steve_11

By the same author:

Steve 1
dining car
Steve 2
Steve 3
Steve 4
Steve 5
Steve 6
Steve 7
Steve 8
Steve 9
Steve 10
Steve 12
Steve 13

Steve sat at a table for four and his mother Judith next to him. He saw Charlotte rushing down the stairs with a determined look on her face.

"You know what I just found out?" Charlotte hadn't even sat down when she started speaking. "Brian O'Donnell is dead."

"I don't know if I should be happy or sad, you know," Steve said. "I sort of expected him to be dead for some reason, but I would have liked to ask him a few questions."

Charlotte and Judith's heads turned toward him.
"Since you are now part of my family, I can let you in on a secret. I think that my dad, Brian O'Donnell, put fire to the theater that my stepfather owned. Back in the 70s. My stepfather died in that fire and I spent the next five years in jail because they thought I had done it. But I didn't. I swear! The only person who could have done it was my dad."

Judith was at the brink of a nervous breakdown. "First he leaves me with an infant and three pennies to my name, then he puts other people's property on fire and lets his son suffer the consequences.... I really don't know what to say other than that he really deserves to be dead."

"I am sorry to bring you more bad news, but apparently Brian's widow wants to cheat you, us, out of our inheritance. She hired a private investigator, who is on the island, to make sure the paintings will be brought to New York."

They all looked at each other and remained silent for a few seconds. Then Steve said: "We have to move fast if we want to keep what is ours by law. What do you say? Are you in?"

"Are you kidding? Of course we are in."