The Widow and the Will

by J. Thomas-Like

  Tess rubbed her forehead and scrunched up her nose, confusion coating her brain like a fog rolling in. Did she forget about the insurance? Neither Roger nor David was talking to Emily about anything. She was trying to convince her of things that had no truth to them at all. “I got the insurance money and I hired the same attorney who drew up the will. He understands the circumstances and I’m comfortable with him.” Not David.

  “Well, but how could they know anything about it? Roger’s handled everything since Jack was sixteen.”

  Tess held the phone away from her ear and frowned at it, as if Emily could see her puzzlement and growing frustration. “And I’m sure Roger did a great job, but Jack made sure all the beneficiary information was changed to me. I don’t see how he needs to do anything anymore.” Tess tried to keep her tone civil and calm.

  “I see,” Emily sighed. “It’s just that Roger and I thought you would need his advice, since he made all the decisions for all those years. Investments can be so tricky.”

  “My guy’s pretty good and he’s been through all the paperwork. I’m sure he’ll do okay,” Tess insisted, wishing she’d never answered the phone at all. Hudson’s going to kill me. I’ll have to plead insanity.

  Emily sighed again. “Tess, we only want what’s best for you. Please don’t hold our mistakes against us.”

  Tess’s shoulders slumped with shame. She didn’t want to argue or be harsh with Emily because Jack would be disappointed. The thought of disrespecting her husband’s mother suddenly left her feeling cold and clammy. “I’m sorry, Emily. Really. I was just starting to feel almost normal and then all of this happened. It’s really hard.”

  “Of course it is, dear. I can’t imagine what it must be like, just like you can’t feel what we are, having lost a son and brother.” Emily sounded earnest enough, but Tess caught a hint of desperation in her voice too. “Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight? Let me make your favorite, chicken and cheese enchiladas!”

  Tess hesitated. The sudden shift in mood and tone threw her for a loop. Remembering what Hudson had told her, she knew she should keep some distance from Jack’s family. Taking the phone call was probably a big enough mistake. “I can’t. But thank you.”

  “Are you sure, dear? I’ve got all the ingredients right here. It wouldn’t take but a minute to put it together. If you’re struggling, you should come and talk with Roger and David. They could help you make sense of things. After all, we’re your family, not some strange lawyer.” Emily was trying too hard and Tess’s inner alarms were going off as loudly as tornado sirens.

  “I just don’t think it’s a good idea for me to talk to Roger or David right now.”

  “Okay,” Emily agreed too quickly. “Then maybe you and I could get together, alone. You could tell me what’s going on and I could be the go between. We could go out to dinner.”

  Tess’s eyebrows furrowed and she took a deep breath to calm herself. Emily’s endless pressure was rubbing her nerves raw. Remember, she’s Jack’s mother. Be polite. Be nice. Remember who you are. “I’m really not comfortable with it.”

  Tess waited for a response, but she heard nothing. After a few seconds, she pulled the phone away from her ear to look at the display. Maybe the call had dropped? No, it was still connected. “Emily? Are you still there?”

  “Yes, of course, dear. I guess we’re all just so confused about what’s gone on. Don’t you think Jack made a hasty decision to have the will made so quickly? How can we be sure he didn’t do it out of anger? Was Jack really thinking clearly?”

  Tess bounded off the couch and jumped up and down to keep from screaming into the phone. She didn’t know what to do. She wanted to hang up. She wanted to yell at Emily. She wanted to go back in time and not answer the phone. This is what she got for not listening to Hudson when he said to have no contact. It was a ploy all along. Emily must have called because David told her to.

  After taking a moment to calm herself, Tess said, “Jack may not have told me what was going on before the wedding, but he was fine. He wasn’t acting weird or doing anything strange. He was excited to be getting married and he was happy.”

  “Yes, but he would never let on to you–”

  “Jack always told me everything!”

  “Well, not everything dear,” Emily snapped. “Or else you would have known about his adoption and the will, now wouldn’t you?”

