Page 32 of The Curse Breaker

Benny looked around to make sure no one was watching the commotion. “Kimble, let him go! Let’s all just calm down and talk about this.” Kimble dropped Ryan. The boy stumbled backward and quickly scurried inside Hooked. Benny heard the door lock.

“Coward!” Gil shouted.

“Benny!” Zara ran across the street toward them. She still had her phone to her ear. “Your mom is here! Eight o’clock!” She glanced across the street at where Benny’s mom was walking toward them. Her mom spotted the group at the same time Benny saw her. Kimble slipped back into the shadows along with Gil and hovered around the corner.

Benny tried not to panic. The last thing she needed was for her mom to see her with Kimble and have to explain who he was. “Mom!”

Her mom had a dress bag over her arm, and it looked like she’d had her hair blown out. “What are you doing here? You should be home getting ready. Hi, Zara.”

“Hello, Ms. Benedict,” Zara said. “What do you have there?”

“A new dress,” her mom said. Benny didn’t ask how she paid for it. “Benny has one too.” Her mom adjusted the bags in her hand. She’d had her makeup done as well, and her face seemed to sparkle. “You need to get home and get ready. It wouldn’t look good for the heir to the Terry estate to be late.”

Home. Heir. “I was just leaving,” Benny insisted. “I’ll beat you there. Go!” She hoped she sounded jokey, but she meant it, her shoulders tense till her mom turned the corner and got in her car. Kimble’s expression was odd when he came back around the corner.

“What?”

“That’s your mother?” he said curiously.

“Yesssssssss,” Benny said, amused. There wasn’t a man alive immune to her mother. “Where are you meeting her?” he asked quietly.

“We have to go to a fundraiser at Terry Estate Vineyards. She thinks people want to meet me since I’m Evelyn’s heir.” Benny looked at Zara. “I can’t believe you don’t have to go.”

She shrugged. “Grams is so busy, she didn’t even ask. I’m hanging with Gil.”

Kimble spoke fast. “Give me the address. I’ll meet you there.”

“Why? Don’t you have work to do?” Benny was intrigued.

“It’s a private event,” Zara tried.

“Give me the address,” he said, getting agitated.

Why was he was so worked up? “I can text it to you. What is your number?”

“Text? No. I don’t have a mobile,” he grumbled.

“You don’t?” Benny thought she was the only person alive who didn’t have a phone till two weeks ago.

Kimble’s crankiness ramped up. “Why would anyone need to take a phone everywhere?”

Benny took a pen and Post-it Note out of her bag, googled the address, then wrote it down for Kimble. She could hear the island calling to her again. Welcome, Everly Benedict! Welcome home! She handed him the paper.

He stared at it, then looked down the road to her mom’s car, which was driving away. “I’ll see you there.” He left without a goodbye.

“That was weird,” Zara said. “But we have other things to talk about.” Zara rubbed her hands together, her brown eyes ablaze. “I’ve got the scoop from my parents!”

“I’ve got news too,” said Benny. “Me first: Ryan is a Rudd!”

“What?” Zara and Gil both screeched.

“You’re going to need to explain, but first let me drop this bombshell on you both: Kimble’s love? The one who double-crossed him for the treasure?” Zara’s eyes gleamed. “Her name was Grace.”

Benny sucked air through her teeth. “She’s the she we’re looking for. I know it. She’s got to still be alive.”

“Are you sure?” Gil whispered.

“Yes. I’m betting anything she is alive, and she’s also the woman in Evelyn’s diary,” Zara said excitedly.