son' s ninetieth birthday, a day the family

success story, was at the sprawling New E

an," Father had said, his voice leaving no room

ed with forgotten relics

rimy window, illuminating

s leather cracked, toward

ies and tarnished silver, I found

inst the embossed seal

out the

ore report, date

was Chloe Harri

near perfect,

e one they always called...

y stomach, a cold,

often sad, but I never knew t

ief lull in the stiff family ga

prices with Uncle James. Mrs. Harrison, my adoptive mot

lightly damaged report. "I found somethin

rt. "It' s Chloe' s. Th

om, so sudden and complete it felt

a mask of controlled authori

p rattled in its sauce

y stared, his mou

Grandfather Harrison sat, ca

, and he slumped in

Harrison cried, r

on me, his voice a

have yo

" I stammered, confuse

nging up painful memories, upsetting yo

Uncle James echo

f accusations, a whirlwind o

expecting... I don' t know

as cold, u

evoid of warmth. "You' ve ca

thing that stunne

ed for t

ediately," she commanded.

whispered, m

hips of ice. "Your access to family funds is terminated. Consider your em

carefully blank, appeared and beg

alled home since infancy, with nothing but a hastily pack

n child,

e of a pie