of truth, but now we were pushed outside without any new leads. And I was furious.
This entire trip had felt like a bust. The bartender had shared a picture, which was nice, but there wasn’t anything new cre I’d hung all of my hopes on the lawyer instead. Now, I just felt like a fool for even coming here.
For even trying to find anything at all.
I was mad at the universe, but Gideon was closer to me. And since he was the one who had forced me to leave without answers, I turned on him as soon as we were outside.
“How could you do that?” I demanded. “How could you have us leave to soon? He didn’t tell us anything, but he could have. He knows something, he has to! But now we’ll never find out what it is.”
I was half ready to storm back in there and demand the lawyer give me more information, but Gideon kept stepping into my path, blocking me from going anywhere.
“Claire,” he said.
I didn’t want to listen. I didn’t want to hear anything he had to say. He was going to try to calm me down, and I didn’t want to be calm. I wanted to be angry! Because if I wasn’t angry, then I would be sad, and I couldn’t handle that.
“Claire, hear me out.”
I shook my head. Turning from him, I started stomping away. I ran my hands over my face, so frustrated that I could
scream.
Thank the Gods the children weren’t there to see this. They were back at the hotel with Peter and the babysitter, likely having fun on the beach.
“He wasn’t going to help us anyway,” Gideon said.
“You don’t know that,” I countered.
“I do. I saw a picture of him with Darius, proudly displayed. The only thing that lawyer wanted to do was waste our time and discourage our search. Even if he actually knew anything, he wasn’t going to tell us.”
I froze, then slowly turned around to face Gideon. His face was open, showing his regret but also his sincerity. I knew him well, and knew he wasn’t lying to me. This wasn’t some ploy to make me feel better. He genuinely saw that picture. He knew talking to the lawyer was pointless.
As the fury and grief cleared from my mind, I realized that likely, if this lawyer was very likely trying to purposefully lead us astray. Or maybe even scare us away entirely.
I still wanted to be angry, and I was, but not at the universe anymore. Instead I was angry at the lawyer, and Darius, and anyone else who might have had a hand in killing my mother.
“Daniel might have seen through him,” I said. “If he wasn’t genuine… Maybe Daniel wouldn’t have told him anything anyway.”
“That seems likely,” Gideon replied. “It’s possible the lawyer was only sent here to make sure Daniel stayed quiet.”
I closed my eyes. Gods, what a mess.
Chapter 195
For
a moment, I allowed myself to feel for Daniel, was had come all this poking to cape his past, on a re him here in this sleepy beachside town. The bwyer had worked for sealing wit at til ter through his and then just resigned himself to tos fare? Hadees to ined of raing dedola’t tayo hute anymore
Or had Uncle Daniel put his trust in others and Exeyer with only the area of belge b belongings
let his bag
is what m
Then I remembered when the bartender Reh had said. The regulars at the har knee Daniel well. They bath bees in d weekends herause they didn’t like the crowd but they would be there stay. We could tees them mater
All wasn’t lost. In fact, those friends might be the bear lead weaker than any bowyer experially one that wis with Darius
“We need to talk to those bay regulars” I said. “The ones that were friends with Daniel
“And we will” Gideon checked his watch. It’s too early, right nose. Even for regular har patrons
I nodded
Since we needed to fill some time, we decided to go back to the resort, pick up the life and take them out for There was a cute little shop we had passed on the way to the lawyers that harf fluffy clouds painted as the windows and a sig advertising 40 different ice cream flavors!
With the kids in tow, giving Peter and the babysitter a break, we walked into the store and allowed die kilk their own choosing from all the flavors
One thing I had noticed about this pack was that, the lawyer aside, everyone was very friendly. The people held open doors or said good morning to each other, even strangers to us. The ice cream attendant was so patient and kind with Now she changed her mind several times. The ice cream attendant waited for the final choice, then with a sende scooped at the
cone.
As we sat down at one of the cute little tables in the shop, an older woman, who seemed to be the shop on ce table
“Forgive me,” she said, “You just look so much like our dear former Lana Queen Lena.”
“Well, 1… I’m her daughter,” I admitted. “Though 1..“I was nervous having told her. “I don’t want to be treated trendy Her eyes lit up at once. “Oh gosh, how wonderful! And so modest. You are just like Daniel. He never wat da anyone’s face, always treating everyone so kindly”
My heart ached, not entirely with sadness. Mostly it was melancholy. “I wish I knew him
“He rented the room upstairs for a long time, the shop owner wand. Then she gasped, remembering something Whee died, I cleaned all of his belongings into a box. He dada bank much, mailly. He had quite malcule. But there a me te I’ve always held onto I exported someone to come and share in Wipe name dit, dudes end right as per cui c
She sighed. “To do so felt like I would be throwing away bas legacy to wall is wiled am Wouas en ble e have it, dear?
All the remnants of my anger and worry frown below tally hed fully wide”
Cadeon carried the bus back to the bowel do now it was pretty shall and ox sex hay, so the gt over had to willegg the truth about how little Daniel had kept fe bld
I wanted with anticipation und was safely back in gay best too. Then, canbully, I speed the box, and with my heart s my stusal. I peered inside
At the very top sat a places in oudos tratting what food itely, my emotions
10:12 Wed, Feb 18
Chapter 195
swelled.
The photo was of my Uncle Daniel, Alpha King George, and my lost mother. Daniel and George were standing behind a chair where my mother sat. And in my mother’s arms was a tiny baby.
That baby must have been me.
