"Speaking of gambling, what's the real reason Vegas Violet didn't come?" I asked in a low tone. "It sounds like none of Allegra's kids liked her."
My grandmother's face was somber. "Yes, I am sorry to say you are right, my dear. It is a very sad situation. I have never met Violet, so I cannot tell you much about her."
"Aw, it can't be that bad," my father protested as his brown eyes surveyed the room. "She doesn't have a big turnout, though. Of course, when my time comes, they'll be lined up down the block."
My grandmother said something in Italian that sounded like whacko, but I didn't ask for details. As we approached the people at the front of the room, Nicoletta's gaze stayed focused on Josie and me. Her pupils grew in size and threatened to bulge out of her head.
"Why do murderers come here?" she demanded in a loud voice that caused heads near us to turn. "You have no shame."
"Hush, fool," my grandmother grunted. "Do not make a scene. You know the girls are not responsible for her death."
Nicoletta folded her arms across her chest. "I do not know. You defend her 'cause she your granddaughter."
"Hi there." Enzo reached forward and clasped my hand. "I'm Enzo Fiato, the deceased's son."
"Sally Donovan." His hand was moist and clammy, and I quickly drew mine back in repulsion. "I'm Rosa's granddaughter, and this is my friend, Josie Sullivan."
He nodded to Josie, but his gaze didn't waver from my face. "My, you're lovely. Are you married?"
Ew. I nodded. "Yes, and very happily."
"Bummer." His eyes widened in delight. "Well, if you ever want a one-night stand, let me know."
Dear God. What was wrong with this family? "Uh, thanks, but no thanks." My teeth clenched together in annoyance. "I happen to love my husband."
He blew out a sigh. "Love doesn't last forever, baby. Only death, taxes, and my mother's ominous presence are sure things. You can bet that cute little face of yours that she's hovering over this room right now like the black plague. Well, gotta go. Nice talking to you." Enzo hurried over to a pretty blonde in a short black dress who had stopped to talk to Anna.
"What a terrible thing to say about your own mother," I whispered to Josie.
She glared at Enzo, but he wasn't paying attention to us anymore. "That guy is definitely on the prowl. And the thought of Allegra floating above us in the air kind of gives me the willies."
I shuddered. "Well, if she is, you can bet she's also spitting down on us right about now."
"That boy needs a good smack upside his head," Grandma Rosa declared. "It is as if he is here to look for a girlfriend instead of pay his respects."
An attractive woman in a dark gray suit approached us. "Hello, Rosa." She stuck her hand out. "We've never met, but Allegra told me all about you. I'm Lena Ambrose."
My grandmother nodded and took her hand. "Of course. It is very nice to meet you. I know Allegra thought very highly of you." She turned to me. "This is my granddaughter, Sally, and her friend Josie. This is Allegra's niece, Lena."
"Nice to meet you," we both said simultaneously.
She smiled politely and brushed back her brown curly hair from her oval-shaped face. "Likewise. Allegra spoke of you a few times."
Oh, I bet she did. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask what she might have said, but I probably didn't want to know.
"We're going back to my office afterward for the official reading of the will. Do you need a ride?" Lena asked.
My grandmother looked confused. "Sally is taking me home. The reading is for family, and I do not wish to interfere. Unless Nicoletta would like for me to be there, then I will go."
"Don't you have to wait until all the children are together to read it?" Josie asked Lena.
Lena shook her head. "Allegra already informed her kids what was being left to them. She also requested that the document be read immediately after her service. The will hasn't gone through probate yet, but she had no outstanding debts, didn't own any real estate, and the process shouldn't take very long. Rosa, Aunt Allegra left you a little something as well, so you should be there. She always said how much she enjoyed talking to you, especially over the past few months. She liked to hear about your family, especially your granddaughters."
Yikes. The woman had also enjoyed bullying me, but I wisely kept that comment to myself. Even though Allegra had been entirely disagreeable, it didn't surprise me to learn she had been taken with my grandmother's charm. Everyone loved her—it was impossible not to.
