5 The Ghosts in the Audience

by SUE FINEMAN

  Steffen reluctantly nodded. He didn’t want to lose touch with the uncle he’d grown to dislike. No matter what had happened between them, they were still family. “Carson, if you’d like to bring the medallions here this evening, you can stay for dinner. We eat at six.”

  “Okay, sure.”

  As soon as he ended his phone call with Carson, Steffen went into Joseph’s study and called his mother. He hadn’t seen her in years, but they spoke on the phone on occasion. “I just wanted to let you know I’m moving to River Valley, Ohio. The house I’m buying is at 423 River Road, but I’m using a post office box.” He gave her the number of the box and his cell phone number.

  “What are you going to do in Ohio?”

  “Write a book, put on a show every now and then, and if she’ll have me, get married.”

  “Oh, Steffen, that’s wonderful. Who is she? What’s she like?”

  “Virginia Kane is a police detective, and she has a big family in River Valley. Her father is the former mayor.”

  “Is she psychic?”

  “No.” And she still didn’t like it that he was.

  He’d accepted Ginny’s profession.

  Why couldn’t she accept his?

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  At a quarter to six, the doorman buzzed the condo. “You have two visitors, a Mr. Edwards and a Miss Weems.”

  Steffen raked in a deep breath and blew it out. He didn’t expect Carson to bring Sheryl along. “Send them up.”

  A minute later, Steffen opened the door and found Carson standing there holding the box of medallions. Sheryl followed him inside.

  Steffen stared at her, all dressed up in a slinky black dress, her ears and wrists dripping with diamonds, as if she were going to a fancy party. “I don’t recall inviting you.”

  “Carson said you were having a dinner party, and I wanted to see your condo.” She walked into the living room, dropped her purse on a chair, and scanned the room. “Oh, this is nice, Steffen.” She pointed to a sofa table. “Is that a Louis XV?”

  “I wouldn’t know.”

  “Oh, look at the beautiful jardinière.” She rushed over to get a better look. “It’s handmade and very old. It must be worth a small fortune.”

  Steffen took the box from Carson, whose wide eyes took in the expensive furnishings and art, and dropped the box onto the bench in the foyer. “Why in the hell did you have to bring her?”

  Carson shrugged. “She’s been calling every few days, looking for you. I thought—”

  “I don’t want her here, and right now, I don’t want you here, either.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You invited me.”

  “A mistake I won’t make again.”

  Jerry walked out of the kitchen, glanced at Sheryl walking through the living room, inspecting the furniture, and asked, “Should I set another place?”

  “Yes,” Carson said at the same time Steffen said, “No.”

  Sheryl walked over and gave Steffen a chaste kiss. “It’s so nice to see you again, Steffen. I’ve missed you so much.”

  He stared down at her and wondered what he’d ever seen in her, except the obvious. She was a beautiful, sexy woman, but she was also a predator and a leech. Now that she’d seen the condo, she’d expect him to share his newfound wealth with her.

  Steffen’s intuition told him Carson had made an agreement with Sheryl. He’d give her the opportunity to seduce his rich nephew, a chance to convince him to marry her, and Carson would get a piece of the financial pie for himself. But Steffen would give it all away before he’d give another penny to his money-hungry uncle.

  Sheryl wanted a rich man to take care of her, but she’d have to look elsewhere.

  In spite of coming here without an invitation, Sheryl was polite and friendly. Although she didn’t eat much, she praised Jerry on his chicken casserole. Carson stayed quiet, but his eyes kept straying to the paintings on the walls, paintings that were worth a great deal of money. Steffen played the part of the gracious host, but he wanted them gone.

  Over dessert, a delicious cheesecake concoction Jerry had picked up at the bakery, Sheryl brought out the tears. “My lease runs out next week, and I can’t afford to move.”

  “So renew the lease,” Steffen said.

  “I can’t. The landlord is giving my apartment to his niece.”

  Now he understood the real purpose for the visit. “Let me guess. You want to move in here until you find another place to live.” Once she moved in, he’d never get rid of her.

