This is the eleventh part in a series, so if you have not already done so, you might want to read Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII, Part IX, and Part X before continuing.
“That could have gone better,” Tolbert said when they got to the car.
“Ya think?”
“Were you serious about Aunt Alison paying your rent?”
“One hundred percent. Both her houses were completely paid off, and she had enough money in the bank to pay taxes on them for years.”
“How much money are we talking?”
When Maddy told him, he whistled.
“I know, right?” said Maddy. “We’re rich.”
“Well, you’re rich.”
“So are you. She left it to both of us.”
“Yeah, but I was always rich. You were the one who decided to go the starving artist route.”
Maddy snorted. “OK, Finance Bro.”
“That’s ‘Mr. Finance Bro’ to you.”
“As if! I’m your sister. I don’t call you ‘Mr.’ anything.”
Tolbert suddenly went quiet.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No, I was just thinking about how Dad and Aunt Alison spent more than half their lives not speaking to each other. You don’t think that’ll ever happen to us, do you?”
“Never.”
“Promise?”
In response, Maddy held up a fist with just her pinky sticking out. Tolbert hooked his pinky around hers. They didn’t need to say anything to know the Pinky Promise was binding.
“So, where to now for the rich and famous actress?”
“I’m not famous yet.”
“It’s only a matter of time.”
That made Maddy smile. After a moment she said, “Look up Washington Island, Wisconsin.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m driving.”
“No, I mean, why do you want me to look it up?”
“Because that’s where Aunt Alison’s other house is.”
Tolbert looked it up on his phone. Once he had pulled up the information, he said, “It’s in northern Wisconsin. You go all the way up to the tip of Door County, and just off the tip there’s an island called Washington Island. You think that’s it?”
“Unless you can find another Washington Island, Wisconsin.”
Tolbert did another search to confirm that, as far as he knew, that was the only Washington Island, Wisconsin in existence.
“Think there’s a ferry that takes cars to the island?”
Tolbert did another search, and said, “Yep. There’s one leaving every hour with the last one leaving at 6PM.”
“We’re definitely not going to make that one. What time does the first ferry leave tomorrow?”
“Seven-thirty AM.”
“What do you say we head up there now, stay in a hotel on the mainland somewhere, then head to the island tomorrow?”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Cool. Just so you know, you’re paying for the hotel. And the ferry ride.”
“Wait, I thought you were the rich one!”
“I haven’t transferred any of the money to my account yet. I wanted to wait until you had had a chance to look things over so I could split the money in half, sending one part to your account and another part to my account.”
“So, you’ll pay me back out of your half?”
“Sure, if you want me to.”
“Nah. Who cares? We’re both filthy rich.”
And they lived happily ever after. The end.