Model Home by Rivers Solomon

Author:Rivers Solomon [Solomon, Rivers]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Tags: Horror, Adult, Thriller, Contemporary, Mystery
ISBN: 9780374607135
Amazon: 0374607133
Goodreads: 205363963
Publisher: MCD
Published: 2024-09-30T22:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-TWO.

The app boy I flaked on messages me a few days later when I’m at lunch with my sisters, my parents’ lawyer, and Elijah. My sisters recognize the specific sound of the notification and give me a look. Elijah, thankfully, is oblivious and busy with her own text conversation, but at least has the good decency to occasionally look up and pretend to be engaged with our conversation.

I switch to social media—go to Laurie’s Instagram, which I’ve never followed but have stalked on and off over the years. She’s made a memorial post about Mama and Pop. Apparently, they were pillars of the community, taken before their time. There are ninety-six comments, three times as many likes.

Mama and Pop were “good people,” says homesweetexas.

“A damn shame,” says littlemissdaisychain.

“Does anybody know what’s happened to their kids?” asks mikeforever.

Laurie never posts pictures of her face. It’s all plates of food at fancy brunch spots. Books she’s reading about tackling shame. Inspirational quotes. Mission trips to Haiti.

Emmanuelle shoves my side with her shoulder, and I turn off my phone’s screen, set it face down on the table so I’m not tempted to keep looking.

“So,” says the lawyer, stirring a pack of sweetener into coffee, “it’s just a question of going through the options, of which there are many. The estate, as I’m sure you’re all aware, is quite sizable. Now, most of it has been left to the three of you, split equally, with some of the cash reserves having been distributed to various family.”

“How much are we talking?” asks Eve. Over the last few days her hostility has grown and her togetherness has shrunk. Her hair is in a messy bun, and she’s wearing sweatpants. Her makeup is undone, and her eyes are hollow domes, puffy, blue.

“In ballpark terms, roughly, real-estate-wise, an estimated three million dollars’ worth, and then outside of that, one million worth of assets to be distributed among you and your mother’s siblings. Now, that’s held in a number of funds, stocks.”

“I’m sorry?” asks Eve.

I’m thinking loosely the same thing, as far as I’m thinking at all. The lawyer’s words plunge me underwater. Sounds have become muffled.

“You said a million dollars?” says Eve.

“Roughly—that’s not including the real estate holdings. Your childhood home, of course, which is paid off, and a number of properties along the Gulf Coast and in Arkansas. Now, as far as the one million held in funds, about half of that will be going to extended family. We’ll be contacting people separately, so you don’t have to worry about any of that, unless, of course, you want to contest anything.”

“Mama and Pop had that much?” asks Emmanuelle.

The lawyer looks up from his papers, clasps his fingers together like a man in prayer. “I was aware that there wasn’t much communication between all of you these last few years—your parents were honest to me about that—but, given your upbringing, private schools, including boarding school, I assumed you wouldn’t be surprised by your parents’ financial status,” he says.

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