Page 184 of The Billion Heirs Boxed Set

“It’s your birthday lunch. What would you like?”

“I’d really like a nice fat steak, but none of these places are going to have that.”

“How about a roast beef sandwich?” I gesture to the sandwich shop.

“That sounds fine.”

I pull into a parking spot on the street. Then I exit the car, and Rainey and I walk toward the sandwich shop called Nora’s Delights. I look around the area, because I’ve got the strange feeling that I’ve entered an alternate dimension. I’m about to have lunch with my father’s girlfriend, who I just met yesterday, and who I have nothing in common with. Still, this could help my investigation somehow. Rainey doesn’t know anything about Joey, but maybe I can get some information about my father.

I may have recused myself and gone on bereavement leave, but I’m not letting this go.

We walk into the restaurant and a server waves at us. “Sit wherever you’d like, ladies.”

“Over there looks good.” I point to a table in the corner.

“Works for me.”

Rainey and I take a seat at the table. She grabs one of the menus from the holder and opens it.

“So how’s my father’s business going? The construction.”

“Same old, same old. He loses more bids than he gets these days because of his drinking.”

I’m surprised she admits that to me. “Oh? He was doing well when he and my mom got divorced. Of course that was twenty years ago.”

“Did Curt drink when you were a kid?” she asks.

The waitress stops by with glasses of water.

“Not that I remember.” I grab a glass and take a sip. “At least not to excess. But I was only eight when they split up so I’m sure there was stuff I didn’t notice.”

“He can’t stay away from the beer. He’s lost a lot because of it.”

“How about you?” I ask. “Do you drink beer?”

“I like a cold one every now and then, but I can go without.” She gestures to the No Smoking sign on the wall. “That’s my vice. Smokes. I’ve tried to quit, but I just can’t.”

“Have you tried those patches? Or that gum?”

She rolls her eyes at me as if I’m an idiot. “Honey, that’s just nicotine in another form. None of that helps.”

“How about hypnosis?”

“You mean like seeing a therapist or something? How the hell would I pay for that?”

She’s got me there. “You said you’re between jobs. What do you do?”

“Whatever I can get. I was working up at the paper mill out on the edge of town, but I got laid off a couple months ago. I look around every now and then, but there isn’t a lot of stuff out there for a high-class career girl like myself.” She lets out a garbled chuckle.

I’m not sure what to say, so I silently thank the universe when our server returns.

“What can I get you ladies today? You want to start something to drink besides water?”

“Iced tea,” I say. “Unsweetened.”

“Got it. And for you, ma’am?” The server—Amy, her tag says—nods to Rainey.

“Iced tea sounds good to me too. And I’m ready to order. I’ll have the steak sandwich, hold the sautéed onions, with a large side of fries.”