Goldilocks Forever

Chapter 64

New York, New York

October 2013

A man in a long dark coat stood waiting next to the stairs to the apartment building. Anna spotted him as she rounded the corner. She kept her eyes on him. A messenger? A new bodyguard? He stood in the shadows, avoiding detection or seeking shelter from the cold autumn breezes that scattered leaves down the sidewalk.

She slowed as she approached. He stepped into the halo of light created by the porch lamp. "Ricardo," she said, hiding her surprise. He nodded a silent greeting to her. "What are you doing here?" She looked around for her bodyguards.

"Wes dismissed them. I preferred fresh air." He stepped forward.

"Please come inside." She unlocked the door and led him into the hallway. "May I take your coat?"

"I won't stay long." He pulled a large brown envelope from the inner breast pocket of his coat. "I came to give you this."

"You came yourself just to give me that? Why didn't you send a courier?"

"It was his wish that I deliver this to you."

A chill passed through her. The hairs rose on the back of her neck and a lead feeling descended in the pit of her stomach. "Who?"

He handed her the envelope. She opened it, saw the handwriting, the flourish of his script. Oh, no. No. She lifted her eyes to Ricardo. "What is this?"

"His will. His wishes."

"I don't understand."

"He left some property to you."

"No." A sharp stab of confusion mixed with fear raised the pitch in her voice. "I don't understand. What is this? Why?"

Ricardo's expression lost some of its harshness. "I can't even begin to understand all his machinations." His shoulders fell, and he paused for one long moment. Anna fought the urge to shake him. "He went sailing and never returned. There was a storm."

Her knees went weak like she'd been kicked. "He..."

"He's gone. It's been over a month. We've searched up and down the coast. No sign of the boat either."

"That can't be right. I don't believe it," she said. "He can't be..."

"He was not very skilled at sailing or swimming. I tried to convince him to take others, but he refused. He insisted on going alone."

Anna's mouth dropped open. "No way. No," she said. "He wouldn't..."

"He was old. He was tired of fighting the virus."

"I thought—what about the new transfusions? He told me he didn't need—"

Ricardo narrowed his eyes at her. "What transfusions?"

The blood drained from her face. "He told me—I don't believe, I can't believe—"

"Believe what you wish. I've done what he wanted."

"How do you know this is what he wanted?"

"He left written instructions."

"A note?"

"Instructions in the event of his demise. A will and a succession plan."

Ricardo turned to leave. "No," she called after him, "Wait." He turned to face her. She thrust the envelope back at him. "I can't accept this. These properties should stay with the society."

He looked down at the envelope and then studied her face. "You'll change your mind," he said, thrusting the envelope back at her. He again moved toward the door. Anna followed and grabbed his arm. She pulled him back into the hallway.