Like Twigs in a Storm

by Ross Richdale

  I'd love to meet him," Lavina said as a tall stout man in his late forties ambled towards them.

  "Pleased to meet you at last, Lavina," he boomed and held out a hand as big as a plate. "Nancy's talked about you a lot."

  They spoke for a while until someone else drifted up to offer condolences to Lavina and Nancy and Blake moved away.

  "I'll call you sometime," Nancy said as she stepped away.

  *

  The next piece of unusual news came when Lavina visited Simon Aikin, her family lawyer, the following afternoon.

  "Your husband never left a will. I guess he thought he was immortal," the lawyer began and handed her another document. "I searched back and found the will of Joseph Clarence Ryland, your late father-in-law."

  "Yes, Grant's Dad died a decade back. He was a fair old man. I liked him."

  ''He apparently thought the same about you. Did you ever read his will?"

  "No."

  "I think Joe knew his son very well. He left him controlling interest in the family farm but not ownership."

  "What!" Lavina sat forward in her chair. This was unexpected information. "Who owns it then?"

  "You do, Lavina," Simon said. "Your father-in-law left everything to you and added the proviso that if Grant ever divorced you, his rights of controlling interest would be forfeited and you would inherit everything. If however, you predeceased him and were still his wife on your death, the inheritance would pass onto him. Otherwise Cathy would inherit."

  "I was never told." She frowned. "You were my father-in-law's lawyer at that time. Why didn't you inform me?"

  Aikin flushed. "I apologize for that, Lavina. You seemed a happily married couple at the time. I explained everything to Grant and he said he'd inform you."

  "The old bastard. No wonder he stuck with me and became possessive if I even looked at another man. He knew if I walked out on him the farm would go, too."

  "The only mistake your father-in-law made was to give Grant controlling interest, which meant he could run the farm as he wished without consulting you. Grant ran the place into debt and had two mortgages that haven't been serviced for almost a year now. The bank is about to foreclose and sell the property."

  Lavina paled. "Grant said everything was paid up." She picked up the mortgage papers and glared at the lawyer. "I guess he thought I wouldn't be around, he would inherit what was left after the sale and still be quite a rich man."

  "What do you mean?"

  "We weren't stranded in the ranges by accident, Simon," Lavina explained. "It was cold blooded and deliberate." She detailed everything that happened and concluded, "...I walked in the sitting room just after breakfast to find Cathy slumped over the couch. I thought he'd killed her. I ran outside in hope of getting to my car where I had left my mobile phone. That's all I remember except a bang and pain in my shoulder. I guess he had fired one of those dart pistols at me. I woke up to find Steve there."

  "Have you told this to the police?"

  "Partly. They didn't seem very interested. They were more concerned about asking why Steve was with me and insinuated we were just having an affair together." She frowned. "As if we'd expose ourselves, not to mention Cathy to all that danger for a naughty weekend."

  "I'll speak to them," Simon answered. "And as for this mortgage" he added. "I doubt if we can save the farm, Lavina but you won't be left destitute."

  "I trust you Simon. Do what you can for me."

  "I shall," the lawyer answered. "Don't you worry about a thing."

  Lavina found Steve waiting for her in the foyer. "Strange events," she sighed and related the information learned. "His father knew what he was like. No wonder Grant kept me around. He needed me or he'd lose the farm. That was why he never cared about the debts, either. It was my farm he was ruining, not his."

  *

  CHAPTER 10

  Emerson Heights Middle School was a private school that shared the same spacious grounds as the junior and high schools of the same name. The fourth major complex on the grounds was the boarding house that boarded girls for all three schools.

  Lavina drove up in front of the administration building and walked inside with some apprehension. The principal, Diane Cameron, had personally phoned her at Steve's place that morning and asked her to come in for a meeting.

  A girl about Cathy's age dressed in the blue school uniform glanced up from a small desk just inside the door.

  "Good afternoon, Madam. I'm Ellie, student host for this afternoon. Can I be of assistance?"

