Read Online Illegally Iced by Jessica Beck - Free Book Online Page A

but supposedly there’s some kind of iron-clad clause that keeps it in the family forever. If Jim ever did manage to get rid of his share, everyone else would lose theirs, too. The old man who had it drawn up was a big believer in family, even though you couldn’t tell it by the way his people act now.”
    A sudden and chilling thought struck me. “Do you have any idea what happens to his share now that he’s gone? Is there any way you can find out?”
    “I already know,” Harry said. “When Mr. Pinerush’s sister passed away a few years ago, they were all whispering about it. It all goes back into the family trust, and with Jim gone, that means that a third of it is now Mrs. Pinerush’s money, a third belongs to Forrest, and the last third goes to another one of Jim’s cousins.”
    “Do you know who that cousin might be?” I asked. “Was it a man or a woman?”
    “It’s a man, but that’s about all I know about him. He was Mr. Pinerush’s sister’s son, and they had a falling-out a long time ago when the kid was just a baby. I guess they’ll have to track him down and tell him that he’s even richer now than he was before.”
    “So, he wouldn’t be a Pinerush by name, would he?” Grace asked.
    “No. I’m sorry, but I don’t know his name, first or last.” He leaned in for a moment and added softly, “If there’s anything I can do to help you find Jim’s killer, you both should know that you can count on me.”
    “What makes you think we’re searching for the murderer?” I asked. Were Grace and I that obvious?
    Harry laughed. “I’ve read enough books to realize that you don’t ask the kind of questions you’ve been asking unless you’re hunting down bad guys. Don’t worry; you can trust me.”
    I looked at Grace, who nodded slightly, and then I said, “It’s true. We’re going to find his killer if we can.”
    “Thanks for coming clean with me. You won’t regret it.” Harry gave us his cell number, and I gave him mine in return.
    “Even if you don’t need my help, do me a favor, would you?” Harry asked as he stood.
    “If we can,” I said.
    “No matter what happens, call me and tell me if you ever find out what really happened to Jim, would you? It might not help me sleep at night, but it’s worth a shot. We might not have been close at the end, but he was my brother in all the ways that ever mattered, and I won’t be able to let this go until I know his killer is caught.”
    “We will,” I promised.
    As he walked out of the diner, I saw him say something to Lynette, and then leave.
    “What do you make of all of that?” Grace asked me.
    “It’s almost too much to take in all at once, isn’t it? Why don’t we head back to April Springs? We can discuss it along the way, and maybe even figure out what we should do next.”
    “That’s a deal,” Grace said as she grabbed the check.
    “I’ll split it with you,” I said.
    “Thanks, but I just got a nice bonus, so I’ll pick this one up and you can get the next one.”
    I knew better than to try to argue with her. “Thanks.”
    It turned out that neither one of us had to pay, though. When Grace approached Lynette with the bill, she shook her head. “Thanks for trying, but your bill is taken care of. Harry already got it.”
    “That’s not fair. He promised us that we could pay,” I said.
    She just laughed. “You are beating your head against the wall if you think that will ever happen. It’s best just to accept his kindness and move on.”
    “At least thank him for us,” Grace said as she put her money away.
    “That I can do. You ladies have a nice day.”
    “You, too,” I said.
    As we got into Grace’s car and headed back to familiar territory, I couldn’t help thinking that Harry knew more about James’s recent past than he was letting on. Even with that cautionary feeling, I still believed that we could trust him.
    I just hoped that I was right.

 
     
    CHEESY FRITTER BALLS
    When I first saw a