  She put her hand on his arm and gave him a tearful smile. “Thank you so much for offering, Steffen.”

  “I’m not offering. I’m putting the condo on the market, and then I’m moving to Ohio.”

  The tears stopped as suddenly as they’d started. “Ohio? Why would anyone want to live there when they could live in Chicago, in this beautiful condo?”

  Steffen didn’t answer. He’d told her he didn’t want to see her again, yet here she was, trying to move into his condo, so she and Carson could take over his life.

  “Stupid,” Carson said under his breath.

  “Yeah, you’re stupid, both of you. Stupid for trying to pull something this obvious, stupid for coming here like you deserve something from me. Which you don’t. I’m not giving either of you money or a place to live.”

  Jerry stood. “Can you find your way out, or would you like me to escort you to the door?”

  Ignoring Jerry, Sheryl sniffled. “Please, Steffen. I don’t have anyplace else to go.”

  “Then move in with Carson. He has a couple spare bedrooms.” As if she’d live in that dumpy little house.

  Carson’s eyes narrowed. “I have another use for those rooms.”

  Of course he did. Steffen stood. “I’d like to say it’s been a pleasant evening, but I’d be lying. Carson, take Sheryl and go.”

  Carson crossed his arms and stayed in his chair, so Steffen took Sheryl’s arm and pulled her toward the door. He pushed her outside, slammed the door, then retrieved her purse from the living room and tossed it out after her. Then he went back for Carson.

  “You owe me,” Carson said through clenched teeth. “I took you in when you were a kid, and you owe me.”

  “I don’t owe you shit.” Steffen started to pull Carson toward the door, but Carson pulled away and took a swing at him. Steffen whipped around and slammed his fist into Carson’s face, something he’d often been tempted to do. “Get out, and don’t come back.”

  Steffen shoved him out the door, slammed the door, and twisted the lock. Then he called the doorman. “Don’t ever admit Carson Edwards or Sheryl Weems to the building again.”

  Jerry cleared off the table. “Well, this has been an interesting evening. Beautiful woman. She looked at the furnishings as if she’d just won the lottery, and your uncle… He’s a real piece of work.”

  “Yes, he is.” Sheryl thought Steffen would share his money with her, and Carson thought Steffen should share everything with him.

  “Jerry, remind me to call Charles Hamilton about a change in my will.”

  As Jerry loaded the dishwasher, he said, “Money attracts unsavory people. After Carolyn died, Joseph was bombarded with invitations and sometimes with visits from attractive women, mostly widows and divorcees. Some of them were just lonesome, but he said they were all gold diggers. He wouldn’t have anything to do with them. I don’t imagine this woman will be the only one to hit on you.”

  Women hit on Steffen before he inherited Joseph’s estate, when he stood on a stage and showed off his psychic talent. The woman who didn’t hit on him was the one he’d fallen deeply in love with, the one he’d love for the rest of his life.

  “Remind me to send flowers to Ginny tomorrow.”

  Jerry smiled, wiped his hands on the dishtowel, and made another notation on the calendar.

  Steffen helped Jerry clean up the kitchen, then wandered into Joseph’s bedroom. “Joseph, are you here?”

  Yes, I’m here.

&
nbsp; “Would you mind if I sold the condo?”

  Not at all. Sell the office buildings, too. Make a new life for yourself in Ohio. Marry your lady and be happy.

  If Ginny would have him. She said she loved him, but she didn’t say she’d marry him. Now that she’d lost the baby, she wouldn’t want to get pregnant again. She’d told him she never expected to be a mother.

  She’ll come around, said the ghost. She loves you.

  “Yes, she does.”

  But did she love him enough to marry him?

  <>

  After work, Ginny drove out to the inn to see how Charlie was doing with the landscaping. She also wanted to drive past the house Steffen was buying. He hadn’t taken her to see it before he bought it. Did that mean he’d changed his mind about marrying her? But why else would he buy a home in River Valley?

