by Raven Snow
“Because you were always checking in on her?”
“Yeah.”
“She didn’t like anything about you coming by? Not even the company?”
“I dunno. I don’t think so. She had friends that came over.”
“So what made your visits different than her friends coming over?” Rowen tried to keep her tone casual. It wasn’t right to try and manipulate the boy into providing her with answers, but there were things she was desperate to know. “Was it that she thought you were fussing over her more than they did?”
“She said we only visited because we wanted all her stuff when she was dead.”
“Oh.” Rowen hadn’t expected him to just come right out and say something like that. “But she didn’t have a will. She must have known that you and your family visited her for more reasons than that.”
“I guess.” Ty didn’t look so sure.
“I bet everyone thought she had a will,” said Willow. All this talk had managed to drag her away from her phone. Rowen wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Willow could really put her foot in her mouth sometimes.
Fortunately, Ty didn’t seem put off by what Willow had said. “Yeah, everyone just kind of assumed she had a will because…” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Because otherwise everything would go to a Greensmith or a son who married a Greensmith,” Willow finished for him. “And she super hated us Greensmiths, right?”
“She was an old lady who was racist and close-minded and junk. She didn’t like a lot of people, but yeah. I guess everyone figured she had a will just so everything wouldn’t go to you guys. The house was important to her, so… I mean, I’m not sure why there wasn’t a will, but whatever.” Yet again, he looked down at his phone.
Rowen considered all of that. Surely it was enough for some of the family to harbor ill will against her. “How do your mother and sister feel about all of this?”
Ty looked up again. He didn’t answer immediately. It was like he wasn’t sure if he should answer their questions all of a sudden. After several seconds of silence, he shrugged. “Kate is really mad, but she’s always a pain. Mom is mad too, but she keeps trying to act like she isn’t.”
“Then how can you tell she’s mad?”
“Because she acts the same stupid way every time she’s mad. She thinks Dad is being spineless. That’s the word she uses, spineless. When I get married, I’m not going to put up with that. Dad lets people walk all over him too much.”
“So you’re saying he is spineless,” said Willow.
Ty looked at Willow. He frowned at first, but that didn’t last long. “Yeah,” he said with the faintest of smirks. “I guess he kind of is. I’m not sure why Mom and Kate complain though. Most of the time, they can get him to do whatever they want.”
“Like what?” pressed Willow, leaning forward as if genuinely interested. She still dressed in short skirts and cute, frilly blouses. She had a way with people, young ones especially. Maybe it was because she was still very immature herself.
“Well, Mom doesn’t make a ton of money out at the stables. She likes working there. Plus, this past year, she bought a horse there. So now she’s at home even less. And then there’s Kate. She complained so much when she turned sixteen that Dad up and gave her a car. She doesn’t have to pay for her own gas or insurance or anything. It’s stupid.”
“Does your dad do anything for you?”
“Not like that,” Ty said immediately, looking down at his phone again. Rowen suspected that that meant his father did do things for him. Ty either considered them less substantial than the things done for his mother and sister or he just plain didn’t want to mention them. He didn’t want to make himself look bad after all that complaining he had done. Rowen didn’t press him anymore, and she motioned for Willow to quiet down when she opened her mouth to ask another question.
Willow raised an eyebrow at Rowen but, in the end, simply looked down at her phone. Rowen was grateful she hadn’t argued. She used the intervening time before Shane and Benji returned to try and get a feel for the house.
Bertha? Rowen called mentally, projecting her thoughts outward. Bertha, are you still here? There was no answer, nor did Rowen feel the presence of anyone nearby. It seemed to be as Rowen had expected; Bertha wasn’t the sort to linger around after death. Whatever had happened to her, she had already moved on. That was good for her and all, but it did make figuring this whole thing out more difficult.
That was if there was even anything to figure out.
Chapter Eight
“I’m not sure I blame him,” said Reginald. The statement earned him a glare from his wife.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lydia looked to Rowen. “I’m sorry about him. He doesn’t know what he’s saying.”
“I didn’t say I like him,” Reginald said quickly. “I’m just saying that I don’t see why he can’t inherit the house. It was left to him. That’s that. If a house was left to me I wouldn’t just give it to someone else because they felt they deserved it more than I did.”
Lydia huffed but didn’t seem to have a good response to that. She set about straightening the shelf of candles in front of her instead. It was already in order, but no one was going to mention that.
Reginald watched his wife for a few long seconds. He was probably trying to decide whether he should apologize or not. Between this and the kids, things had probably been strained between the two recently. In the end, Reginald looked to Rowen. “You deserve better,” he said, and it sounded earnest, like he meant it. “Just try not to feel any residual guilt over this whole… whether or not he’s the one who deserves what he’s getting thing. You certainly shouldn’t be feeling any guilt on his behalf.”
That was easier said than done. Rowen couldn’t just will what she was feeling away. There was a lot that was weighing heavily on her. “Me telling myself not to feel guilty isn’t going to change what the family thinks.”
“That’s what I’m saying,” insisted Reginald. “What they think really doesn’t matter. If they’re angry with you, that’s their problem.”
