Clem lifted a small basket, her expression soft. “Ready?”
Together, we walked down to the banks of Deadwater River.
Clem stooped to the edge of the rushing water. “Lex was no angel. He was sexy as hell, good at his job, and I miss him.”
Liliana smiled. “His dick got him into trouble as much as it did out of it. He made me laugh more times than I could count. He mattered to me. He was part of the family.”
The others said similar. None of us pretending we knew the right words for a funeral. We didn’t get the option of taking home his ashes. Instead, we’d put together items that reminded us of him. His name tag from the strip club’s dressing room. A photo of him used on Divine’s social media, Lex making an L-shape with his hand over his angular jaw. A box of matches and nasty cigars from his locker. Hot underwear and a condom packet because we didn’t shy away from anything.
I finished with, “Lex, you helped me. You were messy as hell, but no one’s perfect. You didn’t deserve the end you got. Boy, we’ll never forget you. Don’t be mad that we made you sentimental.”
Clem smiled with shining eyes, and released the basket into the sparkling waves. It bobbed then sank, taken by the flow.
I wiped my tears, hugged my friends, and returned indoors.
Upstairs in the apartment I shared with Tyler, I texted him about the next thing we had to do. A matter that made me feel sick but I wasn’t prepared to leave.
Tyler: Back in fifteen minutes. Come to Arran’s office. I love you.
He’d taken to writing that at the end of his messages, like I’d forget if he didn’t.
I tapped back agreement, then my phone buzzed in my hand, an unknown number on the screen.
Usually, I’d leave it to go to voicemail. Though the media circus was over, who knew who it might be.
Except an odd sense built in me that it could be important.
I answered it. “Hello?”
“Ah, you’re there. How wonderful.”
It was Primrose. Oh God.
For weeks, the police had been searching for our grandmother. Detective Lyle had repeatedly asked if she’d contacted us, and they’d searched her home multiple times. She’d spoken to them on the phone but they hadn’t tracked her down.
I forced myself to breathe. “How are you?”
“Perfectly well. With the dust settled, I wanted to speak to my favourite grandchild.”
“You’re checking up on me?” My voice came out high and tight.
“Perhaps I am merely enquiring if you have resolved on hating me or understanding me.”
I opened and closed my mouth. “Neither? I don’t know if I should be more afraid of you than anything. You killed three people.” I added a thought that had dogged my late nights when I’d processed all the drama and all that was left. “I’m with someone I love. Mila and Kane have their forever people, too. We don’t want to live in fear for their safety.”
“Dixie,” Primrose admonished. “Why on earth would I harm them? It wouldn’t even occur to me.” She sighed. “You must know that if I had understood what was done to you, I would have razed this entire world to the ground to stop it. The three people were a symptom of that same care, expressed when I had no other way.”
“Promise you won’t hurt anyone else? No spree killings to keep up the avenging work?”
She tutted. “I have no reason to, child. But if you need to hear it, I swear never to hurt anyone you or my other grandchildren care about. Besides, I’m not even in the same country as you anymore. Nor shall I return. Austin had his bolthole and I have mine. Do you accept my word?”
Probably, I shouldn’t have. But my gut said different.
I believed her. I told her so.
My grandmother’s tone brightened. “Then we are in agreement. I shall move on to my next point. Your inheritance. It is more than just money. It is responsibility also. I have enjoyed reading about the changes you intend to make to Austin’s company. If you’re going to run that empire in the way you’ve described, you’ll need help. I will give that to you. I know what to slice and where to bandage. Where damage was caused and in which places the company suffers bloat. A memorial fund for those who had been hurt would be my starting place. You will keep my involvement a secret, of course, but you will find my contribution of value.”
“I don’t know what to say.” That was actually a great idea.
