no speaker.
He walked into the living room and spoke quietly for almost ten minutes.
When he came back, he looked older.
Not frightened.
Just deeply tired.
“What?” I asked.
He sat down.
“Vanessa called him yesterday too.”
My stomach tightened.
“What did she ask?”
“Whether a beneficiary could access estate property before probate if there was an emergency.”
I stared at him.
“She told your attorney you were dead?”
“No.”
Dad looked toward the window.
“She said I was unreachable and there might be a medical situation.”
“Why didn’t