  As she neared the address of Steffen’s new house, she slowed to get a better look. This part of River Road had stately homes on big lots overlooking the river. All the homes along here were built in the thirties and forties, and they’d all been well cared for since then. They weren’t huge estates like the homes in the mansion district, but they were beautiful homes owned mostly by the descendants of the original owners.

  She passed a big white house with green shutters, and then she saw the FOR SALE sign with the SOLD sign tacked over the corner. “That has to be it.” The big gray house was built of stone with white framed windows, and the yard was filled with beautiful flowers. An older woman wearing a straw hat and gardening gloves puttered in the yard, snipping dead blossoms and admiring the flowers.

  Ginny drove on by. Minutes later, she parked beside Julie’s car and walked inside the inn. The grand opening was scheduled for this weekend, and Steffen would be putting on a show Saturday evening to cap off the day’s festivities.

  He’d called her every night since he’d gone back to Chicago. And every night she dreamed of him. In the dream, he proposed and she said yes, but when the dream got to the place where she walked down the aisle toward him, things got a little strange. One side of the church was filled with beautiful women, all of them blonde and pregnant. Steffen wasn’t there. Mark Montgomery stood at the altar, a big grin on his face. In place of the preacher, the chief of police stood at the altar holding a tiara that sparkled in the candlelight, and as she walked down the aisle, every man bowed and every woman curtsied, as if she truly was a princess. And then she always woke up.

  So much for weird dreams.

  The lobby of the inn had been transformed with elegant chairs and gracefully curved velvet sofas. Ginny didn’t know much about furniture styles, but these furnishings gave the illusion that the inn had been here for several generations. As if it had been built in Andrew Jefferson’s time instead of a hundred years later.

  Andy clapped her on the shoulder. “Hey, Sis. You look happy. What’s up?”

  “I got a promotion, but don’t tell Dad. I want to tell him myself.”

  Andy grinned. “Who knew the only one of us to become a cop would be a girl.”

  Charlie ambled over. “She’s the only one of us who can walk in Dad’s shoes and get away with it.”

  Ginny nudged him with her elbow. “If you weren’t such a brat—”

  “Hey,” said Charlie. “Who are you calling a brat?”

  “The brother who qualifies.”

  “Must be you,” Andy said to Charlie. “Everyone knows I’m the good twin.”

  Ginny shook her head and walked away to let her twin brothers bicker. She ran into Julie in the kitchen, talking with the cook who would serve breakfast to their guests after they opened.

  “Julie, I drove past the house Steffen is buying. The yard is absolutely beautiful.”

  “The inside of the house is, too. He wanted to bring you to see it before he bought it, but the house had just come on the market and the seller had already had two offers. We had to move quickly. If he hadn’t made an offer that day, he would have lost the house. I told him you’d understand.”

  “I do understand.” The day he made the offer, she was still upset over the incident with Pollanski. After losing the baby, her emotions were out of control, and she was too depressed to look at anything. Every day since then, she felt stronger and more in control, although she still felt sad when she thought of what might have been.

  “The seller is leaving some furniture for Steffen, but he’ll need more to furnish the house.”

  Ginny nodded. “I’m sure he will. It looks like a big house.”

  “It’s over six thousand square feet, nearly as big as your parents’ home on Livingston Avenue. Andy worked on the remodel plans a few years ago, and except for the basement, the house has been totally remodeled inside.”

  If Andy worked on the remodel plans, it must be beautiful inside. He did excellent work. “I really like what Andy did with my house.”

  “So do I, Ginny. What do you think of the inn?”

  “It’s absolutely beautiful.” Like a historic building with all the modern conveniences. But she expected no less of her architect brother. Andy’s work was highly respected in River Valley, and the whole family was immensely proud of him.

  “Did you see the magazine section of last Sunday’s newspaper?”

  “No, why?”

  “There’s a big write-up on the inn, with color pictures and an interview with Andy. He mentioned Steffen’s show, and we expect a big turn-out. We’re booked solid for the summer.”

  “Andrew Jefferson would be proud.”