“It becomes my problem when they go on television and say horrible things about my family.” Rowen had since watched the segment Rose had called to tell her about. There hadn’t actually been an interview, at least not one that had taken place on air. The interview had been anonymous. There was a chance it wasn’t even from the Trainer family, but Rowen found it hard to believe that it could have been from anyone else. The things said were too personal, too angry. There was even some accusatory talk about whether or not the Greensmiths had used magic for things to fall in their favor. They hadn’t used the word magic exactly. The term used had been something like, “their usual tricks.” Still, it was obvious what they meant by that.
There was a lot of blame placed on Desmond as well. Rowen couldn’t be sure how to feel about that. She was conflicted. On the one hand, he had arrived at a very convenient time. On the other hand, he hadn’t struck Rowen as a murderer. Then again, she barely knew the guy. She had only talked to him once in her entire life. Even with her ability to get a read on people using her “usual tricks”, she couldn’t say for sure that she knew exactly what he was and wasn’t capable of.
“From what I’ve seen, Lainswich is going to blame your family regardless of what’s going on,” Reginald said, as if Rowen’s concerns were no great bother to him.
“You’re in this family now too, you know,” Lydia pointed out, still passive aggressively sorting candles.
Reginald looked down at his wife, a frown on his face like he was all too aware of how angry she was. “I know,” he assured her. “And as a relatively new addition to this family, I feel I’m a little more objective.”
“Well, as a more experienced member of this family, I think Rowen has every right to be angry.” Lydia had flown past passive aggression and was now flat out sorting the candles aggressively. The little glass containers they were in clink
ed together in rapid succession.
Reginald rolled his eyes, his head lolling to one side like he was exhausted by Lydia being argumentative already. “No one is saying she doesn’t have any right to be angry.” He fixed Rowen with a stern look, making sure that his gaze met hers. “Rowen, you have every right to be angry,” he said, firmly and most likely for Lydia’s benefit. “All I’m saying is that this isn’t worth the energy. It’ll pass. This sort of thing always does. You’re not in the wrong here. No one is as far as I can see.”
“You don’t see quite like we do,” Lydia reminded her husband, like he needed reminding. “Rowen clearly suspects something more sinister going on. It’s being caught in the middle that’s troubling her.”
Reginald and Lydia didn’t seem to be talking to Rowen anymore, even though she was standing right next to them. She had come here for support and maybe a little advice. Instead, Rowen had started up a lover’s spat.
“And, again, I would like to point out that this also happens with regularity,” Reginald countered.
Rowen threw up her hands before Lydia could respond to that. “Never mind, okay?” Rowen had gone to Odds & Ends for some advice and maybe some moral support as well. Her aunt and uncle using her as an excuse to bicker definitely wasn’t what she’d had in mind. “I’ll just… I’ll show myself out.”
“Rowen,” said Reginald.
“Sweetheart, you don’t have to go,” said Lydia. Both she and her husband were looking at her now, like she was the most important thing in the room all of a sudden, like they hadn’t been arguing relentlessly until just now.
“It’s fine. Really. Clearly you two have… other things to deal with.” Rowen headed for the back of the shop. She moved through the dark back room used for Tarot readings and into the stock room. She was working her way through the maze of highly stacked boxes when her cell phone rang. Rowen steadied a box of tumbled rocks she had nearly knocked over with a hip check with one hand and reached into her purse with the other. The face of the phone said that it was Rose calling. Rowen touched a button on the screen and brought the phone to her ear. “What’s up?”
“Hey. Are you free to talk?” Rose’s quiet tone made it sound like she had some secrets to divulge. It made Rowen look around herself out of instinct, making sure she was alone.
“I’m at the shop. Your mom and Reginald are out front bickering. I’m back in the stock room about to leave. What’s up?”
Rose groaned. “They’re still fighting? What’s it about now?”
“Me,” Rowen admitted sheepishly. “Me and this case, whether the whole thing is worth getting worried about.”
“It’s not your fault,” Rose said quickly. “They’ve been arguing over every little thing lately. I’m sure it has more to do with those kids than it does with you.” She fell silent for a moment. Rowen didn’t feel comfortable interrupting the silence. It felt like Rose still had something to say, she was just having trouble figuring out what. “I hope this isn’t a relationship ender for them,” said Rose, her tone a little defeated, like she knew she had no power over the situation either way. “I really like Reginald. I know I probably don’t show it as well as I could, but I think he’s a good guy. He’s a good match for Mom. She’s difficult, but… I don’t know. I always thought they played off of each other well. They seemed really… compatible.”
“Every good relationship has its bumps,” Rowen said, mostly to try and keep Rose from worrying too much. It wasn’t like she could predict the future. That wasn’t her gift.
“Yeah,” Rose relented. “I guess they do.” She didn’t sound like she necessarily believed that. She changed the subject regardless. “Anyway, I’ve been looking into the Trainer family some more.”
“Is this about Channel 2?” Rowen could feel cold dread rising in her chest. What else might have been said about the Greensmiths on television?
“No, it’s not that,” Rose said quickly. “Even though, yeah, they have been revisiting the whole thing throughout the day. I swear, you’d think it was the biggest news in town.”