Lena gestured at me. "Sally and Josie are welcome to come as well. It won't take long." She stared over my head and waved at someone. "I'm sorry, but would you excuse me for a minute? There's a friend of mine I'd like to talk to." She didn't wait for our response as she crossed the room and hastily enveloped a burly looking man in an embrace.
Grandma Rosa studied me carefully. "You do not have to go, cara mia. I am certain you would like to get home to your husband. Josie too."
"It's okay," I reassured her. "Mike's working late tonight. He's doing a complete renovation on a house over on Sandberg Avenue. New walls, kitchen cabinets, bathroom—the works. It has to be done by this weekend, so I won't be seeing much of him until then."
"Rob's off tonight," Josie put in. "He's at home with the kids, so I can come too."
Grandma Rosa nodded her approval. "That is good. I would like you both to be there. I have a bad feeling about this."
"About the will?" I asked.
She glanced around and then lowered her voice. "I do not like to speak ill of the dead, but Allegra was the type of person who—how do you say—enjoyed rubbing sugar into a person's wounds."
"As a baker, I love that analogy." Josie grinned. "And I'm not even going to bother to correct you this time, Rosa."
CHAPTER FIVE
Lena's office was located in Gateway Tower, an impressive 13-floor building on the border of Colwestern near the neighboring town of Colgate. Gianna had mentioned the firm Ambrose & Whitaker, which occupied most of the building, a couple of times in passing before. Besides estate law, they also practiced criminal law like Gianna, who was a public defender. The firm had a reputation for taking on high-profile cases.
Lena's office was on the tenth floor, modern and bright and done in neutral tones with a hand-carved mahogany bookcase that ran the entire length of one wall. Oriental rugs covered the highly polished wooden floors, and a floor-to-ceiling window located behind an expensive mahogany desk. The window treated us to a spectacular view of the sun setting amongst a beautiful array of orange and yellow hues.
"Can I get anyone some coffee while we wait for Anna and Enzo to arrive?" Lena asked. There was a Keurig perched on a small, white-tiled breakfast bar in the far corner of her office. A microwave and small fridge were also in plain view. With the comfortable furniture, stunning view of a nearby lake, and the 70-inch flat screen television on the wall, this would make a great place to crash for a while.
"None for me, thank you," my grandmother said as Josie and I both shook our heads.
Nicoletta's scowl changed to a broad smile as she regarded Lena. "I adore some coffee, if not too much trouble. Thank you, my dear."
I blinked, not sure if I'd heard the old woman right. This was a first—to see Nicoletta speak graciously to another person. It was obvious Lena was held in high regard, while someone like me was forever destined to be the gum on the bottom of Nicoletta's Birkenstocks.
As if she'd read my mind, Nicoletta leaned across the arm of the chic, white leather sofa and pinched my hand. "Lena—she married to Senator Ambrose. You have heard of him, no?"
"Yes, of course," I said, impressed by the revelation. Martin Ambrose occupied the Democratic seat in the Senate and had been in office for several years. He was also the owner of the law firm.
Although I knew next to nothing about political figures, Martin had a high approval rating and was up for reelection this coming November. Everyone said he was a shoo-in to win again.
"Wow." Josie's blue eyes
went wide with awe. "Why is she working as an attorney, then?"
Nicoletta thrust her chest forward. "Lena always want to be attorney, Allegra say. She work for Martin as intern before. Then she go to law school and pass exam, like Gianna. But she make more money than your sister. Lots more," she added proudly.
Ouch. How I pitied my sister. Gianna and Johnny had been dating for about a year now and seemed very happy together. It was no secret he'd been in love with her for a long time, and I suspected he planned to ask her to marry him soon. Johnny was a great guy, and my family adored him. The downside to all this? Nicoletta would be cemented into my sister's world for many years to come.
Lena must have overheard our mumblings, because she smiled modestly as she handed Nicoletta her coffee in a pink china cup. "I hope you can meet Martin soon," she said. "He's in New York City this week. With the election coming up, he's busier than ever." She heaved a small sigh. "I feel like I never see him anymore. He passed the bar himself several years ago and then opened the firm, but he hasn't practiced since gaining the Senate seat. Martin has been my biggest mentor and always knew law was my true passion. I owe him so much."