  “Yes, he would,” Julie said softly. She glanced at her watch. “I need to get home and rescue the sitter.”

  Ginny smiled. The twin toddler monsters were good kids, but there were two of them, and they were always going in opposite directions. Andy and Julie had their hands full.

  Sadness crept in when she thought of babies. Andy’s babies had a chance to live.

  Hers didn’t.

  <>

  Steffen ordered flowers for Ginny the next morning, made a series of phone calls, packed a few papers in Joseph’s leather briefcase, and then drove downtown to meet with George Ballery and Ruben Conley.

  Ruben met him in the lobby of the Ballery building. “Ballery is bringing his attorney to the meeting.”

  Steffen had expected him to bring someone, but he didn’t expect an attorney. “Does this mean he’s serious about buying the building?”

  Ruben shrugged. “He was serious before, but Joseph wouldn’t budge on the price.”

  “Did you get that list of commercial appraisers I asked for?”

  He opened his briefcase and pulled out a list. “I marked the ones I know. They’re both professionals with excellent reputations in the business.”

  They rode the elevator upstairs and found George Ballery and his attorney and two other people sitting in the conference room. Steffen shook hands and made small talk for a few minutes, then settled in the chair beside Ruben. He put his briefcase on the table and removed several papers, then closed his briefcase and set it on the floor beside his chair.

  Ballery cleared his throat. “I understand you’re interested in selling the building, Mr. Marchand.”

  “I am if we can agree on a price.”

  “I offered Joseph Marchand a hundred and twenty million, and that offer still stands.”

  “Joseph’s best offer was a hundred and fifty million, but I figure the building has increased in value since then, so I’m raising the price to a hundred and eighty million.”

  Ballery shook his head. “Too much. I’ll go as high as a hundred and thirty million, but that’s my top offer.”

  Steffen shook his head and played his trump card. “In that case, you’ll want to find other accommodations for your company. Your lease expires on September first, and I don’t intend to renew it.” It was a risky thing to do, to push this man into buying or moving, but rents in the city were high. Ballery would never find another building for what he’d been paying here. It would cost him less in the lo
ng run to buy the building at a hundred and fifty million than move his business to another location.

  From the look of shock on Ballery’s face, he hadn’t expected this.

  Steffen gathered his papers. “Tell you what. I’ll have the building appraised to find fair market value. If the appraisal comes in lower than a hundred and eighty million, we’ll discuss price again. And if you don’t want to buy the building, I’ll sell it to someone else.”

  Ballery’s attorney leaned in close to his client and whispered something, then Ballery said, “I’d like time to think about this.”

  “How much time?”

  “Two weeks?”

  Steffen had expected this. “Two weeks is fine. That should give us time to get a professional appraisal done.” Ballery would undoubtedly get an appraisal, too.

  Steffen stood, shook hands, and left the conference room.

  In two weeks, Ballery would agree to negotiate a fair price for the building. His business was doing well in this location, and he wouldn’t want to move. According to the real estate expert Steffen had consulted, there were no other buildings that size for sale right now, and lease rates for other buildings in the downtown area were considerably higher than Ballery had been paying for this one. Besides, there were no other buildings for rent that would accommodate Ballery’s entire business.

  In the elevator, Ruben chuckled. “The old man would be proud of the way you handled that.”

  “I’m not a businessman like my grandfather. I’m just a guy who needs money to pay the taxes. And George Ballery is the man with the money.” Ballery thought Steffen would be desperate enough to take whatever he offered.

  He was wrong.

  Steffen had done his research before he went into the meeting. Over the years, Joseph had modified the building to meet Ballery’s needs, spending several hundred thousand dollars on various projects. In exchange, Ballery signed a long-term lease, a lease that expired in three short months.

  “Ruben, schedule an appraisal. Let’s hope it comes in close to a hundred and eighty million.”

  “What if it doesn’t?”

  “Then we’ll sell it for less.” All he needed was Joseph’s price, a hundred and fifty million. With that money and the money from one of Joseph’s investment accounts, he could cover the tax bill.