by Jack Parker
Thursday
Gracie let Meredith lead the way to the front door and ring the bell. She could tell the teacher was nervous; she jingled her keys and turned her head to glance at Gracie as if to make sure she was still there. "I'm here," Gracie whispered. After a moment's thought she gently patted Meredith's shoulder.
Just as Meredith raised her hand to ring the bell a second time the door opened. A mousy 50-ish woman stood there staring out at the two people on the porch. She said nothing.
"Hi! I'm Meredith Rodgers," Meredith said in a cheery tone.
It took a moment for the woman to recognize the name. "Oh, you're John's sister," she said tonelessly.
"Yes, I am," Meredith stated. "And as such I think I should participate in this meeting tonight. The issues affect me, too. Loretta told me I should come."
"Oh, um, well of course," the woman said. "Come on in, then. I'm Karen Stubblefield, Charlie's wife." She opened the door wider and stepped back to give them room to enter the house.
"So nice to see you again Karen," Meredith said smoothly, ignoring the fact that she hadn't recognized the woman. "This is my friend Gracie Greene. Ah, I see everyone's in the living room." She walked past Karen without waiting for an invitation to join the group.
"Hello, Gracie," Karen said as if by rote. She trailed the newcomers into the living room.
Gracie thought the woman must be used to being told what to do. Though she clearly didn't recognize Meredith she'd let her push her way into the house on the strength of her claim that Loretta said it was okay. Did that indicate some history between Loretta and Karen? Or maybe between Loretta and Charlie; perhaps if Karen did something to upset Loretta then Charlie would suffer for it. Or maybe, she thought, Charlie's ordered her around so long that she's in the habit of deferring to everyone.
"Meredith! It's so good to see you. You look great!"
"Hi, Loretta," Meredith said warmly. "Thanks. You're looking good, how are you doing?"
Loretta, still gushing about Meredith's appearance, jumped up from her place on the couch and threw her arms around the teacher. She was an attractive brunette with short curly hair, though she could stand to lose about 25 pounds. When she backed away enough so that Gracie could get a good look at her face it was clear that although she dressed like a younger woman she was pushing 50. There was no gray in her hair, but dye could easily account for that. However, makeup couldn't completely smooth the lines on her face; lines that looked as if they came from scrunching up her face in pain. Gracie saw no stiffness in Loretta's movements that indicated any health problems, but knew that didn't mean very much. She acted a little giddy; perhaps she'd taken a pain pill.
"Who's your friend?" Loretta asked brightly.
"Everyone, this is Gracie Greene," Meredith announced. "She's a good friend of mine, and a really intelligent young lady." She paused to make sure everyone was looking at them. "I asked her to come along because she lost her father just last year. Unlike John, Gracie's father was murdered – and do you know what she did? She went out and figured out whodunit! Anyway, she has a Trust and I thought perhaps her experiences might help us sort this thing out."
"Hi, everyone," Gracie said, blushing. She'd known this was coming, but still felt embarrassed. Still, her mother had taught her to be polite so she tried to look sympathetic as she said, "I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thank you, Miss Greene." The woman who had spoken was a 40-ish skinny redhead.
Meredith nodded at her. "You must be Ashley," she said. "It's so nice to finally meet you."
A stocky man sitting to one side muttered, "Who invited you?"
"Oh, Loretta did, Charlie," Karen piped up helpfully.
Charlie's worn jeans, faded cotton shirt, and scuffed cowboy boots made Gracie think he was a man used to hard physical labor. A lined and deeply tanned face added to the image. While his body was thick he didn't appear to be overweight; Gracie imagined his naturally squat body had been covered with muscles during a lifetime's hard work. For all his snotty comment there was an air of honesty in his broad face.
Charlie directed a glare at Loretta.
"Oopsie!" Loretta twittered, winking in Meredith's direction.
"Well, after all she is John's sister," said a diminutive, wrinkled woman from the depths of an armchair well padded with pillows.
