2 The Ghosts Upstairs

by SUE FINEMAN

  “I gotta go. Ted’s back.”

  “Tell Leonard I said to get his butt out of my apartment.”

  “Okay.”

  Damn him! She divorced him for good reason, and she didn’t want him back.

  Kayla warmed some soup in the microwave and sat at the kitchen island with the phone. While the soup cooled, she called Mr. Clapp to ask about her inheritance. “I don’t mean to be a pest, but I thought I’d have it by now.”

  “I thought so too, Miss Ainsworth, but the death of one of the heirs caused a delay.”

  Benton.

  “I’ll have it for you tomorrow afternoon, if you’d like to pick up a check. Or I can direct deposit it to a bank account if you’d like.”

  The only bank accounts she had were in Memphis, and she’d never taken Leonard’s name off them. Putting her money in those accounts would be like throwing it away. “I’ll pick it up, Mr. Clapp.”

  “You won’t want to carry the check around. It’s a lot of money.”

  “It is? How much?”

  “Just over a half-million.”

  “Oh, my God.” Her lips said the words, but nothing came out of her mouth.

  When she didn’t speak for several seconds, he said, “Miss Ainsworth?”

  “I-I’m stunned. Eleanor left the house in such sad condition, I didn’t think she had any money left.”

  “She had a substantial amount left, which I divided among all the living cousins I could find. I’m not deducting taxes, so you’ll want to consult with an accountant, and you’ll probably need an investment advisor.”

  “Yes, sir, I will. I’ll pick up the check tomorrow afternoon, around two?”

  “That’s fine. My assistant will have it for you at the front desk.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Clapp.”

  “You’re quite welcome, Miss Ainsworth.”

  Kayla hung up and let out a loud whoop. She’d never seen that much money in her whole entire life. All this time, she’d tried not to get her hopes up, and now she was richer than she’d ever dreamed possible.

  She couldn’t wait to tell Billy the good news.

  Chapter Seventeen

  At the end of the school day, Billy cleaned out his office in the locker room. He kept workout clothes there, because he often worked out before or after school. Knowing he might not be allowed to finish out the week, he filled out the paperwork on his gym classes, packed his gym bag and other personal items, and returned to his social studies classroom.

  He was finished teaching his classes, but there were final exams to grade, and he had to turn in the final grades to the office, so the seniors could graduate on Saturday.

  Georgia walked into his classroom. “Sorry to bother you, but I need a ride home.”

  “What happened to your car?”

  Her eyes filled with tears. “My parents took my car and my cell phone.”

  Billy pushed the door closed. “Sit down, Georgia. What did they say?”

  “That they weren’t supporting me any more, that if I wanted a car and phone I’d have to pay for them myself.”

  “Kayla gets by without a cell phone.”

  “I know.”

  Billy knew it wasn’t the things her parents took as much as their attitude. Georgia was one of the best kids he’d ever met, but in her parents’ eyes, she’d done something unforgivable. She’d gotten pregnant. “I’m sorry they did that to you, Georgia. You deserve better.”

  She burst into tears he knew she’d been holding back. “They hate me.”

  “They don’t hate you. They’re angry because they can’t control the situation. Once the baby is born—”

  “I don’t want them around my baby.” She wiped her nose and eyes and lifted her chin. “I don’t need them.”

  Yes, she did need them, now more than ever, but she obviously couldn’t count on them. Maybe that would change after the baby came.

  Georgia’s situation made him appreciate his parents even more. If Charlie got a girl pregnant, Dad would explode and give him the mother of all lectures, and then they’d do whatever they could to support the girl. Had Georgia even met Dustin’s parents? They probably weren’t in any position to help her financially, but she needed moral support more than money right now. Her trust fund would help pay her expenses.

  “I heard what you did with the boys in gym class today. Everyone is talking about it.”

