Feels Like Family. Sherryl Woods

morning,” she said, “but believe me, the result will only be cosmetic. The truth runs much deeper. Good night, Erik. Sleep well.”

      He stared after her as she drove off into an inky darkness brightened only by a scattering of stars.

      It astounded him that she saw him that way when it was so far from the truth, so far from the way he’d come to view himself ever since that night his wife had died. Even if Dana Sue bought all the polish in the local Piggly Wiggly, he doubted it would be enough.

      Helen sat in the courtroom and looked across the aisle at Jimmy Bob West and Brad Holliday.

      “What excuse do you think they’ll come up with this time to get another postponement?” Caroline Holliday asked her, already sounding resigned to another delay in her divorce proceedings.

      “Actually I was thinking we’d turn the tables on them,” Helen said. “If it’s okay with you, of course.”

      Caroline sat up a little straighter. “What do you have in mind?”

      “I had a detective I use do a little digging around. I think I have enough evidence to show the judge that Brad’s been trying to hide some of his assets from us. I’d like to ask for a continuance so we can find every penny that man has tucked away.”

      Caroline regarded her with amazement. “But they gave us financial statements, and those pretty much matched all the records I had.”

      “Of course they did. They handed over everything they knew they couldn’t hide. Unfortunately for them, there was an interesting little paper trail they weren’t so clever about concealing. Brad’s a partner in some out-of-state real estate ventures that add up to a tidy little sum.”

      “You’re kidding me!” Caroline said, her mood improving considerably. “And I’m entitled to some of that property?”