Andrew lifted one hand before anyone moved toward the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad ignored him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is my house.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grandma\u2019s answer was immediate.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Richard. It is not.\u201d<\/p>\n
He glared at her, but even anger could not disguise what had happened to his face. The skin around his mouth had gone pale.<\/p>\n
Inside the house, something scraped across the floor.<\/p>\n
Lucy pressed closer behind me.<\/p>\n
I could feel her breathing through the fabric of my shirt.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sliding glass door was still unlocked from the patio side. Dad lunged for it.<\/p>\n
Andrew caught his arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not go inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad ripped free.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomebody is in there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd until we know who, charging in is foolish.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aunt Denise had already taken out her phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m calling the police.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom\u2019s head snapped toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone looked at her.<\/p>\n
Denise lowered the phone slightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just mean\u2014maybe it\u2019s somebody we know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grandma stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know who is inside?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou looked at that window before anyone else did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw movement.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo did Emily.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom twisted her fingers together.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad pointed at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop talking.\u201d<\/p>\n
That command sounded practiced.<\/p>\n
Mom flinched.<\/p>\n
I saw it.<\/p>\n
So did Grandma.<\/p>\n
The patio, which had been loud with accusation only minutes earlier, went unnaturally still.<\/p>\n
From upstairs came another sound.<\/p>\n
A drawer shutting.<\/p>\n
Then footsteps.<\/p>\n
Slow.<\/p>\n
Measured.<\/p>\n
Whoever was inside did not seem panicked.<\/p>\n
That was worse.<\/p>\n
Andrew moved toward the glass door but remained outside.<\/p>\n
He called through it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhoever is inside, the police are being contacted.\u201d<\/p>\n
A man\u2019s voice answered from somewhere beyond the kitchen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat won\u2019t be necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
Dad whispered, \u201cOh, God.\u201d<\/p>\n
The man appeared at the far end of the kitchen.<\/p>\n
He was perhaps sixty, tall and thin, wearing a gray sport coat despite the heat. Silver hair was combed neatly back from his forehead.<\/p>\n
He carried no weapon.<\/p>\n
Only a brown leather portfolio.<\/p>\n
He walked toward the glass.<\/p>\n
Rachel stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
The man unlocked the door.<\/p>\n
Andrew blocked the opening.<\/p>\n
\u201cIdentify yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
The stranger looked past him at Grandma.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Bell.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grandma\u2019s grip tightened on her cane.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMartin Vale.\u201d<\/p>\n
The name meant nothing to me.<\/p>\n
It meant something to Dad.<\/p>\n
He swore under his breath.<\/p>\n
Martin stepped onto the patio.<\/p>\n
\u201cI apologize for entering without permission.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad barked a laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou broke into my house.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin looked toward Grandma.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used the key Susan gave me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Every face turned toward Mom.<\/p>\n
Rachel\u2019s voice cracked.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom sank into the nearest chair.<\/p>\n
Dad looked at her as if she had become a stranger.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou gave him a key?\u201d<\/p>\n
She whispered, \u201cMonths ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin glanced at Andrew.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe you were trying to reach me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrew went still.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re Vale?\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin nodded.<\/p>\n
The reaction was subtle, but I saw it.<\/p>\n
Andrew knew the name.<\/p>\n
Grandma did too.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is he?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
No one answered immediately.<\/p>\n
Martin did.<\/p>\n
\u201cI arranged the sale of the cello.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucy inhaled sharply.<\/p>\n
My body reacted before my mind did.<\/p>\n
I stepped in front of her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re the broker?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of them?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were several parties involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad moved toward Martin.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said this was handled.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI said the transaction had closed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said there would be no problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said nothing of the kind.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s hands balled into fists.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew what you were doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin\u2019s expression remained controlled.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo did you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrew stepped between them.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough.\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned to Martin.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were not listed as the primary broker.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I wasn\u2019t supposed to appear in the paperwork.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grandma\u2019s eyes hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds deliberate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucy tugged my sleeve.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, where\u2019s my cello?\u201d<\/p>\n
The adults fell quiet.<\/p>\n
Martin looked at her.<\/p>\n
His expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou must be Lucy.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stepped sideways, blocking his view.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnswer her.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded once.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cello was removed from the collector\u2019s storage facility three days ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA transport company.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAuthorized by the collector?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrew\u2019s face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen how did they get access?\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin held up the portfolio.<\/p>\n
\u201cForged release instructions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad swore again.<\/p>\n
Grandma turned toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou seem very upset for someone who claims to know nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am upset because this whole thing is insane.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin looked directly at Dad.<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard, stop.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s head snapped around.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t get to tell me anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou asked me to make the sale invisible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachel whispered, \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin opened the portfolio.<\/p>\n
\u201cI kept records.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad lunged.<\/p>\n
Andrew moved faster.<\/p>\n
He shoved him back with both hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cTouch him and I call the police myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stared at him.<\/p>\n
His breathing became heavy.<\/p>\n
Martin removed a stack of photocopies.<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard contacted me eight months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at Dad.<\/p>\n
