“Why does this say I’m already dead?”
CHAPTER 2 – Tomorrow’s Date
Brenda’s hand moved toward the envelope.
Mr. Abernathy covered it with his palm.
“Leave that where it is.”
For the first time since he arrived, he sounded frightened.
He lifted the page beneath mine. A second sheet clung to it, held by the indentation of a paper clip. Across its top, above my name and address, someone had typed: Owner deceased. Effective date: tomorrow.
My knees struck the chair behind me.
Kenneth reached out.
“Don’t touch me.”
His hand stopped halfway between us.
“I didn’t know about that page.”
“Which page did you know about?”
He looked toward Brenda. She had stopped crying.
Outside, a car passed slowly, its headlights sliding across the curtains. I watched the light until it disappeared. Ordinary people were driving home. Someone was probably complaining about traffic, deciding what to eat.
My son was standing in front of a document announcing my death.
Mr. Abernathy drew the envelope closer.
“This was delivered to my office this afternoon. Marked original ownership transfer, with instructions to hold it for tomorrow’s processing. Your call reached me before I had examined it.”
“Who delivered it?”
He looked at Brenda.
Her chin lifted.
“I dropped off a sealed envelope. That doesn’t mean I wrote what was inside.”
“You also emailed the instructions,” he said.
“I handle paperwork for Kenneth.”
Kenneth pressed both hands against the table.
“You told me it was an advance on my inheritance.”
“And you believed your inheritance began while I was alive?”
He flinched.
“You were going away.”
I stared at him.
