The Inheritance Games

Libby asks Avery what Skye means by the “nasty business” in the Black Woods. Avery tells her about the shooting. Libby is upset that Avery didn’t tell her sooner. Then, Drake’s name comes up, and Avery tells Libby she knows about his texts. Libby says she hasn’t texted him back, but Avery points out that she also hasn’t blocked him. Libby further reveals that she’s been in touch with their father. Avery is shocked, as she hasn’t seen Ricky Grambs in two years. She tells Libby, “He wants money. Just like Drake. Just like your mom” (260).

After her fight with Libby, Avery continues her search for the davenport. In her search, she discovers Nan sitting in front of a piano. She asks if Nan plays, to which the elderly woman replies: “I did when I was young. Got a bit too much attention for it, and my husband broke my fingers, put an end to that” (263). Nan says that her husband died in a tragic accident not long after, making Avery wonder if the old woman killed him. They’re interrupted by Nash. Again, Avery asks him what his intentions are toward Libby. Nash responds by asking what Avery’s intentions are toward Jameson. Avery admits to Nash that his warning regarding Tobias’s game was correct. Nash replies, “The closer to the end you come, the worse it’ll get” (263).

Helping Avery in her search for the davenport, Nash takes Avery to another hidden wing of Hawthorne House—Toby’s. He explains that Tobias had it walled off when Toby died. They pass through a playroom with a pinball table. When Avery stops to play, a pre-programmed welcome message appears: “WELCOME TO HAWTHORNE HOUSE, AVERY KYLIE GRAMBS!” (266). Avery realizes, “It was the same message I’d gotten in the bowling alley, and just as I had then, I felt the ghost of Tobias Hawthorne all around me” (266). Nash shows her the game room of the house, where she is astounded to find thousands of board games.

In the search for the davenport, Nash learns about Avery’s injury and the shooting. He seems to be genuinely surprised, eliminating any suspicions that he was involved. He tells Oren he’s going to question his people. Avery realizes this includes Mellie, who has already crossed her mind as a possible suspect. When Avery finds the davenport, Grayson is already there, waiting—he claims for Jameson. Together, they discover the clue: Inside a hidden compartment in the davenport is a plastic keychain in the shape of the number one.

Avery now has three clues from the Red Will: Eight, One, and One. She has trouble sleeping that night and has a dream about her mother. In the dream, her mother tells her: “I have a secret… about the day you were born” (275). The next morning, Avery is awoken by Alisa. She has arranged an outing for Avery to go shopping. Alisa explains: “In an attempt to do damage control after your impromptu press conference earlier this week, I arranged for your debut in Texas society to take place this weekend. There is a charity benefit that you will be attending this evening” (275).

Avery is joined on her shopping trip by Alisa, Oren, two additional security men, and Thea. Thea wants to know why Rebecca has been crying. Avery realizes that Rebecca told Thea about Avery’s kiss with Jameson but not about the shooting. The boutique where they go shopping has been closed down just for them. As they enter, they are swarmed by paparazzi.

After Avery finishes shopping, Oren drives the car with Avery, Thea, Alisa, and the two additional security guards back to Hawthorne House. A car tries to run them off the road. Oren gets them to safety while police swarm the vehicle that attacked them. Alisa and Oren reveal that the entire outing to the boutique was a trap—they used Avery as bait, luring out the person who is trying to harm her by ensuring the outing was highly publicized. Drake was driving the car that tried to run Avery’s vehicle off the road. The police found a rifle in his car that is a match for the bullets found at the scene of the shooting. Alisa notes that, if Drake was the shooter, someone would have had to let him onto the estate, implying Libby did. She explains: “If something happens to you—even without a will—your sister and your father are your heirs” (284).

Avery arrives back at the mansion to discover that Libby has been taken to the police station. Nash is angry, pointing out that Alisa failed to protect Libby. Alisa notes that, since Libby wasn’t under arrest, she had no obligation to go with the police. Nash retorts that, unlike Nash and Alisa, Libby doesn’t know this: “You’re really going to stand there and act like we weren’t both raised to treat ‘never talk to the authorities without a lawyer present’ like a Commandment?” (286). Avery instructs Alisa to send someone to help Libby at the police station. Avery wants to be alone and process what’s happened. However, she has a media training class.

Avery completes a media training session with Landon, who coaches her on what to say, when to say it, and when to stay silent. Landon concludes the training by saying, “Now we’re going to play a little game. I’m going to ask you questions, and you’re going to do the one thing you must absolutely master before I let you out of here to go to the gala tonight […] You’re not going to answer the questions” (291). Landon then peppers Avery with a string of sordid questions, asking whether her mother had an affair with Tobias, how she responds to people who call her a con woman, and whether it’s true that her sister is in a relationship with the man who tried to kill her.