Eight months.<\/p>\n
The pool construction had begun only three months earlier.<\/p>\n
Dad had planned the sale long before I knew.<\/p>\n
Martin continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wanted to know whether I could place an antique instrument discreetly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy discreetly?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe did not want the current owner contacted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucy\u2019s fingers tightened around mine.<\/p>\n
There was no misunderstanding left to hide behind.<\/p>\n
Dad had known.<\/p>\n
He had planned.<\/p>\n
He had taken steps to conceal it.<\/p>\n
Martin said he initially assumed the owner was Grandma.<\/p>\n
Then Dad corrected him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe instrument had been transferred to a minor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grandma\u2019s voice became dangerously soft.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you proceeded?\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin met her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor a time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor a time?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI began asking questions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t pretend you found your conscience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found the appraisal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrew glanced at the paperwork.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe four-hundred-twenty-thousand valuation?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin explained that once he discovered the true value, he told Dad the proposed sale price was absurd.<\/p>\n
Dad had not cared.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe needed eighty thousand quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cNeeded?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stared at the ground.<\/p>\n
I felt the story shift again.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pool cost more than that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pool was not the first reason for the sale.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grandma leaned on her cane.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s eyes closed.<\/p>\n
Martin answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cA debt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachel crossed her arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat debt?\u201d<\/p>\n
No response.<\/p>\n
Martin looked at Dad.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should tell them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad muttered, \u201cGo to hell.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned to us.<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard owed approximately seventy-six thousand dollars to a private lender.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aunt Denise stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin looked uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
\u201cInvestment losses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad snapped, \u201cIt was temporary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrew\u2019s eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of investments?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad said nothing.<\/p>\n
Martin did.<\/p>\n
\u201cSpeculative commodity trades. Then options. Then leveraged positions intended to recover the earlier losses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grandma let out a quiet breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou gambled.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was investing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith borrowed money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was fixing a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou made a larger one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachel began pacing again.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you sold the cello to pay debt?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPartly,\u201d Martin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPartly?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lender received sixty thousand.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom lifted her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe needed liquidity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou told me the entire eighty-seven went into construction.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said it went toward family expenses.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not what you said.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their marriage seemed to crack in real time.<\/p>\n
Martin continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother seventeen thousand covered fees and earlier obligations.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked through the glass at the immaculate kitchen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pool?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSome construction invoices were paid from other sources.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrew asked, \u201cWhich sources?\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin glanced at Mom.<\/p>\n
She began shaking her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grandma noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cSusan.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKnow what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know where he got the money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin placed another document on the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cHome-equity application.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grandma read the heading.<\/p>\n
Then laughed once.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn a house he does not own.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bank declined it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cEventually.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grandma looked at Andrew.<\/p>\n
\u201cFraud?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPotentially attempted misrepresentation. I\u2019d need to review the application.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad exploded.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan everyone stop throwing legal words around?\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrew looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucy pulled on my sleeve.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy cello.\u201d<\/p>\n
She had been patient longer than any child should have been.<\/p>\n
I crouched beside her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re getting there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice was small but firm.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone keeps talking about money. I want to know where it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
The patio went silent.<\/p>\n
Martin looked ashamed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n
He crouched at a respectful distance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe instrument was transferred out of secure storage using false instructions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did they take it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI traced the shipment to a warehouse outside the city.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs it there?\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin hesitated.<\/p>\n
Lucy\u2019s face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stood so fast the chair behind me scraped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe shipment was redirected.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin reached into the portfolio.<\/p>\n
He removed a printed email.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new destination was requested by someone using an account registered to Susan Bell.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom made a strangled sound.<\/p>\n
Dad turned toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
She stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin held out the page.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt came from your address.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t send it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho has access?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
She backed away.<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard.\u201d<\/p>\n
His expression changed.<\/p>\n
Too quickly.<\/p>\n
I saw it.<\/p>\n
Grandma saw it.<\/p>\n
Andrew saw it.<\/p>\n