"How long have you been married?" I asked.
"Almost two years." She beamed at me. "I guess we have something in common. I heard you're a newlywed too. Allegra showed me your wedding picture from the newspaper a few weeks back and said you were Rosa's granddaughter."
"Yes, it will be a year for us next week." Allegra had saved a picture of me? That seemed strange. Then again, maybe I wasn't the person in the picture she'd been interested in looking at.
Lena laughed. "She said something about how your husband was very attractive. No arguments there. Ah, my aunt, she always liked them young."
Yeah, no kidding. "Right," I murmured, not knowing what else to say. Heat rose inside me like an inferno at the thought of Allegra touching Mike in such a suggestive manner. Okay, I needed to stop with the resentment. The woman was dead, and there was a good chance someone might have killed her. Who else had she ticked off?
The office door opened, and Enzo and Anna sauntered in. Anna glanced around the room before her bloodshot eyes focused on Josie and me in apparent surprise. No introductions were made. Perhaps Lena knew we'd seen them at the service, but it still felt awkward, and the atmosphere became tense. They both nodded at Lena and stood awkwardly next to the sofa.
Enzo gave me a suggestive wink as his gaze slowly traveled down my body. Ick. The man was disgusting, and made me long for a cleansing hot shower.
"Would you two like a chair?" Lena asked politely.
"Cut the so-called niceties, Lena," Enzo snapped. "Let's get this over with, okay? Go ahead and tell everyone how the old witch has done her children wrong—once again." His eyes shifted to me. "I don't even know why some people are here. Did dear sweet Mom leave her money to them instead of us?"
Oh boy. Looks like someone was holding a bit of a grudge.
There was an awkward silence in the room as Nicoletta set her coffee cup down on the glass coffee table and rose to her unintimidating four-foot-eleven-inch stature. She shook a bony finger menacingly at Enzo. "You have no respect. That is why your mama not leave you anything. You no care about her."
Anna's face flushed. "How dare you speak that way to my brother. We're her flesh and blood, not you."
I couldn't help but notice how Anna had slurred the word flesh. Her listless expression and the bloodshot eyes made me wonder if she'd been drinking.
"You only want her money," Nicoletta insisted. "At least I care about your mama. And she tell me other things."
"What things?" Anna asked in a shrill voice.
Lena clapped her hands. "Okay, this needs to stop. We're all adults here, so let's start acting like it."
"Easy for you to say, sweet cuz." Enzo folded both arms over his bony frame of a chest. "You've got yourself a nice little nest egg with your rich and powerful husband. We've always had to hear about the great Lena. 'Lena should have been my child, not my sister's. Lena married so well. Why can't you be more like your cousin?'"
My grandmother, like Josie and myself, remained silent throughout the bickering. She must have felt it wasn't her place to interfere, but she did reach a hand up and placed it firmly on Nicoletta's arm. Grandma Rosa then patted the seat next to her. Mrs. Gavelli muttered under her breath but sat back down on the sofa.
With a sigh, Lena removed a folded document from an envelope. "I know your mother sent you each a note about her new intentions a few weeks back," she said.
"Why'd she change the will?" Enzo asked suspiciously.
Lena shrugged. "It may have had something to do with your father's recent death. She didn't tell me."
"How convenient for you," Anna said, sarcasm evident in her slurred speech. "You just became a licensed estate attorney, and Mom hires you to draw up her will. How much did she secretly leave you? Oh, that's right. You don't need the money because you're the only one in the family who married well. The rest of us are losers."
"Wow," Josie whispered under her breath to me. "And I thought your family was nuts."
Sure, my parents were half-baked at times, but these people were filled with rage and resentment. Plus, their mother had just been killed. It didn't make for a very good combination.
Lena's mouth formed a thin, tight line. "Please don't make me privy to your disagreements with your mother," she said. "For the record, she left me nothing, and you'll see that for yourselves when you read the entire will."
"Maybe not in the document itself," Enzo put in. "But who's to say she didn't leave you some jewelry or slip you something on the sly without our knowledge?"
