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I met Luna’s eyes. “Can you send me that recording? Is it okay if I take it to my brothers to see if they have any idea? I think it’s time we bring them into the fold.”
“Sure. Can I come?”
“I don’t see why not. In fact, I’ll summon them here.”
I was kind of making a habit of summoning my brothers to my office, these days, but I’d never claimed to be a low-maintenance relation. And when they’d heard Luna’s story, and about the DNA test results, and finally listened to the recording for themselves, none of them would dispute that it was a puzzle that merited summoning them.
Jude’s arms were folded. He was staring at the recording device like it was some kind of alien artefact. “Something definitely is fishy, here.”
“Yeah, this is... odd.” Winston delicately snatched the recording device and held it up to his ear, pressing play.
Luna gave him one of her brilliant glares. “You won’t hear anything else. I’ve listened to it through top-of-the-range sound equipment. I’ve deconstructed the audio. Nothing else can be heard.” She really was unintimidated by wealth. I supposed that’s why she’d made a good memoirist for Apollo. He had many other ways to be intimidating, though, as she was now learning.
“This Priscilla Lamb... you say she was famous?” Forest was still stuck on the pop culture reference.
I clapped him on the back. “It’s okay, buddy. I know you’re a bit behind on the cultural front.”
“Shut up.” Forest smirked. “I’m thinking. I think I’ve got something.”
“Go on, share it with the class.” Winston returned the recording device to Luna so he wouldn’t get his head bitten off by her again.
We all quietened to listen. Forest reallywasour brains, at least when it came to this kind of thing.
“Do you three remember there was that odd clause in the will... a Brock relative we could never locate?Cissy Brock.”
Jude nodded, his eyes widening. “I do. I’d forgotten the name. It’s been so long.Cissy Brock.Good memory, Forest. You reckon Cissy Brock is... Priscilla Lamb?”
Forest shrugged. “It’s the best lead we have so far – both for the identity of Cissy Brock, and for the reason Priscilla Lamb is hanging around at Apollo’s headquarters.”
I vaguely remembered something, but not what the clause in the will had said. “Errrrr, sorry guys, but I don’t remember this clause you’re talking about. Enlighten me?”
Thankfully, Winston nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I hate to say it but I’m with Sylvester.”
“Of course you two don’t remember. Too busy getting your legs over at that time.” Jude grumbled, but it was good-natured.
Forest had it almost memorized, of course. “It was something along the lines of...in the event one of the Brock heirs is found out to not be a true biological son of Emory Brock, his portion of the inheritance shall be instead designated to Cissy Brock.”
It was kind of coming back to me. “Right, right... and we had to take those DNA tests. Which we all passed, by the way, including Apollo.”
Forest shrugged. “Yeah, but it could easily have been faked. No one in charge of Emory’s estate could find a Cissy Brock who might ever contest the will, so it wasn’t exactly as if the stakes were high.”
I looked over at Luna. She was practically vibrating with excitement. I grinned, and addressed the brothers. “Let’s give some applause to my companion Luna Black, who deserves credit for this very fascinating Apollo discovery.”
The brothers applauded, some in a slightly sarcastic manner. They were likely still sore about the memoir, and, fair enough. Luna practically blushed all the same, not that it was visible through her pale foundation. But she looked away, and I knew she was embarrassed at the sudden acclaim.
“Alright, but what now?” Winston was a man of action. Well, a kind of lazy man of action.
Jude had an idea brewing already. “I suggest we do our own DNA test. We know Apollo isn’t Priscilla Lamb’s biological son. Now it’s time to find out if he was really Emory Brock’s.”
“Yeah, but... why? We can’t exactly contest the will decades later. We’d get laughed out of court. Plus the business is basically unrecognizable from what Apollo inherited.”
“Yeah, but there’s some kind of mystery here. Don’t you want to find out more?” Forest looked excited at the prospect.
Luna, too, was quietly thrilled. “I’m with Forest.”
“Alright, fine. But you might not be so happy when you realize you’re going to have to get his DNA again... time to schedule yet another meeting with Apollo,Ms. Black...”
Luna recoiled at my impression of Apollo, and I grinned. “Alright, Brock Brothers Book Club, roll up your sleeves and let’s get some DNA...”