Mom stared at her husband.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou used my email.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know my password.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou leave it logged in everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her face went white.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn\u2019t an answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrew took the paper.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere was the shipment redirected?\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin did not look at Dad.<\/p>\n
\u201cA private storage unit registered under a company name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat company?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCedar Ridge Holdings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad turned away.<\/p>\n
Grandma said, \u201cRichard.\u201d<\/p>\n
No response.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you own Cedar Ridge Holdings?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin said, \u201cHe controls it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rachel laughed in disbelief.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course he does.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad spun around.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was trying to protect the instrument.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucy stared at him.<\/p>\n
That was the first time she spoke directly to him all afternoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom who?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at her.<\/p>\n
His anger disappeared for half a second.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom all this.\u201d<\/p>\n
She frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLawyers. Collectors. Lawsuits.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucy\u2019s voice became quieter.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou took it again?\u201d<\/p>\n
He said nothing.<\/p>\n
She understood.<\/p>\n
Her chin trembled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew they were going to give it back to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stepped forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cLucy\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
She moved behind me.<\/p>\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was going to make sure everything got handled properly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou stole it twice,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n
Nobody corrected her.<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s face collapsed.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grandma said, \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucy began crying.<\/p>\n
Not loudly.<\/p>\n
That made it worse.<\/p>\n
She pressed her face into my side.<\/p>\n
I wrapped both arms around her.<\/p>\n
Dad looked shattered, but I could not summon sympathy.<\/p>\n
He had taken something that mattered to her, seen what that loss did, and when recovery became possible, taken it again.<\/p>\n
Andrew asked Martin for the storage address.<\/p>\n
Martin handed it over.<\/p>\n
\u201cPolice should meet us there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad interrupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no point.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone turned.<\/p>\n
Andrew\u2019s eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stared at the pool.<\/p>\n
The waterfall still spilled cheerfully over stone.<\/p>\n
Birds moved in the hedge.<\/p>\n
The ordinary beauty of the afternoon made his silence feel grotesque.<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard,\u201d Mom whispered.<\/p>\n
He rubbed both hands over his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt isn\u2019t there anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucy stopped crying.<\/p>\n
I felt my own heart slow.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad did not answer.<\/p>\n
Grandma walked toward him.<\/p>\n
She seemed very small beside him.<\/p>\n
But he stepped backward.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do with the cello?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI moved it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomewhere safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
Not Grandma.<\/p>\n
Me.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, I need you to understand something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was trying to solve this before it got worse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou made it worse every time you touched it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I tell you where it is, I need a promise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrew said, \u201cYou are in no position to negotiate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad ignored him.<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou drop the lawsuit.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed.<\/p>\n
A sound I did not recognize.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s your condition?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Mom stops the eviction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grandma\u2019s eyes went cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are holding a child\u2019s property hostage to save yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am trying to keep this family from destroying itself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aunt Denise whispered, \u201cYou destroyed it years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad flinched but kept looking at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily.\u201d<\/p>\n
I shook my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you may not get it back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucy stiffened against me.<\/p>\n
Something inside me became very clear.<\/p>\n
I stepped toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou spent my whole life teaching me that giving in kept the peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou counted on that when you took my money.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou counted on it when you blamed me for Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took another step.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou counted on it when you sold Lucy\u2019s cello.\u201d<\/p>\n
He backed up.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd now you\u2019re counting on it again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pointed toward my daughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe is watching me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad glanced at Lucy.<\/p>\n
I continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo understand this carefully. I would rather spend years getting that cello back than teach her that somebody can hurt her enough to make surrender look reasonable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grandma smiled faintly.<\/p>\n
Andrew\u2019s expression softened.<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s did not.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t know what you\u2019re risking.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said nothing.<\/p>\n
Mom\u2019s eyes widened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked toward the house.<\/p>\n
Martin stood very still.<\/p>\n
Something passed between them.<\/p>\n
I noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMartin.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what he means.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin glanced toward Dad.<\/p>\n
Then down at his portfolio.<\/p>\n
Andrew said, \u201cMr. Vale.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin exhaled slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is another buyer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lucy whispered, \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cello was never intended to remain in the storage unit.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at Dad.<\/p>\n
Martin continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard arranged a second sale.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grandma\u2019s face emptied.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cA dealer overseas.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words seemed to strike Lucy physically.<\/p>\n
She stepped away from me.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin continued carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe instrument is scheduled to leave the country tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrew lifted one hand before anyone moved toward the door. \u201cStay here.\u201d Dad ignored him. \u201cThis is my house.\u201d Grandma\u2019s answer was immediate. \u201cNo, Richard. It is not.\u201d He glared … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20200"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20200\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20284,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20200\/revisions\/20284"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}