‘Two weeks. Two weeks too long,’ moaned Violetta.
‘That’s lame.’
‘I know. The last shoot is the night of the fundraiser dinner on New Year’s Eve. Thankfully we can sit next to each other then, because it’s work, but I can’t even flirt or hold his hand or anything.’
‘Poor Violet,’ said Carlotta.
‘Shut up,’ laughed Violetta.
‘So I will organise Christmas then. Mom will be home and Spencer will be with us,’ she said excitedly.
‘Are you going to call him Dad?’ asked Carlotta.
‘I don’t think so, he’s just Spence to me,’ said Violetta, thinking. ‘I told Grace.’
‘I know, she told me. She and Spencer have been talking.’
Violetta's buzzer rang. ‘Who’s that?’ she said as she got up.
‘If it’s Chris tell him I’m in South America,’ said Carlotta from the sofa.
Violetta rolled her eyes at her as she left the room. She walked back in, her face ashen. ‘It’s some detectives to see us.’
Carlotta sat up. ‘What do they want?’
‘I don’t know, but I think we are about to find out,’ said Violetta, as she went to wait by the front door.
The men walked into the room and nodded to Carlotta.
‘Please sit down,’ said Violetta, gesturing to the chairs and clearing a pile of magazines from one of them.
The men sat down. ‘We have come with news about your father,’ one said, looking at Carlotta.
Carlotta went to speak but Violetta interrupted her. ‘Absolutely, what do you know?’ she asked.
‘We have news that your father’s body has been found in his villa in Morocco.’
‘Body? He’s dead?’ said Carlotta.
‘Yes, there was a fire. He was the only one deceased. We got the news last night,’ the other man said.
‘Fuck,’ said Violetta aloud. She was strangely emotional and looked down at the table, concentrating on the pattern in the wood.
‘Through investigations by authorities over there, it seems that Matthew Sanger has been charged with his murder.’
‘Murder? Oh my God,’ said Carlotta, looking at Violetta.
‘What happened?’ asked Violetta.
‘He set fire to the villa and tried to rescue his mother and your father, but the plan went wrong, and while he was able to get out his mother, your father was overcome with smoke inhalation and he couldn’t get him out. The word is he was trying to be some sort of a hero, something about showing your father his worth, I believe he said in his statement.’
‘Oh my God,’ said Carlotta again.
‘Yes, so of course you may wish to bring his body back, we can get you all the details. I understand this is a trying time for you with your father’s involvement in the missing money from Pajaro and him being implicated with your mother’s injury.’
‘What will happen to Matthew?’ asked Carlotta.
‘He will face court over there, although he has confessed to his part,’ said the detective, not caring since it wasn’t in his jurisdiction.