  Tess’s mouth dropped open and she stared in shock at the phone. “I have to go now.” She punched her thumb down on the “end” button on her phone before Emily could say anything more. Then she powered the phone off to avoid any more calls.

  Tess stood still for at least a minute trying to understand what had just happened. Emily Kingston had never spoken to her in that way in all the years they’d known one another. She had a valid point: Jack had not told her everything. He’d held back two gigantic secrets from her and those secrets were now causing her more grief and anxiety. The guilt monster in her brain said she probably deserved it for the disloyal thoughts before the wedding, but it was too late to change any of that.

  For the first time since finding out about his adoption and the inheritance, Tess felt angry with Jack. Rage coursed through her veins and she took a moment to stamp her foot like a three year old having a tantrum. “What the hell were you thinking?” she shouted into the apartment, empty except for herself and the two cats. Said felines raised their chins off the couch long enough to look at their mistress before lowering them again and returning to their naps.

  “Oh, what do you know?” she hollered at the cats as she paced around the living room. “Jack, I could punch you in the throat right now!” Tess raised a fist and shook it at the ceiling. “Why didn’t you tell me right away? Why did you have to hide this?”

  Tess picked up a pillow from the couch and punched it, since her husband wasn’t available to receive the blow. Then she pressed it to her face and screamed into it for a full ten seconds. With her throat raw and her breathing labored, Tess flopped onto the loveseat across from the couch and groaned. The cats were no longer sleeping, but still had their chins resting on their paws, watching her warily.

  Chapter 19

  Hudson grabbed his towel from the arm rest as he climbed off the treadmill. He wiped his face and neck and took deep breaths as he cooled off from his five mile run. Usually a hard run would help him focus his thoughts and give him clarity when he was struggling with a case. It hadn’t worked this time and he was still as conflicted about the Jack Kingston estate as he had been before he got on the machine. After Tess left his office the day before, Hudson had been making mental notes and doing psychological fact checks about the case well into the evening. An evening he spent alone, as usual.

  After a restless night, he’d gotten up early and gone to the office, hoping not to find Ford in another passed out state. His hopes were well founded and the couch was empty. That was a huge relief to him. He didn’t need any other stress in his life at the moment and Ford seemed to be cleaning himself up a bit. He wasn’t passing out at the office, he looked fairly well rested when he got into the office and hadn’t looked hungover in days. Hudson had spent an hour looking through some of the research his brother left for him and worked on completing the probate forms he would need. But the uneasy feeling he had about the entire Kingston matter had grown and clouded his ability to work effectively on any other cases.

  Weaving his way between the machines and people working out, Hudson headed toward the locker room, alternately waving at people he knew and nodding at strange women who smiled at him. He felt more mentally exhausted than physically. The locker room was empty and as he reached for the door to his cubby, he could hear his cell phone ringing.

  Not recognizing the number, he pinched the phone between his cheek and shoulder as he pulled out his shaving kit and got ready to shower. “Hudson Marks.”

  “Hi, it’s Tess.”

  “Hey, is anything wrong?” Forgetting his shower, Hudson stood
up straight and pressed the phone harder to his ear. Her voice sounded… confused? Unsure? Uh oh.

  “No, at least I don’t think so. I may have made a mistake, though.”

  Hudson grimaced. “Okay, tell me.”

  “Emily Kingston called me last night and I answered.”

  “Shit,” Hudson sighed. “I thought I said no contact.” Do I ever have a client who actually listens to my advice? Nope.

  “Yeah, I know.” Tess hesitated. “But she was like a second mom to me for a lot of years. After what happened at their house, I wanted to hear what she had to say.”

  “Which was?” Hudson sat down on a metal bench, tossing his shaving kit back into his gym bag. He kept his voice controlled and even to hide his irritation.

  “She was giving me the really hard sell to go with Roger and David for legal and financial advice. When I finally stood up for myself and said no, she wasn’t real happy. I couldn’t tell if they’re not telling her stuff or if they’re all acting together to make my life hell. I do think she’s hurt and mad about not getting anything in the will.”

  “How do you feel about that?” Hudson dug around in his bag for the shaving kit again.