  Lavina smiled and gave her name. "You're Cathy's mum?" The girl grinned and forgot all about the ladylike manners. "I'm in her class. How is she? When is she coming' back to school? Did she get our cards and flowers?" All the questions came tumbling out.

  "She's fine." Lavina smiled. "I hope she'll be back before too long. She's not boarding, though."

  "Aw, we'll miss her, Mrs. Ryland. Everyone likes Cathy. She's just about the only one in the middle school who's not scared of the seniors."

  This was a different version of school life from what Cathy had told her. Perhaps their decision to withdraw her had been a little hasty. But in the present circumstances, she couldn't afford the fees, anyway.

  "Want a cup of coffee, Mrs. Ryland?"

  "No thanks. I have an appointment with Miss Cameron in five minutes."

  "That'll be a quarter hour," Ellie said, chuckling. "Old Candy Bar," she flushed, "I mean Miss Cameron believes in keeping parents waiting. It makes her feel important, I guess."

  However, in exactly five minutes, the thin forties aged principal walked out of an office with her hand outstretched. "Come in Mrs. Ryland."

  Lavina saw Ellie's surprise as the girl shrugged at her from behind the principal's back.

  "First, let me offer our deepest sympathy for the untimely death of your husband and also Cathy's traumatic surgery," the principal continued.

  "That's kind of you," Lavina said. "The cards and flowers from the trust board, staff and the girls in Cathy's class were appreciated. Her hospital room is full."

  "That's what I rang you about. There was an Emerson Heights Trust Board meeting last night to discuss Cathy's time at our school."

  Lavina frowned. Here it comes, the we'd love to keep her with us but due to your present financial position routine. She was about to say they were going to enrol Cathy at the local state school when Diane Cameron's expression made her stop. The woman was smiling as she spoke. Lavina had missed the first words but tuned in to listen.

  "...the Carolyn Andrew Scholarship is one of several we award. It's awarded to deserving pupils who have shown fortitude and bravery in their young lives. This is quite distinct from the other scholarships awarded on pure academic grounds. The Emerson Heights Trust Board has decided to offer the Carolyn Andrew Scholarship to your daughter, Mrs. Ryland. It will cover tuition costs for the remainder of this year and also Years Nine and Ten."

  Lavina gulped. This was totally unexpected. "I don't know how to reply," she stuttered. "I was about to say we'd have to take Cathy away..."

  "Cathy is a well liked and respected pupil. I hope you'll consider our offer and accept it."

  "I'll need to talk to her, but I'm sure she'd love to accept your generous offer."

  "Good." Diane Cameron stood up. "If you accept, the scholarship will start as soon as she is well enough to return to school."

  *

  "Mum!" Cathy said excitedly an hour later. Her bandaged foot, minus two toes and a small section of adjoining flesh, was propped up on a box at the end of the bed. "You said yes, didn't you?"

  "I said I'd ask you. Do you want to go back?"

  "Of course I do," Cathy almost yelled. "It was only the boarding that was a problem."

  "Great!" Lavina laughed. "I'll phone Old Candy Bar and tell her you'll be back next week; that's if you don't mind walking around school on your crutches. The doctor said you could return to school then."

  "Old Candy Bar? How did you know Miss Camer
on's nickname?"

  "Mothers know everything," Lavina said, laughing. It was wonderful to have something turning out well after all the other frustrations since their rescue.

  *

  "How do I look?" Cathy hobbled into the kitchen of the apartment and swung herself around. She was dressed in a blue tartan skirt, sky blue blouse and blue jersey with her hair tied back in a ponytail.

  Steve grinned. "Your new winter uniform looks great."

  "Hurry, I'll drop you off," Lavina said.

  "Can Steve drive me in the jeep? Everyone arrives by car but not many have a Jeep Wrangler."

  "It's filthy," Steve said. "I've had no time to clean it since we got it back from the police."

  "No it isn't." Cathy smirked. "Go and have a look!"

  When Steve arrived in the basement car park he saw the jeep all clean and shining. Even the tyres had been washed.

  "You have been busy." He scuffled the youngster's hair.