Gracie gave her the once-over. Her coal-black hair was obviously dyed, and carefully styled. Even in this informal setting she wore an expensive pantsuit in vibrant purple, rings on her fingers (though not a wedding ring) as well as earrings and a necklace. Quite the clotheshorse, she thought.
Meredith turned to face her. "Hello, Robbie. How are you doing?" She approached the chair with her hand extended to shake the old woman's hand. As she got close enough to do so Robbie suddenly sneezed explosively. Meredith backed away quickly.
Robbie reached for a tissue from the table beside her and blew her nose loudly. "Sorry," she said, though her tone belied the sentiment. "It's this rainy September weather; I've caught an awful cold. My doctor says I need to rest, but I just can't until we get this Trust deal settled. Social Security pays the bills, but I'd like to know for sure what's available and when I can get it. I don't want to be stuck here, surviving on Alpo; there are all the doctor bills and my arthritis has been acting up, too."
Loretta interrupted before her mother could continue her litany of complaints. "How about I fix you another cup of coffee? That should help warm you up, and I'll bring one for our guests."
"Well, okay, but I'll just have to get up and go to the bathroom in a few minutes," Robbie replied.
"Meredith, Gracie, find a seat anywhere," Loretta waved a hand in the general direction of the living room. "You do remember Jason and Cindy, don't you? Cindy put together that lovely slideshow for John's funeral."
Gracie studied the 30-ish couple while Meredith shook hands and pretended to be glad to see them again. Jason was a short pudgy man with a pasty complexion; Cindy was a quiet woman with an air of confidence, and preened under Loretta's praise. Each glanced the other's direction often, as if seeking permission to interact with others. Or maybe, Gracie thought, neither was sure how to react to Meredith. She noticed that while they both dressed in fairly expensive clothes they seemed uncomfortable in them, as if they were wardrobe for a role as yuppies.
Meredith looked around for a place to sit, but there were no seats available. "I'll just bring in a couple of chairs from the dining room," she said.
"I'll help you with the coffee, Loretta," Gracie volunteered.
The three of them left the room, cutting a corner of the entryway into the tiny dining area. Meredith hefted a chair by its back and returned the way she'd come. Gracie followed Loretta through the dining room into the kitchen beyond.
Loretta pulled three cups from a cabinet and set them on the counter. "Gracie, I am so sorry to hear you've lost your father," she said in a sugary tone. "And Meredith said he was murdered? How absolutely horrible. I just know you were devastated by it all, and it must be dreadful for you to have to go through it all again with your friend. I can't imagine why you'd want to dredge it all up again."
Gracie had poured two cups of coffee and now paused to answer. "It's precisely because I know how bad it is that I want to help," she replied. Was Loretta hinting that she shouldn't get involved? She lifted the pot to pour the last cup.
"Not yet!" Loretta cried.
Gracie's hand jerked and she spilled coffee on the counter. It wasn't the only spot, either. Apparently Robbie wasn't a very good housekeeper as the sink was full of dirty dishes too.
Loretta's face crinkled into a grin. "Robbie likes a little something extra," she said, reaching into another cabinet. "We all pretend it's just coffee."
Gracie was busy wiping up the spill and didn't see what Loretta had taken from the cabinet, but she smelled the strong odor of alcohol.
"So, Gracie, if you don't mind my asking, how was your father killed?"
"He was shot," Gra
cie replied bluntly. She did mind being asked, and was rapidly beginning to see why Meredith disliked this woman. She was too saccharine and her affability seemed to have an agenda as if she were probing for information that might be used against Gracie at some later date.
"Oh," Loretta said rather disappointedly. "I thought maybe he'd been smothered with a pillow, or been given too many – or not enough – of some kind of medication." She met Gracie's eyes. "But then I guess that only happens to old men, huh?"
Was there a significant gleam in Loretta's eye? Gracie wasn't sure. Could she possibly be suggesting that John hadn't died a natural death? To cover her unease she filled Robbie's cup. "I wouldn't know. Dad wasn't an old man."
Karen stepped into the dining area to see what they were doing. "I'm sorry, Loretta, but Robbie wants to know what's taking so long. She wants to get this over with so she can eat and get to bed. You know she's in bed by 9:00 every night."