There hadn't been much to like about Allegra, but it was terrible to see how her own children were acting after her death. A bunch of two-year-olds would have behaved better. They should have been grieving, especially since their father had died recently too. Instead, their only concern seemed to be who got what from her estate and which child could cry the loudest about being cheated.
"I won't partake in this mudslinging anymore," Lena announced. "I'm going ahead with the official reading. Remember, I am only here to honor her wishes." She removed her eyeglasses from the top of her head and perched them on the end of her pert nose before she began to read. "'I, Allegra Ricci Fiato, being of sound mind and memory—"
Enzo laughed. "Sound mind? Please. The woman was nuts."
"Disrespect!" Nicoletta yelled. "You rot in hell for saying that."
"Okay, I really don't want to be here," Josie muttered in my ear.
"You and me both," I said.
Lena's hazel eyes regarded Enzo with obvious contempt. "Do not interrupt me again, understand?" She continued to read. "'I hereby revoke all Wills and Codicils heretofore made by me at any time."
"Cockatiel?" Nicoletta mused out loud. "Allegra no have bird. She no like them."
With a pained look at her, Lena went on. "'I direct my Executor, hereinafter named, to pay all of my debts and funeral expenses as soon as practical after my death.'"
Anna pointed a French-manicured fingernail at her cousin. "That's you, I assume."
Lena gave a little toss of her head. "Actually, it's Nicoletta. But she has already asked for my help."
"Well, isn't that sweet," Enzo snickered.
"You shut up, boy!" Nicoletta told him angrily.
Lena ignored them and continued. "'To my dear friend Nicoletta Gavelli, the one person besides my beloved departed husband, Felipo, who has always been there for me, I leave my jewelry collection, with the exception of my gold locket. I will the necklace to Rosa Belgacci, who I am proud to call a friend since my return to America. May it be the key to her health when she wears it.'"
"I remember that necklace," Enzo mused. "Didn't it have a skull on it? She always liked hideous things."
"Then she must have liked him too," Josie whispered to me.
Anna wrinkled her brow. "My mother couldn't write her name in the snow. Are you sure
these are her own words? Or did you write that line for her, Lena?"
"No," Lena snapped. "Now may I finish, please? 'All the rest, residue, and remainder of my Estate, or whatsoever kind that I give, devise, and bequeath to my daughter Violet Fiato, to be hers absolutely and forever. With the exception of the sum of five dollars apiece to both my son, Enzo Fiato, and my daughter, Anna Fiato Sheldon, for reasons that are well known to them."
"That mean old witch," Anna slurred. "I knew she wasn't leaving me anything, but to give it all to Violet? Pure spite. What about homeless cats and dogs instead? God, what the hell was that evil woman thinking? All because I told her she couldn't come and live with me, so she cuts her own daughter out of her will. Why would I have wanted that hideous woman around in the first place? All she did was judge me and complain that I smoke and drank too much. Boy, did we get robbed."
Even Nicoletta was silent, perhaps from shock.
Anna looked around at all of us as if trying to guess what we were thinking. "She may have been my mother, but she certainly didn't act like one. We never had a warm and fuzzy type of relationship. When Violet turned eighteen, she and my father went back to Italy to live. It was good riddance to all of us. Hey, we've raised you, and now you're on your own. I got pregnant, and she did nothing to help me. So I did what I was supposed to. I married the loser, and it ended in divorce. My mother and father never gave me a dime. Then after Dad died, Mommy Dearest wants to live with me? Sorry, but no way."
I forgot my previous vow to keep silent. "Why didn't she go live with Violet in Vegas?" Especially if Violet was her favorite, as she appeared to be. "Maybe she could have worked in Violet's bakery." And left mine alone.
Anna choked back a laugh. "What? Who's been telling you bedtime stories? My sister doesn't have a bakery. Far from it. You know why my dear, sweet baby sister didn't come to New York? Not because of a fear of flying. It's because she doesn't care. She has her own little secret life out in Vegas. Now that she's inherited everything, she's going to live happily ever after."
CRUMBLED TO PIECES Page 5
