Still, that didn’t stop her from opening the app.She found messages from Belle, Candi, Felicity, Sheriff Bishop…Wait.What?Why was the sheriff messaging her?
Sheriff Bishop:Just checking to make sure they left you alone.Call me if you have any more problems.
She was touched that Colin’s brother would reach out to her.She replied to him.
Holly:Thank you.Everything is fine now.
When she flipped back to the summary of conversations, she noticed that Colin had messaged her.A lot.
She opened the conversation string but didn’t have time to read them because she heard a noise from the front of the office.She turned to see if someone was joining them.
When she saw Billie Jean’s face, she gasped.
“I’m sorry.They’re early,” Mr.Price said in a disgruntled voice.
Mr.Price got to his feet as Roger and Billie Jean joined them.Holly looked at him for an explanation as to what was happening.She didn’t understand.How were they supposed to discuss a defense strategy with them in the office?
“Did you tell her that she has no case?”Roger asked.
“Please, sit down.”He gestured to the two other chairs.
Roger and Billie Jean hesitated.
“Sit down,” Mr.Price said in a more assertive tone.
They did as instructed.Roger took the chair next to Holly.Neither of them looked at her.It was like they were angry with her for not just giving into their demands.
Her phone vibrated.She didn’t have time to look at it.She slipped it back into her purse.
“Thank you all for coming in today,” Mr.Price said.“As the attorney who wrote up Anne Berry’s will, I would like to clarify a few things.She was of sound mind when she wrote her final wishes.It was drawn up quite a few years ago, but I can assure you that she gave it due care.And she was in no way coerced.I would testify to those things in court.”
Anger rolled off Roger as the attorney spoke.“It doesn’t matter.We have papers that say Billie Jean is the correct heir to the estate.”
“Ah, yes,” Mr.Price held up the papers Holly had given him earlier.“I’ve had a chance to look those over.”
“They’re legit.Signed by a judge and everything,” Billie Jean said.
“I see that.Did you know that judge retired last week?One day before he supposedly signed this document.”
“What?”Roger jumped to his feet.He leaned over the big oak desk.His voice was more like a snarl.“They’re real.”
Mr.Price didn’t flinch.He picked up the phone.“Shall we call the judge now?”
Roger backed down.“It doesn’t matter.Billie Jean was the woman’s daughter.She should get everything.”
“Sit down,” Mr.Price said in a firm tone, as though he were speaking to an unruly four-year-old.He put down the phone.“Sit down, now.”
Roger hesitated but then did as he was told.
Mr.Price pulled out another set of papers from his desk drawer.He put on his reading glasses and adjusted them on his nose.Then he scanned the document until he came to the right place.
“This is a personal letter that Anne put with her will.”He glanced at Holly.“You didn’t know about it because there was never a need for it until now.”He cleared his throat and began to read.
“Billie Jean, if you’re reading this letter, it means you came back to see how much money you can get from my estate.You never had time for me in life, but now you think you are owed something.You are not.But just so you can’t claim that I forgot you or overlooked you.Here is one hundred dollars.”Mr.Price reached into an envelope.He placed a crisp one-hundred-dollar bill on the desktop and slid it toward Billie Jean.
Holly couldn’t help but think about how much it must have hurt her grandmother to write this letter.Gran had a big heart.It was why she had all of Holly’s friends call her Gran, even though they were of no relation.
Gran was loving, but she was also a realist.She didn’t hang her hopes on rainbows and unicorns.She tried to relay that to Holly, but she still clung to her Christmas wish of reuniting her family.She realized now how foolish she’d been.
