“Though, thinkin’ this is good, you can meet him, feel him out.”
“Meet him? Feel him out?” I parroted.
Max turned fully to me and put his arm on the back of the booth.
“Yeah, he’s the attorney I was tellin’ you about,” Max reminded me and I stared because the phone call hadn’t been from George, it had been from Bitsy.
“Why do you have to go there?”
Max’s easygoing nature vanished and his jaw got tight before he answered, “Curt’s will is bein’ read and, apparently, I’m mentioned.”
I leaned into him and put my hand on his thigh before I breathed, “Really?”
“Yep,” Max answered, not looking happy.
“What’s this?” Steve asked.
I looked at Steve then at Mom. “Curt is the man who was murdered.”
Mom’s eyes got wide, she leaned forward again and breathed, “Really?”
“Jesus, it’s uncanny, like two peas in a pod,” Max muttered, his eyes moving between Mom and me.
I decided to ignore that and told Max, “That’s bad form, Max, informing you that you need to be at the reading an hour before the actual reading.”
“Like I said,” Max told me, “George is busy. Bitsy said he’s covered. He set up the reading, told her when and called her awhile ago to get her help gathering everyone.”
I didn’t repeat it but this was bad form. Perhaps this George person did need help. That was good considering I needed a job.
“So, our plans?” I went back to the earlier topic.
“You and me go to the reading, before that we find out when the insurance people are gonna come to take a look at your car and then we go see Mindy.”
I hadn’t forgotten about Mindy but I also hadn’t quite figured out my Save Mindy from Herself Strategy. I had forgotten about the car.
“Can we go to the reading?” Mom asked. “I’ve never been to the reading of the will of a murdered man.” Her eyes searched the ceiling without her tilting her head up then she looked at us again and finished, “Or any man for that matter.”
Max and I looked at Mom but it was Steve who spoke. “Nellie, you can’t just sit in at one of those things like you’re goin’ to watch a play.”
“Why not?” Mom asked Steve. “I’ll be quiet.”
“Like that’ll happen,” Steve muttered and Mom gasped in affront.
Max chuckled.
“We’ll go out,” Steve said to Max. “Check out that RV park and we’ll make dinner reservations for that Rooster place you were tellin’ me about…” he paused and glanced at me, “for just Nellie and me, leave you two be for awhile.”
“RV park?” Max asked.
“I’ll explain later,” I told him quickly.
Mom spoke to me. “I want to know what happens at the reading the minute you know.”
“Mom, it’s not exactly your business,” I informed her.
“Sweetie, everything that has something to do with you is my business,” Mom informed me.
“Okay, agreed, but this has to do with Max.”