Bonus Scene Two
Lord Gustav Horst Vogel stretched out his arms. “Still about four inches short, but the hand isn’t too small.”
Gogi nodded. “Well, Michael says he’s going to go with you, so you’ll have some back up.”
“For that sort of trouble. You will stay away in case someone insists you embezzled funds. Which, technically I think was more like bald-faced theft, but . . .
“As for my problems, Inquisitor Vogel said that the most likely suspects have either died or are in care. So, it should be perfectly safe for me to go there. I’ll make the announcement and talk to Monika. I suspect she’ll come back with me.”
Gogi winced.
Gustav sighed. “I know you two have a bad history. But once she gets the zivvy out of her head . . . we’ll see. God knows I understand how the zivvy screws with the brain.”
The kid snorted. “And I know to what lengths one will go to, to avoid it.”
“But you had Grandfather.”
“Yes. Plan A worked. And I’d . . . manipulated a few forms so he became my guardian, not Lord Ernst who would have chipped me without a qualm. Not to mention that I’d already hacked into the Recompense account . . .”
Gustav grinned and shook his head. “I hate to say it, but as odd as everything has gotten lately, having a Master Criminal in the Family may come in handy . . . again.”
“I hope not. I’ve apparently founded a small town, an artists’ retreat and tourist trap, and jumpstarted large-scale farming. Glen and Ken have harvested their first commercial crop . . . and other people are buying farm land down there with them . . .”
“Yes. They’re talking about the World becoming self-sufficient in food, and I heard something about planting cotton.” Gustav grinned. “Not that you’re getting credit.”
“Or blame? I’m good with being invisible.”
Gustav just shook his head. “Kid . . . You do too much to stay unnoticed. I just hope you live to tell your grandkids about it.”