Page 39 of The Vampire and the Case of the Perilous Poltergeist

“I know. But it’s a heavy burden, knowing my marriage to Mitch may be the only thing that kept Dad alive. Still, tides turn, don’t they? He saved me once, twice if you count my bike accident. Returning the favor was the least I could do.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to dump that on you. You did the right thing, and I can’t thank you enough.”

They ate in silence for a while, the wine and Rumer’s sultry voice helping Tayla relax until Ruby said, “Has Mitch ever talked to you about that inheritance fiasco?”

“Never. And I don’t want him to. He made his position clear at the time.” Tayla narrowed her gaze at her sister. “Why’s that?”

“I was just wondering. You’ve never been one to hold a grudge, but is that the other reason you dislike him? Because of Norman’s will?”

“Pretty much. I thought I’d grown out of the teenage petty-grievance stage. But when I returned from Sydney, my life tipped upside down, and sat in Simon Harrow’s office, listening to my now-husband?—”

“Mr. Billboard?—”

“Yes, Mr. Billboard, calmly say he couldn’t settle. Well, it all came flooding back.”

Tayla stood and cleared the plates. After stacking them into thedishwasher, she removed the panna cotta from the fridge and handed one to Ruby, along with a jug of berry coulis.

“What actually happened?” Ruby asked as she poured the coulis onto her dessert. “With Norman’s money, I mean.”

“Do you remember when Mum and Dad used my university fund to pay the mortgage that year the big hailstorm destroyed the cherries?”

“Yes. I didn’t really get it. I always thought we were well off.”

“Me too. Anyway, a few months before Norman’s death, he said he had a gift for me, one I was to accept graciously when the time came. According to Mum, he’d told them he wanted to help with my education costs. He was about to pay for my first semester when he died. Anyway, he left a note attached to his will, witnessed by one of his carers. But because the bequest wasn’t legally documented, the executor of his estate refused to honor it.”

Tayla paused to lick panna cotta off her spoon. “It’s rumored his estate was worth millions of dollars, and Mitch was his only heir. So why would he go against Norman’s wishes? Not that I expected anything, and I’d be the first to acknowledge Norman was as eccentric as they come, but he wanted me to have that money. Apparently, Mitch had other ideas. When I was working at the supermarket during summer break, he’d strut in without a care in the world, asking how I was. It made no sense.”

Ruby drained her wine. “You’re right about that.”

“Anyway, Mum and Dad must have kicked up a stink because not long after I started at AUT, the money came through and kept coming every year until I graduated.” Tayla noticed Ruby’s expression. “What?”

“Oh, sweetie.”

“What?” Tayla repeated.

“And Mitch has never mentioned it?”

“No. Why?” Tayla waited, fiddling with the stem of her wine glass, but Ruby hung back. “Okay. Am I missing something here?”

Ruby frowned. “I’m not supposed to tell you, but this wine’sloosening my already chatty tongue.” She sighed. “Mitch gave you that money. It was the great-uncle, Ken or whatever his name is, who tried to stop it.”

Tayla covered her mouth with her hand as the significance of Ruby’s disclosure held her in a tight grip.“No, that can’t be right.”

“I was there the night Mitch came to see Dad. They went into the office, and a while later came out and had a beer together. Mum was at her book club, so I quizzed Dad after Mitch left. He didn’t want to tell me at first but was so relieved he couldn’t contain himself.”

“And you’ve waited until now to tell me?”

“Dad swore me to secrecy. When you and Mitch married, I assumed he’d told you. But he certainly didn’t want you to know back then.”

A wave of panic washed over Tayla as her long-held grudge resurfaced. Her feelings for Mitch had always been complicated—the crush and the grievance—and now what was Ruby saying? That this particular grievance was ill-founded? “But why would he do that? Give me the money?”

“Because, according to Dad, Mitch knew how much Norman loved you. He wanted to respect his grandfather’s wishes, even if the bequest was scribbled on a scrap of notepaper.”

Tayla poured herself another half glass of shiraz and took a gulp. All this time, she’d resented the wrong man. Her perception had drifted way off course, and she’d failed to listen to her gut when it tried to tell her that maybe she’d got it wrong.

“But why would Dad keep it from me all this time?” Her voice rose an octave. “To protect me?”

Ruby shrugged. “You’re his baby girl.”