life.
But I had seen Lily’s name somewhere before.
Then I remembered.
The will.
“Jesus.”
I pulled it from the back of the filing cabinet.
Daniel had revised it six months before his death.
Almost everything was exactly as I remembered.
Me.
Ethan.
And near the bottom:
Lily.
A separate amount had been placed in trust for her.
I’d asked about it after Daniel died.
And I remembered the explanation.
His mother.
I called her.
She answered on the third ring.
“Laura?”
“Who was Lily?”
Silence.
“Daniel’s will. You told me she was a relative.”
“A cousin, I think.”
“You think?”
“It was four years ago.”
“What was her last name?”
“I don’t remember.”
“But you were certain enough to tell me she was Daniel’s cousin.”
She sighed.
“What is this about?”
“Ethan found eighteen years of payments to Lily’s mother.”
Another silence.
“Did you know?”
“No.”
“But you know
