PART 13
That afternoon, Selina called.
I put the phone on speaker.
Renee was sitting across from me.
Selina’s voice was sweet.
“Damian.”
“How is Phedra?”
“Still in the hospital.”
“Oh, poor thing.”
I nearly laughed.
She continued.
“We should all sit down when you return.”
“About the settlement.”
I said.
“What about it?”
“Well.”
“You’ll need to put the money somewhere safe.”
“Of course.”
“Your brother has experience now.”
Godfrey’s experience consisted of opening an auto shop with my money.
Selina continued.
“And this house needs some additional work.”
“I’ve also been thinking about buying a second property.”
“For the family.”
I said.
“What about Phedra’s treatment?”
A pause.
“Of course.”
“That too.”
“How much?”
“What?”
“How much should go to her?”
Selina hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
“Doctors will take everything if you let them.”
I looked at Renee.
She wrote something down.
Then Selina said.
“Maybe fifty thousand.”
“And the rest?”
“We invest it.”
“Who controls the investment?”
Another pause.
“I can.”
Renee raised one eyebrow.
I said.
“Sounds reasonable.”
Selina relaxed.
PART 14
Godfrey called next.
He was less subtle.
“Bro.”
“One million is serious money.”
“Yes.”
“I can turn that into three.”
“How?”
“Expand the shop.”
“Second location.”
“Import parts.”
“Maybe buy some property.”
“How much would you need?”
“Two hundred thousand to start.”
I almost smiled.
“To start?”
“Think big.”
“What about paying back the money you already used?”
Silence.
Then.
“That was family money.”
“No.”
“That was money I sent for the house and Phedra.”
Godfrey sighed.
“Don’t get stuck in the past.”
Renee wrote that sentence down too.
I said.
“How much did you use?”
“Not much.”
“How much?”
“Maybe twenty thousand.”
“Maybe?”
“Twenty-five.”
I said.
“Okay.”
He immediately became cheerful again.
“So you’ll think about the investment?”
“I’ll think about everything.”
He had no idea how true that was.
PART 15
Over the next four days, greed did most of the work for me.
I did not accuse anyone.
I asked questions.
And they answered.
Selina sent me a list.
House repairs.
New property.
Godfrey’s expansion.
A vacation.
A new vehicle.
Money for “family reserves.”
Phedra’s treatment was item number seven.
Godfrey sent projections for his shop.
He included photos.
One photo showed a sign.
MERCER AUTO PERFORMANCE.
My surname.
My money.
His business.
He wrote.
We built this because of what you sent.
I saved it.
Then he sent another message.
Once your settlement hits, we can finally make this family wealthy.
I saved that too.
