“Mitch Riley.” Her mom asked why the name sounded so familiar. “He was the one my client is suing that I told you about. I went to see him to see if he wanted to settle out of court. The foster parents are suing because he called the authorities on them when he left. I told you about it weeks ago.”
“Ah yes, that’s the man. He was...well, did you ever figure out how much money you were going to make off this deal? I know you said you were asked to take it, but they’re still paying you, right?” Vinnie didn’t answer her. What would be the point? If she told her she was being paid, her mother would just ask for money. She was over that crap. “Yes. I remember you telling me that now. Is that boss of yours still wanting you in his bed? Men and sex. That’s all they can think about. I remember your father and his habit of jumping me—”
“Mom, we’ve talked about this.” Amber Graham smiled at her and Vinnie turned her back on her mom. “You don’t discuss your sex life with me and I don’t have to avoid you whenever you come around.”
“Yes. But you do know that without sex, you would not even be here. However, I still think I would have had you had there been someone...anyone not your father. But that is neither here nor there, I guess. I have you and he is gone.” Her mother sighed heavily. “I just guess I never dreamed it would come to you killing him.”
Mom thought she’d killed her father for her, but it had been more of a matter of either kill him or be killed by him. Her father had never been a nice man, and hadn’t improved much as he aged and got more powerful. In fact, she was reasonably sure he might have been more of an asshole than all the other assholes she knew combined. But when he’d started leaving bodies lying where he’d drank from them, tearing out their throats rather than just feeding from them, the council had taken a stand. And after several warnings, as well as numerous fines he’d never paid, they’d said he had to die. She was just glad that when it came to them fighting again over money, she’d not been in trouble for finally taking him out.
Her mother asked her again about money. Vinnie told her she wasn’t going to give her anymore right now. She, of course, whined about it.
“What will I do for income now that your father is no longer around to get it for me? I have bills piling up and there is no one to care for me now. I don’t know why you don’t just let me move in here with you. It’s not like you don’t have plenty of room.” Vinnie asked her what happened to the money she’d given her last month, ignoring the demand once again to let her move in. With a wave of her hand, her mother said she’d spent it on her shoes.
“Mother, there was ten grand in that envelope. You can’t have spent that much on shoes.” She waved her off again without answering. “Well, you’re out of luck then. I told you before, I’m not going to keep supporting you. Get a job, make it on your own.”
Her mother sat there for several minutes without speaking to her. Vinnie hoped she’d pissed her off enough that she’d leave, but she just sat there. Then when she did speak again, it was not about money, thankfully.
“Did you know there is a man here in this town that can take an old piece of furniture and tell you what its life’s history is? I mean, so he says. Margaret said she believes every word he tells her because he knows so much.” Vinnie told her mom Margaret still believed in Santa Claus. “She does not, but close. I do think the man is shafting people out of their hard earned money. He charged Margaret seven thousand dollars just to tell her the dent on the side of her husband’s desk was made by a musket shot that nearly killed the previous owner, when I know for a fact Margaret herself had hit the stupid thing with her sweeper about a year ago. Stupid woman. But the reason I bring it up is I was thinking with your connections I can get into something like that. You can tell people I have this new talent, and I can make some quick cash before they figure me out.”
No and hell no. She wasn’t going to use her considerable connections and friends to help her mom become a shyster. And then when she was caught, of course her mom would say it had been her idea and she was behind it all. No way was that happening again.
“He’s a necromancer.” Vinnie had meant to build up to it, or even talk to her mom about the job that wasn’t going to happen. But when she opened her mouth, the fact that Mitch was a necromancer spilled out. Her mom just stared at her for several minutes. “Did you hear me?”
“I did. I was waiting for you to tell me it was a joke.” Vinnie shook her head. “All right then, you’re going to tell me that he only works for one and isn’t one. And that you’re going to avoid the family at all costs.”