“Emily, if you hand that laptop to the police, I will destroy everything you are trying to save,” she said.

I took a step back, holding the computer tighter against my chest.

“Gavin stole the restaurants, Mom,” I said. “He forged my signature on the transfer deeds and took the profits.”

“I don’t care about Gavin’s amateur business dealings,” Helen said.

She pointed a thin, manicured finger at Evelyn.

“I care about the law,” Helen said. “And the law says your grandmother is a corpse.”

The rain picked up, drumming hard against the wooden dock and the roof of the nearby boat house.

Evelyn stood her ground, her face completely unreadable under the hood of her slicker.

“Go on, Helen,” Evelyn said.

“I have the original death certificate,” Helen said, looking back at me.

“I know exactly which doctor signed it, and I know he was paid off,” she continued.

“And I know which offshore accounts were used to fund Evelyn’s secret life in this city.”

I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the wet wind coming off the harbor.