Page 24 of The Silence of Hell
“Yeah. And worse, I don’t know what they’re capable of doing to get it. I’ve tied the will and trust up as much as I can, and I have a private eye quietly looking for any heirs that are worthy. Obviously, my ancestors had brothers and sisters. There must be somebody I can nominate until I have my own children. They don’t need to be informed because I want kids, but at least an heir would be in place. And it would stop idiots ripping everything apart,” I growled out.
“Yeah, because your dad might claim it if you died. And I bet he could still get a woman pregnant for his own heir. Hell, he could easily leave your mom and knock a bitch up,” Chatter said.
I stared at Chatter with horrified eyes. “I’ve never considered that!”
“If he’s devious, it’s crossed his mind,” Chatter replied.
“Oh, Dad’s certainly that. Damn!” I muttered.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to stress you out further,” Chatter responded, looking guilty.
“Not your problem, and I’d rather know than not.”
We sat in silence as I thought of everything occurring.
“Where are your parents now?” Chatter asked.
“The three of them are out on bail but not allowed anywhere near me. The lawyer is going after them, claiming the houses, yacht, and cars they own to pay for what they’ve stolen. Mom’s jewellery collection has already been taken by lawyers, and while my parents were locked up, I authorised people to come in and take valuations. As I lived there, nobody could stop me.” I smirked.
“Nice.”
“I’ll get some reimbursement, but not all of what they stole. Although money’s not the point. It’s the principle. Mind you, their houses would have gone up in price.”
“Lavender, I understand. What will you do with Ravenberry’s treasures next?”
“That’s a good question. I was considering selling some, but Aunt Aggie collected them all. There’s a field over that way; it’s not connected with the estate or your land, but it sits all alone. I was thinking of having several museums built and housing the items in them. They’re a long-term plan, though. For now, I need to get everything examined and checked. I’ve sent a request in to Fabergé for an expert to come and appraise that collection. They are in discussions with me about it.”
“Now Hellfire knows who that massive field belongs to.” Chatter chuckled. “We’ve been trying to find out!”
“Ah. Yes, it’s part of the estate, even though it is a mile away. I’m not sure why. Maybe the land in-between was sold, or that field came up, and Aunt Aggie bought it.”
“Well, it’s separated from you by Hellfire land.”
“That’s not a surprise. However, to finish answering your question. I’ve also called a coin valuer. He’s flying out and sounded quite excited. The toy cars and trains I can assess, although my expertise is… cretins… I need to find a wine and whiskey expert. And a clothing one. The list goes on.
“The Star Wars toys and Steiff teddies, I’ll value, but there are people better qualified, and I’ve put feelers out for them. There’s a respected antique dealer in Rapid City for the pill boxes and perfume bottles. Sadly, Elaine Diehl, who made the dollhouse, died a few years ago, but I have someone coming, and I’ve got the paperwork for it. It’s an original, I don’t doubt, but it is different from the only other one. So, they are both unique. It’s astounding, really,” I said.
“You’ve got a lot on your plate. And then there’s the restoration of Ravenberry,” Chatter added.
“Too much on my hands. I’ve staggered the experts, so one comes every few weeks because I don’t trust anyone in the house not to take something. Which sounds awful, but if my parents could steal from me, a stranger can too,” I considered.
“That’s why Slaughter’s going gung-ho over protection and so over the top,” Chatter realised.
“Yeah. I’ve no doubt there are numerous fortunes inside the manor. Slaughter has spoken to me about round-the-clock security. He’s suggested guards patrolling the ground, in the house and having several watching the cameras. Slaughter’s setting them up as motion sensors; otherwise, there’d be too many to watch,” I added.
“That again makes sense. Slaughter’s damn good at what he does.”
“Yes. Slaughter also mentioned alarms on the cameras in case they get blocked or someone tries to disable them. I nodded and pretended I understood what he was talking about!” I laughed, and Chatter joined in.
“Honestly, most of us do. Only Harlequin seems to understand him,” Chatter conceded.
“Harlequin’s just as confusing… Can I ask something?” I bit my lip, unsure I was doing the right thing.
“Sure?”
“Why is Jinx paid so little?”
“What do you mean?” Chatter asked, frowning.