  "Well, I had to do something when you two were at all those meetings with the lawyer and at school," Cathy said. She swung the crutches out, lifted her woollen sock covered foot and shot across the concrete floor. Within seconds she was sitting in the vehicle, waiting. Steve kissed Lavina goodbye, ambled across to the jeep and drove off.

  The arrival at school was almost as spectacular with half a dozen or more classmates waiting by the drive. Cathy hobbled out, tried to appear, oh so suave, gave Steve a casual wave and disappeared into the building.

  Steve grinned, reversed around and headed for the office. Like Lavina, he was so pleased everything had worked out for Cathy. Now there were the farm problems to solve.

  *

  Lavina was home in the apartment going through a pile of farm financial documents when there was a knock on the door. She opened it to find a red headed woman a few years older than herself standing in the corridor.

  "You must be Lavina," the woman said in a pleasant voice. "I am Trish Garnet, Steve's wife."

  Lavina felt a pang of apprehension and her face showed it.

  "Don't worry," Trish said. "It's nothing bad. Can I come in?"

  "Sure." Lavina stepped back.

  "I purposely came to see you. The apartment looks nice. I can see a woman's touch."

  "Thank you," Lavina said.

  "Steve and I had an agreement to split our assets," Trish coughed, " I want to revise it."

  "So what has all this got to do with me?"

  "I am prepared to give Steve our house at 23 Ashley Grove if he'd take over the mortgage and give this apartment back to me, plus half what we called the Number 3 account. In other words, it will be a straight swap back on what we had originally agreed to."

  "Why?"

  "I find myself in need of a little money," Trish admitted. "Of course I could sell the house but with the depressed market and mortgage, I'd hardly have enough money to purchase an apartment like this. I heard you were living with Steve and have a daughter. Surely this apartment is somewhat small for you."

  "We like it here," Lavina snapped.

  "Steve will do okay. I don't want the whole of what was our joint account, only half. Add it all up. I'm not trying to swindle him."

  "And you want me to persuade Steve because you think he'll just say no if you approached him yourself?"

  "Something like that," Trish admitted and grinned. "Have you seen our house in Ashley Grove?"

  "No."

  "Are you free now?"

  "Until three thirty. I have to pick my daughter up from school then."

  "We can pick your daughter up on the way back."

  *

  Lavina was impressed with the house. Somehow the design seemed to reflect Steve, the workshop and a loft bedroom in particular.

  "Steve drew most of the plans for it," Trish said as they sat in the kitchen drinking tea after the tour. "I bet your daughter would like it."

  Lavina looked at her watch. "We need to go now. I don't want to be late. She's just started school again."

  *

  With three women providing gentle pressure, Steve never stood a chance. A month later Lavina, Cathy and Steve moved to 23 Ashley Grove. Cathy was given the massive downstairs bedroom, which had its own patio and suite. Lavina felt embarrassed at the sheer size of the place. It even made the farmhouse look tiny.

  "I want to help finance it, Steve," she said. "When the farm sale goes through I can use the money left to pay off the mortgage here."

  "And you'd do that?" Steve replied.

  "Of course." Lavina smiled warmly. 'We're family, remember?"

  "Oh yes." Steve laughed. "I'd forgotten."

  "Steve!"

  "I'm kidding." Steve wrapped his arms around her and plunked a kiss on her responsive lips.

  *

  Kevin Thornton, Inspector of Air Accidents, stared across at Police Inspector Harold Matthews and pointed to the paragraph under discussion.

  "The aircraft was flying illegally, Harry," he said. "It was hundreds of hours overdue for an engine overhaul but it is my considered opinion that engine failure was caused by fuel starvation, not a mechanical failure."

  The police inspector grunted. "How so?"

  "The lead from the fuel tank came off, fuel leaked out, starved the motor and, on impact, a spark ignited it. That's why the Cessna blew up. It had nothing to do with the temperature or weather conditions. Much of the aircraft was incinerated in the aftermath of the explosion, but as far as we can tell, the de-icing equipment and carburettor were working perfectly."

  "What made the lead come off?"