“It kind of is.”
“Only because Lainswich enjoys blaming us so much.” There was some exasperation and genuine anger in Rose’s voice. That wasn’t like her at all. She must have decided as much herself because she took a deep, cleansing breath. “I have Margo talking with them about that. You know how that goes. She might get through to Julia, she might not.
“It should be old news soon enough, right?” Rowen still had that gut feeling that something was amiss, but she hadn’t actually found any proof to back it up. Usually she didn’t give up on those gut feelings of hers, but she was more concerned about defusing the tension of her family at the moment. “It’s a tragedy, but there was no crime as far as anyone can tell.”
Rose didn’t say anything at first, though her silence spoke volumes. There was something amiss. “I’ve been looking into the family some more,” began Rose. She lowered her voice again, speaking barely above a whisper. “You have quite a few more distant relatives.”
“Really?” That had caught Rowen by surprise. Why it caught her by surprise she couldn’t say. It should be a given that the Trainers most likely had other family in Lainswich. The obvious hadn’t occurred to Rowen until right now.
“Really,” Rose confirmed. “You have a great aunt who’s living in a nursing home.”
“Is that it?” Rowen had expected more names based on Rose’s phrasing.
“In a way… Shane’s father died a couple of years ago. A year before that, his mother died. It looks like the cause of death was medical malpractice with the latter. I’m not sure exactly what happened there. It looks like there was some sort of settlement out of court, so I doubt I’ll be able to find out. The family on Lacie’s side appears to have moved away. Granted, they aren’t related to you by blood. I just thought that was interesting.”
“Why?”
“Well, for a few reasons. First, the grandfather and grandmother both had wills. Apparently, it was very important to them. The need for a will was stressed to them by their own parents who were Bertha’s parents as well.”
“So maybe Bertha never got around to creating a will. That’s pretty common, right? I bet most people who die don’t have a will already made out.”
“Yes, but that’s the thing. Bertha did have a will. At least, according to Ben she had one at one time in her life. Don’t tell anyone that I told you that. I’m not putting it in the papers.”
“Yeah, of course.” Rowen knew better than to rat out Ben. If Rose was choosing to tell her all of this, it meant that the information was important as well as relevant to her personally. “So, what? Is there a will hidden out there?”
“I don’t know,” Rose admitted. “She didn’t leave a copy with the lawyer. I figure the Trainer family figures that there is a will out there somewhere. Given that your father wandered into town the night she died, they might suspect him of meddling with things. Best case scenario, they think he happened upon his aunt and adoptive mother dead, found the will, and stole it. Worst case scenario, maybe they think he was somehow responsible for her death and stole the will after that.”
“He’s not a murderer,” Rowen said immediately. Her own knee jerk reaction surprised her. She barely knew her father. Who was she to say that he wasn’t a murderer? “I mean… Why would he be that stupid? Surely, he would know that the whole thing would look suspicious. He can’t be that dumb.”
“I don’t know… and neither do you when we get down to it.” Rose’s voice was still quiet, but it had taken on a very gentle quality as well. “I know this isn’t easy for you, but we need to explore all the possibilities.”
“All right, then let’s hear the other possibilities.”
“Well…” The way Rose trailed off strongly implied that she hadn’t given other possibilities a whole lot of thought. Either that or she didn’t want Rowen showing favor to one just because it meant her father was innocent. If that was the c
ase, Rowen couldn’t say she was wrong for it. Inexplicably, Rowen was feeling some bizarre urge to defend her father. “There’s always the possibility that the Trainers were pressuring their family members into leaving everything to them. That is what the grandparents did. That seems normal, though.”
“Was the family taking care of them before they died?”
“The grandfather, yes. The grandmother was in and out of the hospital a lot. That’s where she finally died. The family probably visited, but I doubt they were responsible for taking care of her or looking in on her. She lived with her husband before things went south.”
“And this great aunt of mine?”
“Is living in a home, like I said.”
“Which sort of destroys any kind of inheritance she could leave behind. Unless the woman was sitting on top of a small fortune.”
“She wasn’t as far as I can tell.”
“So maybe she did that out of spite. Maybe the Trainers were trying to make sure Bertha’s will wasn’t leaving everything to my dad. Maybe that made Bertha resentful and that’s when she went and got rid of her will. Maybe her sister did the same out of solidarity.”
“Maybe,” Rose agreed, though her tone of voice suggested that, even though she had brought up the possibility, she didn’t place a whole lot of stock in it. “Did Shane seem like the sort of person to do that?”
Rowen wanted to say that he was, but she couldn’t. She had met the man a few times now. He had seemed reasonable, polite even. “I don’t know,” she admitted with a sigh. “But what if it wasn’t him? He has a wife, right?”
“Did she seem capable of that sort of thing?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t really meet her. She was at the memorial, but she only glared at me. So, yeah. As far as I know she’s a bad person.”
“There’s a wide gap between glaring at someone and pressuring old ladies into putting you in their will.”
“Is there? I don’t think it’s any less likely than my father having something to do with all of this.”
