202|Empty Victory

"Why?" Austin stammered, bewildered out of his mind.

Anna crossed her legs and linked her hands as she filled him in, "Iris didn't trust Jaco. Though she loved her father, she didn't trust him either. She felt he was blinded by his nephew. Do you have a cigarette?"

Austin had plenty. He reached inside his drawer, pulled out a sealed box from the carton, and threw it at her.

She caught it and ripped through the plastic film, indicating with a snap of her fingers she needed a lighter too.

Austin threw her a matchbox. No way he'd give her his Zippo.

"Anyway," Anna continued as she lit a cigarette. "Iris was worried it was only a matter of time before Willem handed everything over to Jaco. So she gave me power of attorney over her affairs."

"Do you know what she was working on before she died?" Austin asked.

Anna narrowed her eyes at him through the haze of smoke as she sat up straight, "Working on? What do you mean?"

Austin was tempted to tell her about the journals. But it was too soon