  "I'd say someone loosened it. It was deliberately sabotaged."

  "So that falls directly into my territory," Matthews said. "Thanks Kevin. We'll get back to you."

  After Kevin Thornton left, Matthews turned to his subordinates. "I suspected this. That's why I set you two on the case. Any suspects or information yet, Pat?"

  Detective Sergeant Pat Stein placed another document on the desk. "Plenty. Ryland apparently thought of himself as a lady's man. He was an alcoholic, dabbled in drugs, and over the years had a series of affairs. He was mortgaged up to the eyeballs and the bank was about to foreclose. Apparently, the farm was poorly managed. If it wasn't for his wife, he would have gone under years ago."

  "Suspects?"

  The sergeant coughed, "Basically his wife, Lavina Ryland; mistress Janice Ludlow, the wife's boyfriend Steve Garnet; a couple of business acquaintances he owed money to and two women he'd had affairs with earlier on."

  "There is one other possibility," Detective Constable Jane Frankton said. "It may have been an elaborate suicide. The man was about to go under and his much younger wife was having an affair."

  "But wouldn't he have just dived the Cessna into the ground? Why go to all the bother of loosening the fuel supply?"

  "He was a slimy bastard, sir. Perhaps he wanted it to look like murder," Stein said. "I'm inclined to think he planned to kill his wife, daughter and Garnet. According to their statements, he deliberately had them knocked out with a tranquilliser dart and left them on that top plateau. He was prone to jealous outrages, especially when he was high on drugs."

  "If that was the case he'd hardly go and kill himself two days later," Matthews added.

  "Improbable, but a possibility."

  "I think we can discount the suicide theory," Matthews said. "We have a homicide on our hands. Continue your investigation. Keep it undercover, though. If the murderer thinks he or she is in the clear, they'll make some error. Check everything, personal involvement, financial dealings, everything?"

  *

  Simon Aikin smiled as he glanced at his clients. "Since we last met, Lavina, I've been in contact with the bank. As long as an attempt is made to pay the outstanding interest, they've promised to hold off on foreclosing the mortgage, giving you six months or so leeway."

  "So I can continue farming the property, buy or sell animals or whatever?"

  "Yes, but you can't sell any of the land. You can certainly sel
l the spring lambs, but can't sell all your farm animals together at auction."

  "What about the deer. Can they be sold off?"

  "I think the bank would agree to that," Simon replied. "As long as the money went back to service the mortgage."

  "Good. We'll do that for a start." Lavina grimaced at Steve before turning back to the lawyer. "Can I put a manager on the place?"

  "Certainly," Simon said. "In fact, I was about to advise you to do exactly that. It would have to be a short-term contract though. I could draw up the papers if you wish."

  "That's all I'd want," Lavina replied. "Our accountant gave us a pretty gloomy prediction about what would be left after the bank took its money back. We'd have to sell anyway."

  "I'll handle it right away," Simon said.

  "Thanks, Simon," Lavina said. "I don't really want to go back there to live. Thirteen years was more than enough."

  *

  "That only leaves one thing," Lavina said as they drove towards the school to pick up Cathy.

  "What's that?" Steve said.

  "The old school property. It's just been sitting there since everything happened."

  "I know. I guess I forgot about it. Mind you, it's winter now so I guess I couldn't do a lot there anyhow."

  "Let's go back this weekend, Steve. We can stay at my house. I need to get bits sorted out there, anyway. If we get a manager, we can let them have the furnished house. Grant's stuff has been taken away but there's still plenty of Cathy's and my things."

  "Good idea, but I'll help you. The old school can wait. It was intended to be just a hobby anyway. We could put the trailer on the jeep and bring a load back.” He grinned. "Getting my house back was a good idea. At least we have room to store things."

  "I love it, Steve, and so does Cathy."

  "I know." Steve grinned. "Just about taken it over, hasn't she?"

  "Yeah." Lavina laughed. "I've never seen so many girls in my life. I reckon the school could just about move to Ashley Grove. The girls from her old boarding dorm love visiting. Gets them away from school, I guess."