  His lips pulled into a smile. He wasn’t ashamed of what he’d done, even though it cost him his job. “Yeah, I guess we’re both having a bad day. I’m not sure they’ll let me come back tomorrow, so I want to grade these final exams today and get my grade sheets turned in before I leave. Go wash your face and clean out your locker while I do this. Are you finished with your finals?”

  “Almost. I have my English final tomorrow morning and then I’m done.”

  She left the room, and Billy sighed deeply. He couldn’t support someone else’s kid, but he couldn’t throw her out. The kid needed more than a place to sleep. She needed emotional support and encouragement, and she wouldn’t get it from her parents.

  An hour later, he had the finals graded and the paperwork turned in to the office, including his written resignation. Georgia sat quietly in the back of his classroom, studying for her English exam. She’d stopped crying, but the defeated look in her eyes tore at him.

  He ran into Mrs. Packard in the parking lot. Georgia tossed her backpack in the back of his truck and slid into the front seat while Billy stepped away to speak privately with the principal.

  “I heard what you did today, Billy. It was completely against school policy, but on a personal level, I applaud you for taking a stand and talking with the boys. You do know you’re burning your bridges?”

  “I know, but today I felt more like a teacher than I ever have.”

  She unlocked her car. “I expect to hear from the other members of the board tonight.”

  He nodded. When Elizabeth Banning heard what he’d done today, she’d be livid. “Be sure to tell them it was my decision to teach the sex class, not yours.”

  She waved the thought away. “Will you be back tomorrow?”

  “I’ll bring Georgia to school and pick her up. If you don’t want me here—”

  Her eyes sparkled. “On the contrary. From what I hear, I expect some of the students will want to speak with you. Maybe borrow a book or ask questions.”

  “Then I’ll be here.”

  He drove home and pulled in the loop in front of the house. Kayla came out to meet him. “You have company. Four boys, and they’re not the same ones who were here for the prom.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “These kids are younger.”

  Georgia grabbed her backpack. “They’re probably here for their sex ed class. They want you to teach them all the naughty stuff.”

  He swung his jacket at her. “Smartass kid.”

  She smiled and walked into the house.

  Kayla looked around. “Billy, where’s Georgia’s car?”

  “Her parents took it today, along with her cell phone.”

  “Oh, no,” she said on a breath. “She can’t even get a job without transportation.”

  “Then talk to Mr. Clapp about transferring Eleanor’s car to your name, and give Georgia your van. Dad won’t let the boys drive it, and if you try to sell it, you won’t get much for it.”

  “Get much? I’d probably have to pay someone to haul it off. Okay, I’ll take care of it tomorrow.”

  Billy gathered the books from behind his seat and carried them inside. Kayla grabbed his gym bag and opened the front door. He walked past the four boys standing in the foyer and dropped his books on the desk in the study. The kids followed him.

  “What can I do for you, boys?” he asked them.

  “We want the same thing you gave to the juniors and seniors today.”

  He fought a smile. “A final exam?”

  “Sex education,” said one of the kids, who blushed a deep red
.

  Billy propped his hip on the corner of his desk and held back a laugh. “How old are you?”

  “Old enough,” said one boy.

  “Yeah, we’re old enough,” said another

  Billy cocked his head. “Old enough to have sex?”

  One kid nodded, and another elbowed him. “Old enough to learn about sex,” the second kid said.

  Billy crossed his arms. “Do your parents know you’re here?”

  “My mother does,” said the blond boy. “And she knows why. She said it was a good idea, since my dad isn’t around anymore.”

  “My dad’s around,” said another kid, “but he won’t answer any questions. Says to ask my mother. As if I’m gonna ask her to tell me about sex. She’s a girl.”

  These boys were students at the academy, but they were too young for his classes.

  “Tell you what. You can come back next week… Wednesday afternoon… and I’ll tell you what you want to know. But I want a signed note from a parent.”

  Two kids groaned.

  “No problem,” said the blond kid. “Mom said she can’t believe they don’t teach it at the academy.”

