Mia no longer cared if this woman was related to her or not. She’d tried to ruin her life multiple times. It ended tonight. “Get out of my house. I don’t owe you any money.”
Jane opened her mouth.
“I’m considering pressing charges. What you did here, on my computer? That’s theft.” She thought back. “I didn’t connect it until now, but I also noticed that the earrings my grandmother gave me went missing. Right after you started visiting.”
“You’ll never be able to prove it.”
“So you sold them. eBay?”
Mia grabbed her phone and opened up the app, then she found Jane’s account. And there they were. “You’re getting quite a few bids on them.”
She took a screenshot. “Unfortunately for you, since these were heirlooms, I took the lawyer’s advice after the will was read and had all the items I’d been given insured. These are covered, along with serial numbers and photos logged. I can prove you stole them.”
She scrolled through Jane’s page. When she didn’t see anything else, she tapped on the page that showed recently sold and reviews. Several familiar pictures popped up. Jane tried to swipe the phone, but an arm held her back.
Jackson had come into the room unnoticed by either woman. And in the doorway, Gus hovered, her hands clenched on her walker.
Mia’s heart broke for her aunt, but she would not protect her. She walked over and showed Gus the image on her phone.
Gus gasped, one wrinkled hand flying to her chest. “My sister’s pearls! And my mother’s wedding ring.” Tears formed in Gus’s blue eyes. “Jane, how could you?”
Mia felt horrible, but Jane needed to understand how bad this could get for her if she continued down the path she was on. “I think…doesn’t this look like my aunt’s necklace?”
“You stole from your own mother?” Gus said.
“What are you going to do?” Jane mumbled.
“I want you to return it all,” Gus declared.
Jane paled.
“She can’t,” Jackson stated flatly, glancing at the phone. “Those items were recently sold. She no longer has them.”
Gus straightened. She looked at Jane. “You’re my niece, and I love you, but I need you to leave my house.”
Jane stared around at them, her eyes wild. “I’m family!”
Mia shook her head. “Yeah, and that didn’t keep you from stealing from us.”
“Will you call the police? That would only hurt the family.” Jane’s voice trembled.
Mia bit her lip. She wanted to, so bad, but she knew it would pain Gus. “I haven’t decided what I’m going to do. I do know you need to give back everything that hasn’t sold yet. And I think you need to pay Gus the value of everything you took of hers. I also think your mom needs to know.”
“I agree.” Gus nodded her gray head.
“You’d tell her? Why?” Tears filled Jane’s eyes.
“What you did was wrong. That’s why.”
Jane turned to Mia.
Mia shook her head. “If any more of my business gets spread around, or any more lies, no one, not even Gus, will stop me from calling the cops on you. Right now, I want you out of my sight.”
She didn’t know if the police could reclaim the items from the new owners, nor did she really want to expose her family to more shame.
But she hadn’t been kidding. If Jane overstepped again, nothing would hold Mia back.
Jackson turned to help a shattered Gus back to the living room. Mia stepped over to him. “I’m going to make sure Jane leaves without taking anything else. It’s almost dinner time. Stay? Please? I’d like to talk with you privately once we’ve had a chance to eat.”