The last statement contained a hint of sarcasm that surprised Gracie. She'd bet Karen would never have said it in front of her husband. Gracie picked up the two cups of plain coffee and started out of the kitchen.
"I'll bring Robbie's in a minute," Loretta said. "I need to make a fresh pot. We may need it to get through this discussion."
"You go on in, I'll take care of it," Karen said. "I don't really have anything to say about this."
As Gracie walked slowly into the living room, trying not to spill the coffee, she heard Meredith loudly say, "It's about time!"
Gracie stopped suddenly, which caused hot coffee to slosh over the rim and splash her leg. "Owww!" she cried.
Loretta, who had been right behind her, deftly took both cups from Gracie's hand and put all three on the coffee table. "Are you all right, Gracie? Did you burn yourself?"
Gracie reached down to pinch the wet denim and pull it away from her leg. "No, it just surprised me; it wasn't that hot. How'd you balance three cups that way?"
"I was a waitress in another life," Loretta said airily as she retrieved Robbie's cup and handed it to her.
Gracie thought Robbie had an aggrieved look on her face and wondered what conversation she'd missed. She turned to look at Meredith who looked equally upset.
"Jason, go into John's study and bring in those bags on the desk," Robbie ordered. She turned to glare at Meredith. "I've done the best I could. John had so much junk you wouldn't believe it. I just couldn't make myself go in there and look at it for the longest time; it just didn't seem right for me to go through his things. And it was so much work, I'm not as young as I used to be."
Jason rose from the couch, but stood there uncertainly as his mother ran on.
"Mother, I told you several times that I would take care of it, but you said you could handle it," Ashley said.
"I would've been happy to help," Meredith replied smoothly.
"You could've offered," Robbie said petulantly.
"I didn't want to intrude on your grief," Meredith said. "Besides, you have my phone number; you could've asked for help. And all that junk as you call it was important to John; I'm sure a lot of it will bring back precious memories for me."
"Well, I threw most of it away," Robbie said in an offhand manner.
"What?" Meredith said sharply. "You threw it away? You didn't even ask me if I wanted any of it?" She jumped up and started for the study.
Jason finally moved, following after her. "Here, I'll get it. You don't need to go in there."
Robbie took a sip of her coffee and smiled in surprise, then took another drink. "You weren't interested in coming over before he died," she muttered to no one in particular.
Gracie decided she'd better go check on Meredith so she stood up and went down the hallway, using the loud voices to locate the teacher. The study was nearly empty; the shelves were bare of all but a few books and dents in the carpet showed where furniture had once stood. Meredith was frantically pulling open the drawers of a large desk to find nothing inside.
Meredith straightened up and looked at Jason as if he were something loathsome. "Where's the computer? And all John's books? And his stamp collection – where's that?"
Fine beads of sweat broke out on Jason's upper lip and he pulled at the knot of his tie as if it were strangling him. "Mother didn't think you'd want any of that," he said uneasily.
"Go ahead and tell her, Jason," Loretta said from the doorway, having followed them. "You got the computer."
Jason looked even more uncomfortable at that. "She said I could have it because I had to drive her around taking care of the details of the funeral," he said.
"That was Estate property," Meredith said. "Half the value belongs to me. What about the other things?"
"We couldn't find the stamp collection; John must've got rid of it. Mom sold most of the rest; Cindy put 'em on CraigsList," Jason murmured.
"Sold? You sold John's personal possessions? You didn't even have the common decency to tell me about it so I could have a chance to buy the things that rightfully belonged to me?" Meredith was furious.
Jason looked at a spot on the floor, rather than at Meredith. "I didn't know your phone number."
Meredith took a deep breath to calm herself. "Your mother knew my number. You could've gotten in touch with me if you'd tried."
Jason didn't respond.