  “I can’t either,” said Billy, “but that’s what the board wants.”

  “But you taught it today.”

  “Only because I won’t be there next year. They can’t fire me because I already quit.”

  The boys all talked at once, and he looked over to see Kayla standing in the doorway, a stunned look on her face. He stood. “I’ll see you all next week. Wednesday at one-thirty.”

  As soon as the front door closed behind the boys, Kayla said, “Tell me.”

  “I quit.”

  “Liar. Tell me the truth. It was me, wasn’t it?”

  He pushed past her. “Get out of my head, Kayla. I don’t want you messing in my head.”

  “I’ll leave tomorrow.”

  “No, you won’t,” he yelled.

  Her hands flew to her hips. “Yes, I will! You go back to that school and get your job back. Tell them I won’t be living here anymore.”

  “I’m not working there again. I’ll find another job.”

  “You stubborn—”

  “Yes, I am. So what!”

  She stormed off to the back of the house, leaving him standing there alone. He’d thrown away his job for her, and now she was angry? He started to punch the wall and pulled back just in time. The paint was still damp, and the painter’s truck was parked out front. He’d probably heard everything. So had Georgia.

  He looked up and around. The creamy yellowish color Kayla had chosen was perfect in here. It reminded him of French vanilla ice cream. He’d need a new runner on the stairway, but she’d polished the sides of the steps and the banister. She’d polished nearly everything in this house. And she was probably upstairs packing to leave.

  He took the stairs two at a time and found Kayla in the bedroom, suitcase on the bed and clothes strewn around. He couldn’t let her go. “Kayla, please don’t go like this. I need you, and so does Georgia. After that run-in with her parents, she’s hurting.”

  She sank to the bed beside her suitcase. “I know she’s hurting. So are you.” She looked up, her eyes filled with anguish. “I didn’t want this to happen. I didn’t want you to lose your job over me. It isn’t fair.”

  “I didn’t lose my job. I taught classes on sexual misconceptions today, and that’s a no-no at the academy. I knew it before I opened my big mouth. So I turned in my resignation. I’ll finish out the week and find myself another job. I’m capable of earning a living.”

  “I know that, Billy. You can do anything you put your mind to. But you’re not telling me the truth.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I just know. Someone complained about me, didn’t they?”

  He pushed her suitcase back and sat beside her on the bed. He couldn’t lie to her now, because she already knew. What made him think he could date a psychic without her knowing everything before he told her? “We have Steve Sullivan to blame for this. He told his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Banning, who serves on the board, that you’re a topless waitress and you’re living with me.”

  She sighed. “If I live to be a hundred, I’ll never understand people like that. He ripped my top open himself, and now he’s accusing me of being topless? He’s almost as bad as that dirty cop who put his hands on me and stole my tip money.”

  “Did they take Sullivan in that night?”

  “Yes. I don’t think they charged him with anything, even though he left handprints and bite marks on my breasts.”

  “Did they take a picture of that?”

  “The cops didn’t, but one of the TV stations did. They didn’t show it on television, but they did mention it on the news the next day. It’s one reason they closed the club.”

  Billy flipped open his cell phone and called his father’s office. He gave him all the details, including what had happened at school that day. “Is there anything we can do from here?”

  “Besides sue the son-of-a-bitch?”

  “I don’t want to sue Sullivan; I just want to discredit him.”

  “You want your job back?”

  “I want my reputation back so I can get a job somewhere else, and I want a reference from the academy.”

  “I’ll need a date, the name of the club, the name of the other girl involved, and any other information you can give me before I contact anyone in Memphis.”

  “I’ll have it for you tonight.”

  “For what it’s worth, I’m proud of you for taking a stand today, son.”

  “It’s worth a lot, Dad.” No matter what, his family stood behind him. Aside from Maggie and Eleanor, they always had.

  After he ended his phone call, Billy wrapped his arms around Kayla and pulled her close. “I’m sorry I yelled at you, honey. It’s been one helluva day.”

