“Don’t sign anything else,” Ruth said. “Keep every piece of that paper. We haven’t released anything from my office. I’ll review the file first thing.”
Vanessa’s shoulders dropped a fraction.
Then Ruth asked, “Has someone approached you about a buyer?”
My eyes moved to Vanessa.
“What buyer?”
There was a pause.
“A man left a message late Friday asking when the transfer would be completed. I haven’t returned it yet.”
Daniel turned so quickly his boutonniere struck his lapel.
“You said you were only getting an estimate.”
“I was exploring options.”
“What buyer?” I repeated.
Vanessa reached into the small satin bag at her wrist.
“This is exactly why we didn’t want a scene.”
I kept Ruth on the phone.
“Was there an agreement?”
No one answered.
Across the parking lot, my sister Elaine appeared beneath the reception awning. She was carrying my coat and the handbag I had left under my chair.
She took one look at me and began walking faster.
Daniel pulled out his phone.
“Show me what you sent them.”
“Not here.”
“Here.”
Vanessa glanced toward the reception doors, where two guests had stopped to watch.
“You’re humiliating me.”
Elaine put my coat over my shoulders. She did not ask me to calm down. She simply took the torn paper when I could no longer keep it still.
“Margaret,” Ruth said in my ear, “leave with someone you trust. We can deal with the documents tomorrow.”
Daniel stepped aside to let Elaine open my car door.
For once, he did not ask me to stay.
That nearly broke me more than everything else.
CHAPTER 3 – The Other Signature