Loretta bustled into the room to inspect the two paper grocery bags sitting on the desk. There was a pile of papers beside the bags, folded into thirds; she lifted the top fold and glanced at the writing. "Hmmm, it's got John's lawyer's name on it, you might as well have it since she's not talking to anyone of us these days." She smiled angelically at her brother, daring him to say something. She slid the papers down the side of a bag, then picked it up and handed it to Meredith.
"Thanks, Loretta. I'll just go put this in my car," Meredith said. She cradled the bag like the contents were precious.
Gracie reached for the second bag but Jason finally came alive and grabbed it up. "I'll, uh, help you with this, Meredith."
Gracie preceded them so she could open doors and both bags were placed in the back seat of Meredith's car. Meredith took the keys back from Gracie and made a small production out of locking the car, but Jason had already started back to the house so the show was for nothing.
CHAPTER 60
Thursday
They walked back inside and re-joined the group. Robbie sat there smugly, coffee cup in hand. That's what Meredith meant when she said 'stirring up shit', Gracie mused as she took her seat.
Meredith walked up to Robbie's chair. "Robbie, where are my brother's ashes?" she asked calmly.
Robbie looked surprised. "They're somewhere safe," she replied.
"Where?"
"It's none of your business."
"Robbie, I grant that you have custody of your husband's ashes and can do with them as you please – but I'd really like to just see them. Just once."
Robbie's face had acquired a stubborn look. She took a breath before speaking but Loretta cut in.
"Oh, Mother's put 'em in the garage," Loretta said casually.
Meredith stared at Robbie in disbelief, and Gracie could see her mouth the words 'in the garage'. That certainly wasn't where you'd put something valued; was that an indication of what Robbie thought of her late husband? Meredith turned on her heel and marched out of the room. Charlie heaved himself out of his chair and trotted across the room to get ahead of her and block her way.
"This is Mother's house," Charlie stated. "You weren't even invited here, you have no right to go snooping around." He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to look menacing, though he didn't do a very good job of it.
"I'm not snooping," Meredith informed him. "And not so very long ago this was my brother's house and I had a right to go anywhere in it I pleased. I just want to see the urn since your mother didn't see fit to have it at the funeral."
"It belongs to Mother," Charlie said stubbornly.
Meredith heaved a sigh. "Charlie, you can come with me i
f you like to make sure I don't steal anything. Please, just let me see John's urn."
Charlie remained solidly in position as Ashley spoke up. "As the Personal Representative, I say no. As you pointed out Ms. Rodgers, the urn belongs to Mother and she has already stated her feelings on the matter."
Meredith issued a short bark of a laugh. "What you mean is that Mommie Dearest told you she doesn't want me to see it. Remember Ashley, a PR is supposed to be neutral and you're clearly prejudiced. I'll be sure to let my lawyer know about this." She glared at both of them, then turned and resumed her seat. Charlie sat down as well.
"Okay, I guess we'd better get started so we can get this over with." Ashley cleared her throat; either out of unease or self-importance, it was hard to tell. "The way I see it is that skunk Canardi has something to hide or she'd just turn the papers over and be done with it."
"I think she's dipping into the till," Loretta said.
"Well, she's certainly not on our side," Cindy Wheeler put in with a meaningful glance at Meredith.
Meredith turned her head to gaze thoughtfully at Cindy. "Connie Canardi is on the side of money," she said.
Cindy considered that statement for a moment and then raised her eyebrows and tipped her head to the side to indicate she agreed with it.
"She was your brother's lawyer, even if she's no longer practicing law these days," Jason spoke up. "How do we know she's not working a deal with you?"
Meredith shrugged. "You have only my word for this, but the woman blatantly refused to tell me anything about the Trust. And there's no deal to work. Robbie…" Here she tipped her head in Robbie's direction. "…is the only beneficiary. There's nothing legal Ms. Canardi can do to change that."
"But if she is embezzling, she sure wouldn't want anyone to know about it," Loretta pointed out.
"Which would certainly explain why she's so keen on not letting anyone see all of the Trust papers," Cindy said. "The beneficiary is certainly entitled to an accounting of funds."
"The same goes for not having that assignment," Ashley said. "She wouldn't want us to know about that."