  “If I leave now—”

  “It won’t make any difference. I can’t teach there again, and I don’t want you going back to Memphis now.”

  Kayla leaned into him and sighed deeply. She should have left weeks ago, before Billy gave up his job for her. No matter what he said, she knew that was what he’d done. She felt it the minute she opened the front door.

  “Georgia finally realizes she’s trading the life of her baby for the love and support of her parents.”

  “It’s their loss.”

  Billy nodded. “Yes, it’s their loss.”

  Kayla didn’t tell Billy about her inheritance. She couldn’t tell him now. Once school was out for the summer and he found another job, she’d tell him. So much of his identity as a man was tied up in his work. In his teaching. He knew he was good at what he did, but that was gone, taken away by a loud drunk who couldn’t keep his hands and mouth off her body.

  It wasn’t right to make Billy pay the price for what Steve Sullivan had done. It wasn’t fair for him to lose his job over a decision she’d made before they even met. It was her choice to stay at the club after they went topless, although at the time she didn’t think it would stay topless. She’d stayed because she knew the novelty would bring in a lot of customers, and that meant big tips. The boss promised her she could keep her clothes on or she would have looked for another job. But she couldn’t blame the boss. She could have left – she should have left – when he made the announcement a month before the switch.

  Back then, she didn’t have anyone else to worry about but herself. And Buford, of course. She’d already dumped Leonard, and her divorce was pending. If he hadn’t stolen all her money, she wouldn’t have been so worried about finding another job.

  What would Leonard think if he knew she’d inherited so much money? He’d want some, of course, but he didn’t deserve spit. Neither did Norma. If Norma knew, she’d dump Ted and come to Ohio to mooch off her like she’d done since they were little girls.

  Norma was selling her baby like it was a purebred puppy. Ted smelled money, and knowing him, he’d want to get her pregnant again
right away, so they’d have another baby to sell. Norma was too stupid to see Ted wasn’t looking out for her. He was looking out for himself, as always.

  <>

  On Tuesday, the painter finished the foyer and started on the second floor hallway. He was still working when Kayla left to pick up her check from Mr. Clapp. She’d asked him to write something saying Eleanor’s Mercedes belonged to her now. She couldn’t register it in her name or buy car insurance without something to show it was hers.

  As soon as she left Mr. Clapp’s office, she opened two bank accounts and deposited the check. She put most of the money in her savings account and all the rest except a thousand dollars in her checking account. The amount was closer to six-hundred-thousand than a half-million, but she wasn’t complaining. A bunch of that would have to go for taxes, but that couldn’t be helped.

  When she got home, Billy and Georgia were there. “How was your day?” she asked them.

  Georgia’s eyes lit up. “Mine was great. I aced my English final. Billy had a busy day. A bunch of kids went to the gym to learn about sex.”

  “The principal didn’t stop it?”

  He shrugged and grinned. “She loves me.”

  “So do I, but I’m not your boss.”

  “She’s retiring, and she agrees with me about the need for sex education.”

  “What about the board?”

  “Two members sat in the gym during my lunch hour. We had nearly sixty kids there that hour, both boys and girls. I gave them my misconceptions lecture.”

  “It was awesome,” said Georgia.

  “You were there?”

  “I wouldn’t have missed it. There weren’t as many girls there as boys, but most of the seniors were there.”

  Billy was acting like he’d pulled a major coup, and in some ways he had. She had to remind herself he’d lost his job and no longer had a paycheck. But the kids loved him, and for good reason. He gave them what they wanted, even though it broke all the rules. They needed him almost as much as he needed them.

  “What did the board members do?”

  “They just sat there and listened,” said Georgia. “Mrs. Banning looked like she was gonna swallow her tongue a couple times, but they didn’t interrupt. It wasn’t like he drew pictures or anything. He just talked about how people didn’t have all the facts they needed to keep themselves safe.”