And then, out in the drive, two vehicles came up the gravel, and the front doors opened, and Marisela’s father entered.

General Tomas Salazar came in with three people behind him.

A senior family-law attorney with a leather case.

A notary public.

And an elderly woman with silver hair whom every Ashworth in the room recognized at once and none of them had expected to see again — Ophelia, the estate’s former head housekeeper, whom Sabetha had fired without notice three weeks before and accused, on her way out the door, of theft.

Sabetha came to her feet.