Eavesdropping
Chester opened up his laptop the minute they pulled from the curb and put his earpiece back in and then turned to look at Zorah.
“Are you okay, sweetheart? I know this must have been painful.”
“It hurt. I won’t lie about it. To think she stayed there because her inheritance was tied to me and Ippocrate controls it. Where was the motherly love I was entitled to as a child?” She suddenly found herself missing Avaline. Despite the woman’s over-the-top behavior, she knew Avaline genuinely loved and cared for her.
“Your mother was always a bit strange back when I knew her,” Chester said quietly. “I thought we were kindred spirits because we both came from homes where our families didn’t quite understand us. She was always under a lot of pressure to be as good as her brother and was often found lacking. Her mother was really hard on her one minute and then letting her run loose the next. Your mom often couldn’t figure out what they, her parents, wanted from her and it left her confused. Your grandparents also firmly believed in living within their means so while some of the girls in school were dressing up and wearing the latest fashions, your mother was wearing thrift store clothing because it was appropriate for the family of the local priest. When she came to our house, she was always complaining about the things they didn’t have at hers. I realize looking back she wanted financial security and a lifestyle I would never have been able to give her. Dad does well for himself but he’s not rich.”
“I don’t get it though. She’s never been given money at all since my grandparents died.”
“We can ask Icaro’s friend Doris to find out what happens with the money. I bet Ippocrate gave her a story about it being in trust for you and spent it or something.” He pointed to his ear, “or maybe your mother will ask herself.”
“What?” Zorah frowned as she took the extra earpiece her father held out to her.
“Your mother is knocking on Ippocrate’s office door. This could be good.” He hit some buttons on the laptop and the system immediately started recording.
Zorah heard Ippocrate Giannone’s voice and immediately felt her body shake.
“Enter.”
“Father Giannone,” her mother’s voice was a whined whimper. “We need to talk.”
“Zipporah, I am busy. I have things to do. Make an appointment with my secretary if you wish to talk to me.”
“I am your sister.”
“You are but it doesn’t detract from the fact I am busy. I have things to do.”
“Do any of those things have to do with Zorah’s money?”
Zorah and Chester stared at each other incredulously as her mother boldly called Ippocrate out to his face.
“I suggest Zipporah you tread carefully with whatever accusation you are standing in my office ready to make.” The sound of papers rustling on the desk filled the silence, “close the door and come sit.”
The quiet click of the door closing and the scratching of a chair being pulled back and Zorah was immediately transported to the multitude of times she too was ordered to sit in the chair. She could already see her uncle in her mind’s eye, rising from the desk, clasping his hands behind his back and standing in front of the window to look down at Zipporah.
“Speak, Zipporah before I am forced to remind you my time is precious, and you are not.”
“I am precious.”
“You are a whore.”
“At least a whore would have gotten paid. All I ever got for my mistakes all those years ago was shame. No amount of apologies would make it up to you. I want my inheritance.”
“You have no inheritance. You were told before, everything which was yours, was taken by our father and put in trust for Zorah until she turns twenty-five. You don’t get any of it.”
“And the money Lucchesi gave to raise her?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Zorah said Icaro Lucchesi told her there were millions of dollars paid out for her to have a good life. You forced us to stay here. We could have been living well instead of as beggars.”
“You do live well, Zipporah. Your bed, clothing and food are all provided for. You have a job here in the church. You have need for nothing.”
“I hate my life!” she raised her voice. “You could have given me the money and I could have raised Zorah far away from you to save you the embarrassment of us being underfoot. You owe me the money.”
“I owe you nothing.”
“Zorah wants her money.”
Zorah looked at Chester wide-eyed at the words from her mother and how forceful they sounded. She was on the edge of her seat waiting for Ippocrate to respond.
“As I said, when she turns twenty-five, she has an inheritance coming to her.”
“The millions, Ippocrate. She is coming for the money she feels she is owed.”
“She is not owed anything. She was misinformed. When did you speak with her?”
“Today. I spoke with her today. She told me she hates you and she is going to get her money from you.”
“She hates me?” he gave a dry laugh. “This should be good, Zipporah, tell me why my niece hates me.”
“Because she knows you are not her biological uncle and you’ve seen her undressed. She said you abused her.”
“I did no such thing!” He spat venomously. “She is my niece, and I love her, far more than I love her mother.”
“But you’re adopted, right?”
“Where are you hearing all these lies, Zipporah? Let me guess, Zorah called you because she’s squabbling with Icaro Lucchesi and she asked you to help her and between you, you concocted this little plan to what,” Ippocrate’s voice was chilling, “extort me? I have nothing. I am a mere priest, a servant of god who has taken a vow of poverty. You are falling for the schemes of a child desperate to get out of the relationship she has with her husband. Now,” he cleared his throat, “leave my office. As I stated, I have work to do. This conversation is over. I suggest you spend some time kneeling at the altar for the lies you’ve spewed and the greed you have in your heart for coveting your daughter’s inheritance.”
“But.”
“Leave Zipporah before my good mood is ruined and I’m forced to punish you for your sins personally.”
The sound of the scraping of the chair as Zipporah hurried from the room made the couple in the car exchange long glances.
Now what?
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