She gave me a sunny smile. "Yup."
"So why'd you call ithisplace?" Normally, I wouldn’t be so nosy, but given the fact I was about to spill my guts – hopefully, not literally – I figured I might as well settle in for some serious sharing.
Luna gave it some thought. "I don't know." She looked around, as if seeing the place for the first time. "It's just that he had it before me, you know?" She gave a rueful laugh. "On my own, I could never afford something likethis." She paused. "Or a place like yours for that matter."
At my confused look, she added, "I saw it on the internet."
"Really?Whereon the internet?"
"You know. That feature on…" She paused as if thinking. "What was the show? Fanciful Living?"
"Oh. That." Around fifteen years earlier, my parents had given a televised tour for some charity thing. Little did they know that the footage would stick around forever, and now, thanks to the internet, offer virtual tours with just a few clicks.
"So," Luna said, "your house was built by some mobster, huh?"
"More like a bootlegger," I said. "You know, during prohibition and all that."
"Yeah, I saw." She leaned forward. "Any dead bodies in the basement?"
I tried to smile. "Not that I know of." Of course, I couldn’t be certain, since I didn't have access to the basement. In truth, I hadn't been down there in years. And technically, it wasn't so much a basement as a wine cellar.
For all I knew, there could be a pile of corpses ten feet tall, stacked among the wine racks. Somehow, the thought didn't help my stomach.
Across from me, Luna lowered her voice. "You're not gonna be sick, are you?"
"Excuse me?"
"You were looking kind of green there for a minute." She studied my face. "Are you sure you're okay?"
I nodded. "I was just thinking, that's all."
"About Joel?"
"Something like that."
"So tell me," she said, "What's going on?"
"Well, like I said, it's really complicated." I bit my lip. There was no way I could explain the situation with Joel without also explaining what was going on with the estate. But the story was so long and convoluted that it would take at least an hour to tell.
Plus, as much as I appreciated her interest, she wasn't the person I'd come to see. Trying to be tactful about it, I said, "I don't suppose Jake's around?"
"Sorry, not for another hour. Why?"
"Because, well, I was hoping to get his help."
"Yeah. I know," she said. "That's why you're here, right?"
Of course.I'd pretty much said so downstairs. Still, I tried to explain. "So, I'd hate for you to have to hear it twice."
"Are you kidding?" she said. "I'd listen a dozen times if it helped. Do you know, I've known Joel for like ten years?"
"Really?"
"Sure. We grew up in the same hometown."
And just like that, everything made a lot more sense. I recalled Joel's animosity toward his brothers, which somehow didn't extend to their fiancées. I also recalled that Luna's sister was engaged to a different brother.
In a way, the whole thing made me feel just a little bit lonely. Here, they all had siblings and people on their side. But who did I have? It was a question I didn't want to consider.
Damn it.I didn't have time for a pity-party, especially now, whenIwasn't the one in danger.
But Joel was. And across from me was someone who cared.
Soon, I was telling her everything.