Tom must have read my intent on my face because he added, “I have pictures. Of your mother. You could –”

I immediately changed my mind. “I’ll be there.”

Hector gave me another squeeze.

Tom gave me a smile.

Indy threw her hands up and yelled, “Party!”

Ally laughed with obvious relief on the word, “Righteous.”

I relaxed into Hector’s warmth, looked down at the photo and made my decision.

I’d let myself have this one small gift, a gift, I told myself, that was from my Mom.

Then as soon as I could finagle it, just like my Mom, I was going to disappear.

Chapter Eleven

Hector’s Rose

Sadie

“Sadie, maybe you should come in and talk. I’m not sure this is –” my dead grandmother’s financial manager, Aaron Lockhart, said in my ear.

“Please Aaron, just do it,” I interrupted him.

It was after work, I was in my bedroom on the landline not delaying a minute in putting my newly formed plans in place.

One thing my Mom left me was Aaron Lockhart. He was old as the hills, stooped, had wispy white hairs across his liver-spotted scalp and he still worked full-time because, he told me, when he tried retirement his wife nearly drove him to murder.

Since he liked his work, and his freedom, he got in his car every morning at 8:30 and his driver drove him to his office in the Denver Technical Center (known as DTC). He left work at 5:30, which gave his wife plenty of time to have a couple of martinis and mellow out a bit before he got home (he told me this too).

Aaron and I had never been close – my father didn’t like him and wouldn’t allow it – but in an ironclad agreement devised by my dead (but clearly, while she was alive, shrewd) grandmother when she set up my trust, he was appointed to manage my trust fund which had not been touchable until I was twenty-one. He also managed the income derived from the flat in London I inherited which had been rented out since around the time of the Blitz to an old lady named Mrs. Burnsley and a small villa on Crete which was hired out to tourists. I’d never been to either of these properties, my father also wouldn’t allow that, but I’d seen pictures. The flat was close to Covent Garden. The villa was in a small fishing village by the sea.

When I opened Art, I asked Aaron to help me to keep it clean, away from my father and entirely law-abiding, and he did.

Aaron was one of the few people I knew who, regardless of his age, was not frightened of going head-to-head with my father. I admired him, totally trusted him and I’d always liked him but, as ever, I’d never let it show.

I’d just asked him to find out Mrs. Burnsley’s plans for her future in my flat as well as the schedule of occupancy on the villa in Crete. One or the other of them might well be my next destination or a future one as the case may be.

As I didn’t want to put old lady Burnsley out of her home or devastate excited tourists who were looking forward to their time in the sun on a Greek Island, I’d also charged Aaron to find other properties. I didn’t care where just as long as they were manageable on a fixed income and there was at least an ocean between me and the Crazy Balducci Brothers. I also asked him to set up an auction of my belongings that were in storage.

Finally, I asked him to find a way to sign over Art to Ralphie and Buddy without a dime needing to change hands. It would be my thank you for taking care of me. It wasn’t much, but it was the only good thing I had to give.

I wanted no memory of my old life. I was going to pack up my suitcases, board a plane and set up a new life far away where no one had heard of Seth Townsend. Where no one knew who I was, what I was or what had happened to me. And where I could find some peace to decide who was the new me, get used to her and, if I was lucky and I could forget Ralphie, Buddy, Daisy, Hector and all that came with them and, maybe, I could be content.

I heard the doorbell ring and I pulled in my breath. Hector was there to take me out to dinner.

“I’d prefer to have a chat about this,” Aaron said to me as I listened to far away, muted male voices.

“My mind’s made up,” I told Aaron.

“Please, Sadie, as a friend of your family, a particular friend of your grandmother’s, afford me this one courtesy,” Aaron pushed it.

“Sadie!” Buddy called up the stairs. “Hector’s here.”

Darn it!

I had to get off the phone before someone came up to get me and I had no idea how I was going to get away alone to talk to Aaron. In my current circumstances with Hector’s edict being followed to the letter by Ralphie and Buddy (and, by the way he was acting, Ralphie had appointed himself my personal, very well-dressed, completely unskilled, g*y bodyguard), it was impossible.

Why did everything have to be so difficult? It was my money and my property, for goodness sake!

“Sadie!” Buddy called.

I put my hand over the mouthpiece and yelled, “Coming!”

“Sadie?” Aaron said in my ear.

I took my hand off the mouthpiece. “Either you do it or I hire someone else to do it,” the Ice Princess told Aaron. “Your choice but I want it done and I want it done as fast as possible.”

I heard Aaron sigh, I knew he was going to give in and I felt a quick charge of relief.

“I’ll see to it,” he assured me.

Thank God. One thing checked off the to-do list.

“Thank you, I’d be grateful for that.”

“Sadie!” Now it was Ralphie yelling from closer to the door and I knew he was climbing the stairs. “Double H is here.”

I covered the mouthpiece again and shouted, “I know! I’ll be right down!”

“Seems you’re busy. I’ll let you go,” Aaron said. “Stay well.”

“Thank you,” I replied.

Then I heard the disconnect.

I had the phone in the receiver and I was snatching up my purse when Ralphie burst in.

“Ralphie!” I whirled to the door. “I said I was coming.”

“I thought you were climbing out the window,” Ralphie retorted.

I wished I’d thought of that and made a mental note to remember it in case I needed it in the future.

“Get a move on, sweet ‘ums. I think I already taught you this all important lesson but I’ll repeat as necessary. We don’t keep hot guys waiting at the door. Skanky guys, yes. Slimy guys, definitely. Hot guys, um… no.”

I gave Ralphie a glare, my glare deflected off Ralphie’s grin and pinged around the room until it disintegrated.