He snorted, a desperate attempt at bravado, but his eyes were glued to the yellow folder. “It’s Mom’s house. It’s a family asset. What is this garbage?”
“Whose name?” Melissa demanded, her chin jutting out.
Sandra waved a hand. “Ellen’s, obviously! And when the Lord finally calls her home, it will be…” She choked on the words, realizing a second too late what she was admitting in polite company.
June Aldrich glared at Sandra. “It will be what, exactly?”
I opened the folder. I extracted the top document and slid it smoothly across the linen until it bumped against Derek’s wine glass.
“Warranty Deed,” I announced. “Greene County Records. Read the Grantee line out loud, Derek. You love telling people I just write checks. Well, this is the biggest check I ever wrote.”
He picked up the heavy parchment. He was still wearing a mocking smirk when his eyes hit the first paragraph. I watched the exact millisecond that smile died. His lips parted silently. The blood drained from his face in one swift, catastrophic motion, leaving him looking like a corpse.
