He sat next to her. “Like, are we going to move to that big old mansion on your father’s estate?”
Lyza frowned. “Suzanne said she wasn’t going to talk about it.”
David took Levi’s fingers and kissed them. “Oh, it’s gone way beyond Suzanne. Jim asked me about it this morning. He told me the rest of the church elders are pretty upset. They think I’m holding out on them.”
She turned Levi around to sit on her lap. “What do you think about moving? I mean, there’s no professional security here. We’re pretty relaxed.”
David played with Levi’s tiny fingers. “Not with Levi. He’s always with one of us or both of us. We never leave him. I don’t see the point. And if it’s security you’re worried about, you know better. Our only security is God, and if we can’t trust Him, we can’t trust anybody. You should know that by now.”
Lyza took the baby’s other hand. “I do know that, I do. It’s just that… Maybe it sounds like I don’t have enough faith, but I get concerned.”
David moved closer to Lyza. “Let’s not move. What can I do to convince you?”
She grimaced. “If it means that much, we’ll put any decisions about moving on hold. We can tell the church we aren’t moving. And we’re not moving right now.”
He kissed her on the forehead. “Thank you, honey. I know you’d like living in the grand home you grew up in, but Levi’s home is here.”
She laughed. “It’s not about moving back home. It’s about having security twenty-four, seven.”
“You don’t think God is on call twenty-four, seven?”
***
Leesa received a long hug after Karen Kaplan answered the door. “You look wonderful. I’ve missed you. How are you doing? Come in, come in.”
Leesa stepped into the entryway. “I’ve missed you, too. You don’t know how many times I almost called. It’s been crazy. I guess you heard that I had to do community service.”
Karen closed the door behind them. “Community service? You know we don’t watch the news much. What happened?”
Leesa walked into the living room. “Oh, then you don’t know what happened with L. L. Lane Unlimited.”
Karen shook her head. “I just know you’re here, and it’s so good to see you. Come in. Sit. I’ll make tea.”
Leesa pulled her jacket off and sat. “Oh, don’t go to the trouble. I just drank a bottle of water.
“It’s all her fault. Father left his entire estate to Lyza’s little boy, Levi. I knew nothing about it until the reading of the will. Talk about being shocked.”
Karen sat in the floral print wingback chair across from Leesa. “Lyza had a baby? Wow. I guess I’ve really been living in a cave. Last I heard, Lyza was disowned and married a pastor in Africa.”
Leesa rubbed her temples. “Father made amends with them before he died. They brought Levi to the house. Father died that very day, while they were in the room. I wasn’t even there when he died. I’m told it happened right after I left the room, but I don’t really know what happened. Sometimes I get suspicious about how he died. Anyway, I guess he found out about Levi before that. Father liked using private detectives. ”
Karen patted Leesa hand. “Leesa, I am so sorry. You must be devastated. I know you worked hard for the business. I think last time we talked, you were making a lot of changes. Did your father know about that?”
Leesa shook her head. “I didn’t tell him anything because he wasn’t supposed to talk business. But I think Bill told him.”
“Who’s Bill?”
Leesa leaned back into the chair. “Father’s reverse figurehead. He poses as the office manager, but he’s got his nose in everything. He worked with Father since he first started the business. Father said Bill refused to accept a powerful title, but he’s always been Father’s right-hand man. I know Bill couldn’t wait to report everything I did. I caught him making a special trip to the house.”
Leesa swallowed. “He couldn’t wait to tell Father I was making big changes in L. L. Lane Unlimited. I confronted him, but he denied it. He said he was making a social call.”
“You didn’t believe him?”
Leesa studied Karen’s innocent face. How could she understand what I’ve been dealing with? “Karen, you have no idea what a bunch of liars work there. Now Lyza’s running the show. She had the nerve to ask me to come back and work on Kramer’s Island.”
Karen clapped her hands together. “But isn’t that good?”
Leesa’s eye felt wet. She dug in her purse for a tissue. “Good for her. That project was my baby. It was a fish cannery, for crying out loud. I took it from a broken down fish cannery to an island amusement park that rivals Disneyland. Now I’m the caretaker for the next three years until she turns it over to me.”
Karen leaned forward. “She’s turning it over to you? That’s wonderful!”
Leesa dabbed her eye. “In three years. She says it will take that long for it to make money again. Until then, she feels it should belong to L. L. Lane Unlimited. Well, L. L. Lane Unlimited is Lyza Lane Unlimited. All her talk about doing this for her son makes me sick.”
Karen stood. “Did the will require her to give you the park?”
Leesa looked up at Karen’s questioning expression. “No, but I’m sure she’s got something up her sleeve.”
Karen smiled. “I think she’s being generous. You should be thankful. I’m going to get us some iced tea. You sit here; I’ll be right back.”
Leesa watched Karen go into the kitchen. I should be thankful? She doesn’t understand the situation.
She’s like the rest of them. She’s probably going to call them when I leave.
Leesa tried to shake off the paranoia. No, she wouldn’t do that.
…Would she?
Karen brought two glasses of iced tea and set them on coasters on the coffee table.
Leesa picked up her iced tea. “Can I take you and Todd to dinner tonight, out at Kramer’s Island? Oh, maybe you don’t want to go back there. I’m so sorry. I didn’t think.” Leesa glanced at the picture of the little girl on the fireplace mantel, her heart pricked by the reminder that the child had died on Kramer’s Island.
Karen ignored the apology. “Todd’s out of town on business. I’d love to cook you dinner. How about a homemade pizza?”
Happy to change the subject, Leesa agreed. “You know I love pizza. Excuse me; I need to use your restroom.”
Leesa hobbled to the restroom, pain shooting up her back. She rubbed her back and pulled a red capsule out of her bag. She held it up and looked
