Click Here to Start Read Online Free Page B

what a codicil is.
    I look at Mom and Dad, and apparently I
am
the only one who doesn’t know what a codicil is.
    “A codicil is a document that adds to, rather than replaces, a previously executed will,” Mr. Huang says, smiling at me like I’m a moron. “Now, a codicil may add or revoke small provisions, or…”
    Here, Mr. Huang looks down and twists the ring on his pinky. He’s clearly relishing the moment. “…it may completely change the majority, or all, of the gifts under the will.”
    “He better not have taken everything away from Auntie Tomoko. She’d kill him if he weren’t already dead,” Mom says grimly.
    Mr. Huang smiles again, looking a little nervous. “There are only two provisions to the will as it stands.”
    He reads off a single piece of paper. Clearing his throat, Mr. Huang peers down onto the page and begins to read.
    “ ‘First codicil to my last will and testament: I hereby award from my estate to Lila Gerson the sum of eighty thousand dollars, to be used to help pay for her education at Harvard University.’ ”
    Mom gasps, and tears fill her eyes. She grips Dad’s hand so hard I thought it was going to fall off. Clearly she didn’t expect this.
    “ ‘Second codicil: I leave the entire contents of my apartment on 103465 South Alta Vista Avenue in Loca Grande, with all the treasure it contains…to my great-nephew Ted Gerson, who is so good at solving puzzles. Search hard and you will find it.’ ”

“Just remember what your mother said,” Dad warns as he pulls off the freeway at the Loca Grande exit.
    “I know….I know….” I’m leaning my head on the window, feeling the impatience spilling over inside me, like when I’m waiting for a new game to load in.
    “Just don’t get your hopes up,” Mom said, when she heard me on the phone discussing with Caleb what “all the treasure it contains” might mean. “My uncle had a funny idea of what treasure was. He tended to um…keep things….”
    The plan is simple. The apartment is paid up until the end of the month. That gives me a week to go through everything in the apartment and figure out what’s trash and what’s treasure. Caleb is going to help, and anything we find, we split.
    And here’s the awesome part: since my great-uncle was a war hero, it’s possible he’s left some souvenirs from World War II lying around!
    Sure, Mom said in no uncertain terms that she’s visited the apartment dozens of times and has never seen anything of value.
    She’s also making me bring rubber gloves and bleach, “just in case.”
    So what? This is going to be an epic week.
    Hanging with Caleb, going through a lot of cool stuff.
    Besides, what Mom and Dad think is treasure and what I think is treasure are two different things.
    And my great-uncle must have had
a pretty good
reason to have given whatever it is especially to me. Obviously, there is
something
special behind that apartment door.
    Caleb’s dad, Gene, has already dropped him off.
    My dad and Caleb’s dad are both English professors at California State University La Purisma, and we basically grew up together: barbecues in the summer, trips for winter break, last-minute get-togethers on weekends.
    Then, a year ago, Gene grows a ponytail and announces he’s leaving Doris and Caleb and moving in with an associate professor named Gina who’s like ten years younger than Caleb’s mom.
    This, not surprisingly, is causing a lot of problems, and Caleb is dealing with it the best he can.
    Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but around that time his dad moved out, Caleb started drawing a lot more pictures of guys punching each other.
    If he starts drawing a new villain called Evil Dad and has some superhero kicking his butt, we’ll know for sure.
    Usually, Gene would stick around to shoot the breeze with Dad, but things have been a little strained between them since the divorce.
    “Hey,” mutters Caleb as he pushes his blond hair out of his eyes and adjusts his