Of course I should’ve seen it coming. Ruth’s agent, Maria Bell-Ruiz seemed sympathetic in her initial email. She’d asked me to call her as soon as I had time, and while I wasn’t sure I was ready for whatever this was, I decided there was no time like the present.
I put her number into my phone and sighed, then swiped to call.
“Maria Bell-Ruiz speaking.”
“Uh, hi, Mrs. Bell-Ruiz, I’m Lake White, Ruth’s nephew.”
“Mr. White, I’m glad you called,” she said in a friendly tone that held a bit of steel in it.
“Please call me Lake.”
“And you can call me Maria, the rest is a bit of a mouthful.” I could hear the smile in her tone.
“So, what can I help you with?”
“Well, as I said in my email, I’ve handled most of the legal things with Hudson, but there’s one thing we should talk about.”
I leaned back in Ruth’s comfy chair. “All right?”
“See, before she passed, she was writing the next novel in her series.”
This was news to me. I frowned. “Uh, okay?”
“Now, Hudson told me you’re an avid reader and used to work at a bookstore in New York City, right?”
I couldn’t read her tone and didn’t know where this was going, so I went with, “Yeah, that’s correct. It’s weird to think that I was a huge Anneliese Harris fan, and I never knew she was my Aunt Ruth.”
Maria made a humming sound. “The last I heard from Ruth a few days before she passed, she was three quarters done with the book.” Before I could say anything, Maria cleared her throat. “I would like you to finish it.”
I heard this choked sound and realized it had come from my own mouth.
“You w-what?”
“I’d like you to finish writing the story.” She sighed. “Look, I don’t know if you have any experience in writing—”
“I really, really don’t.”
“But you don’t need that. You’re a fan, you said that yourself. If you know her writing style, have read the other books several times, Hudson said, then you’re already more qualified than most people.”
My head was spinning. “I…”
“You wouldn’t have to do it alone. I have a new editor who’s worked with Ruth since her old editor jumped ship two books back. The new guy knows the material, knows where Ruth was going with the book, and he’d come over and help you finish it.”
“Why can’t he write it?”
Maria sighed again, this time it sounded judgmental, as if she was thinking I was a bit simple. “Because he’s not Ruth’s nephew, Lake.”
My brain whirred for a few seconds. “You want to market it as a family thing. Her nephew finishing the book in her stead.”
“Ding-ding-ding!”
I swallowed hard and wished I had something to drink. As if summoned by my thoughts, River walked in with a glass of iced tea. He took one look at my face and his eyebrows jumped halfway up his forehead.
I shook my head, then took a sip and gave him a wavery smile.
“Okay, okay…I…I guess it’s in everyone’s best interest if I at least consider this,” I managed to say.
“That’s all I ask,” Maria said calmly. “So, how about I send the editor over? I’ll give you a week to settle in and check all the notes and things, maybe read the manuscript as it is. See if it perks anything? And then I’ll send him to come meet you, chat with you about it.”
