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He had always accepted it, even taken it for granted, but now he wondered. He’d assumed that she resented him on John’s behalf, that Judith felt John had been cornered into taking on an obligation that should have been largely ceremonial. John was Archie’s godfather, but Archie had never met him, never even heard his name mentioned in any other context until after his parents were gone.

His parents were thoughtful and responsible, but the fact that they’d considered so far ahead as to designate a legal guardian had surprised him. It wasn’t like either of them had been in poor health. And the fact that that guardian was Doctor John Perry in Oregon was more puzzling. He’d reasoned that his parents and John had drifted apart in the way that friends, who move long distances from each other, do. But that when called upon to honor that long ago commitment, John had stepped up.

It made sense then. It still sort of made sense.

What didn’t make sense was Judith’s continuing resentment. It had been years since Archie had required anything from John—nothing he had recognized needing, anyway. It had been years since they’d even seen each other. And yet, if anything, Judith seemed more hostile than she had when Archie lived under John’s roof.

Why?

He thought of that portrait of himself hanging in John’s study.

He had been surprised to see it, yes, and touched. He knew John was fond of him, but he had never dreamed John cared as much as a framed oil painting seemed to imply. But then, John had no children of his own. Looking back, Archie realized that John probably regretted that. He had been a very good surrogate father, though Archie had been too grief-stricken and bitter to appreciate it for most of the time he was under John’s roof. Very likely John would have loved being dad to a pack of cute and undoubtedly precocious kids.

Nor had John ever failed to be there for Desi whenever she needed a father figure to step in. He had continued to provide financial and emotional support for both Judith and her daughter.

Maybe Judith was afraid John had done something like leave part of his estate to Archie?

That might explain at least some of her attitude. But she had to know how unlikely that scenario was. John loved his sister and niece very much. He wasn’t going to shortchange them financially now. Plus, John was a traditionalist. If he had planned to leave Archie something, it would be more on the lines of that painting in his study.

(Archie spared a fleeting thought for how ridiculous a formal portrait of his teenaged self would look hanging in his spartan apartment.)

No, it seemed more likely that Judith didn’t want him present at the reading of the will because she feared certain information might be disclosed which she didn’t want him to know. Because she found it personally embarrassing—Judith was definitely a snob—or because she imagined it might encourage Archie to lay claim to a share of John’s estate?

She could rest easy on both accounts. Archie had zero interest in Judith’s embarrassing family secrets—or even John’s. And he would no more contemplate suing John’s family for a share of their inheritance than he would declare himself a sovereign citizen.

In fact, the only reason he was making time for this meeting was Ms. Madison’s insistence he be there. Well, okay, and maybe a little bit because he knew it would piss Judith off no end. He’d never pretended to be a saint, and once in a while Judith’s rudeness got under his skin.

He didn’t seriously suspect Judith of having any part in John’s death, though he had been surprised by her lack of emotion the previous night. But that stony exterior could have been shock. He had probably not seemed as shaken as he’d felt either. Granted, he was trained to conceal his emotions.

Archie’s cellphone timer went off, and he climbed very carefully and slowly out of the tub and dried off.

In the end, and despite his best efforts, he was about ten minutes late for the reading of the will.

Partly, that was because the office building which housed Madison Law was a longer walk than he—or his cellphone’s GPS—realized. Partly, it was due to being hit with an unexpected wave of dizziness that forced him to wait it out on a bus stop bench, where no fewer than three good citizens stopped to inform Archie he’d just missed the bus.

It was frustrating and a little depressing. Every time he felt like he was getting back to normal, something happened to remind him that he was still not recovered.

By the time he was shown into Ms. Madison’s inner office, he was taken aback to find the room crowded with people. He took a seat in the rear, trying to be unobtrusive.

Judith was there, of course, with Desi and her fiancé, Arlo.

Archie had barely registered Arlo on Saturday, beyond noting that he looked older than expected. That was weight. Arlo had packed on the pounds and his mop of wild red hair was cut short and thinning fast. He exuded an air of successful middle-age, but that was more about attitude and mindset than physical appearance. He was the same age as Desi.

Mila Monig was accompanied by her son, who Archie barely remembered. Jon Monig was tall, thin, and pallid. He had a prominent nose, a pencil mustache, and wore thick glasses—the kind of specs that looked more like a disguise than a prescription. He was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, yet still managed to look like a character actor straight out of a silent movie.

Had he been a drama major or something? Was he still a drama major or something?

Mrs. Simms, looking composed but ever so slightly uncomfortable, was also present. Archie had always liked Simmy, and he was glad to see her there.

Ms. Madison, tall, trim, and wearing funky red spectacles, greeted Archie warmly from the front of the room. “Archie, very good. Now we can get started.”

Apparently, the lawyer had warned the others he was planning to attend because, though heads turned, no one seemed surprised to see him. With the exception of Mrs. Simms, who looked relieved at his arrival, no one seemed thrilled to see him either. Which he could understand. From their perspective, he was an outsider. From his own perspective, he was an outsider.

Still, this was what John had wanted, so that settled it for Archie.

Ms. Madison took her place behind her desk. She did not waste any more time. “As you all know each other, we’ll get down to it. I should tell you that John originally filmed a video for this eventuality, however a few weeks ago he changed his mind. He decided to rerecord his final messages. Sadly, he never had the chance.”

Judith asked, “Does that mean he also changed his will?”