly,” he reminded me. “Go through the boxes when you feel ready. The items contained within will keep. As for the financial stuff, Warren has been managing things all this time, and I suspect he’s willing to continue to do so for as long as you want him to. Let him do so. You need time to ease yourself into your new situation.”
I paused and looked out at the bay. “I intend to let Warren manage the money and stocks and whatever else I own. I don’t feel ready to take on such a thing, and, to be honest, I’m not even sure I want the responsibility for all that. What am I going to do with so much money?”
“I guess you can eventually donate it. Maybe you can even establish a charitable foundation or, perhaps you can piggyback on the one Warren and Giovanna already established. But for now, like I said, I’d just let it be. I remember how overwhelmed I was when my parents died, and I became responsible for managing the assets. It was terrifying, and I’d grown up knowing that one day the Winchester fortune would be mine and Archie’s to deal with, so I do understand how you’re feeling. Warren seems like a good man who knows what he’s doing. If he’s willing to continue to handle things, that gives you time to really think about things and decide what to do.”
I started walking again. “Yeah. I guess that’s true. And to be honest, I’d really like to find Avery before I make any huge decisions. Half of those assets do belong to her. If she’s still alive, I’d like her to be able to help me decide what to do next.”
“We’ll keep looking for Avery,” Adam assured me.
“I know. And maybe we’ll actually find her. There are times when I want to give up due to the impossible nature of the quest, but I started with only a photo and have gotten as far as I have in less than a year, so maybe miracles do happen.”
“I know they do. Listen, I need to go. My driver is here. I’ll call you in a couple days, and you feel free to call me any time you need to talk.”
“Okay. I just might do that if it starts to feel like the walls are closing in. Enjoy the rest of your trip.”
“I will. Enjoy your sunny day in Gooseberry Bay.”
“How do you know it’s sunny here?”
“My weather app on my phone.”
I smiled. “Yeah, I guess that will keep you up to date on the latest weather changes. I’ll see you in two weeks.” With that, I hung up.
Once the dogs and I arrived back at the
