“No way. Things like this don’t happen in real life. Seriously, this feels like the plot of a Hallmark movie.”
Maya laughed. “Well then, it’s a pretty good fake. Maybe someone really is punking you.”
Adelaide suddenly remembered the teen girls’ weird coffee orders at the end of her shift. Those had been pretty bizarre. Even more over the top than usual ... and yet Vicki had been quite amused. A light bulb flicked on in her head. Aha! Thesestrange incidents had to be the work of her bosses. Of course! Vicki and Lance were notorious practical jokers. April Fools’ Day was their favorite holiday. Yes, they had definitely gotten her with this well-planned charade. Upset over her quitting right before the holidays, they probably wanted to get even and have a good laugh at the same time. Yes, that was the only logical explanation.
CHAPTER
Two
Adelaide was still pacing and muttering to herself about Vicki and Lance’s poor taste in jokes when Maya interrupted her thoughts.
“Why would they make something like this up?” Maya pointed to the letter on the coffee table. “I mean Montovia is so random. Not to mention extreme.” She picked up the envelope and examined the front. “This stamp and postmark look authentic. Like it really came from overseas. Vicki and Lance wouldn’t go to this much trouble for a silly practical joke. Seriously? What’s the payoff? What’s the point?”
“It has to be a scam then. Someone is phishing for money.”
Maya snatched up the letter again. “But whoever wrote this hasn’t asked for a penny. They only want you to respond and accept their invitation to visit their country. Completely at their expense!”
“Why?”
Maya pointed to the second page of the letter. “It says here that the king is ill, which is why it’s imperative you go visit.”
“Yes, that’s how those scams work. They play on sympathy and make it seem dire. When you agree, they ask you to useyour own funds, which they assure you they’ll reimburse. But in the meantime, they empty your bank account.” She sighed. “Not like there’s much in mine to begin with.”
Maya held up the letter and read it out loud again. Adelaide hated to admit it but hearing the words read by someone else did make it seem less like a scam or practical joke. But still.
“It’s just too weird.” Adelaide went to her bookshelf and removed an old atlas. She looked up Montovia and pointed it out to Maya. “See, it’s this tiny little country. Right there. Big as a flyspeck.”
“Did your mom ever mention it?”
“No. But I do recall hearing about a trip to Europe she and Lela took in college.”
“And she never told you anything about your father either, right?”
Adelaide shook her head. “Not a word about my father or Montovia.”
“Maybe she wanted it buried.” Maya held up a finger. “Hey, why not ask Lela?”
Adelaide considered this. Lela was her mom’s best friend in nursing school and had been like an aunt to Adelaide when she was younger. But when she married a naval officer and moved to Maryland to continue her nursing career, she grew a little distant from her old friend. The last time Adelaide had seen Lela was at her mother’s funeral three years ago.
“I guess I could call her.”
“Yes,” Maya urged. “Right now.”
Adelaide pulled up Lela’s number and, with a slightly shaky finger, clicked call. After a quick exchange of stilted greetings, Adelaide plunged ahead. “Lela, do you remember going to Europe with my mom, back in college?”
After a long pause, Lela answered. “Yes. Of course.”
“Was my mom ever in the Principality of Montovia?”
“Why are you asking me this?” Lela sounded uneasy and a bit suspicious, so Adelaide explained the strange letter.
Lela let out a little gasp. “Max was a king?”
“So youdoknow about Max?” Adelaide exchanged glances with Maya.
“Oh, honey, I knew about Max, but that was so long ago I’d almost forgotten him. And yes, your mom and I did spend a month in Europe. It was August. Right before our third year of nursing school. I’d received a small inheritance from my aunt and had always dreamed of touring Europe, so I talked your mom into going as my traveling companion.”
“I’m surprised she could afford to go.” Adelaide knew how her mom had struggled to make it through school.