  “I’m not sure. I was really pissed off before I called you. I mean, the Kingstons never seemed like materialistic or greedy people. But why else would Emily give me such a hard time about it all? And I got really mad at Jack too, though I know it’s silly. It’s not like he knew he was going to die. He only made out the will because he was mad at his parents for keeping the secret from him, right? I guess it doesn’t really matter. Everything and nothing makes much sense anymore.”

  “I’m sorry it feels that way right now, but I promise I will do the best I can to make it easier for you. Please don’t talk to Emily or any other Kingston again, all right?”

  “Okay.”

  “I’m on my way back to my office. If anything else happens, call me.”

  “Okay. Bye.”

  Hudson ended the call and returned to the task at hand. He showered quickly and dressed in his old jeans and sweat jacket before leaving the gym to return to his office. To his relief, Ford was waiting for him.

  “Hey, boss,” Ford greeted when Hudson walked in. He was sitting behind the desk with his feet propped up and the laptop on his thighs.

  “You know I hate when you call me that.” Hudson threw his gym back on the couch and went to the coffee pot. “What did you find out?”

  “Not a ton we didn’t already know. Besides, I can tell you rifled through the printouts I left.”

  Hudson grinned guiltily. “Yeah. Let me fill you in on the latest.” While he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, he related his phone call from Tess. “Why do you think the mother would call her like that?”

  Ford shrugged. “I think Roger and David aren’t telling Emily about what’s going on and everything they’re doing. That could end up hurting them, though. If Emily starts feeling bad, then maybe we could have Tess work on her. Get the mother on our side.”

  “It’s definitely something to consider.” Hudson drained half the water and then capped it. “But if she’s pissed because she wasn’t left anything, then she’s not likely to come over to our side.”

  “Give it a think, but maybe in a day or two, Tess could call her back and see if she can find out what’s going on from that end.”

  “We’ll see. In the meantime, I need to get the probate paperwork filed first thing tomorrow. Any word on that tox report yet?”

  Ford shook his head and swung his legs off the desk to the floor. “My girl in the ME’s office isn’t returning my calls. I can’t tell if I’m being blown off or if she’s really that busy.” He closed the laptop and put it in the desk drawer.

  Hudson sighed and gave Ford a suspicious look. “You didn’t sleep with her and never call, did you?”

  Ford flipped him off, but chuckled. “Yeah, I slept with her, but I did call again. She was the one who didn’t seem interested. Besides, it was a couple of years ago. Maybe I’ll take a ride over there and see if I can get some answers.”

  “Do that.”

  “What else do you want me digging up?” Ford asked as he stood up and stretched. “I haven’t been able to find anything on any of the Kingstons yet.”

  Hudson finished the water and then crunched the bottle, his knuckles cracking as he did so. “Hold off for now. Go back to working on the other files you have for the time being.” He tossed the empty water bottle into the recycle bin across the room.

  “You got it.”

  Hudson went to his office and sat down. Closing his eyes, he conjured an image of Tess and pasted it onto the mental white board in his head. Around her, he threw up pictures of Roger, David, and Jack Kingston. A blank question mark had to suffice for the birth father. More blank squares for the unknown players who might be lurking in the shadows. He tried to draw mental connections between them all, but the lines became tangled in his brain and all he could focus on was Tess’s face – her creamy complexion and wide blue eyes. He gave her a smile, so he could view her the way he thought she looked best. Small, even teeth peeking from between her full lips.

  “You look like you’re thinking about something good.”

  Ford’s voice brought Hudson back to reality and he opened his eyes, hoping he didn’t look guilty. “Uh, yeah.”

  “Maybe we’re looking at this the wrong way.” Ford leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms over his chest. “I think we should dig into Jack’s past a little bit more. Do you think there’s any way he might have known about the adoption earlier than he let on or the Kingstons said?”

  Hudson shrugged. “Hmm, anything’s possible.”

  “What if he has a history of depression or something? What were his teenage years like? How about his college life? I’m not sure we can get truthful answers from Tess. She loved him and wouldn’t be able to see him with an objective eye. She could be protecting him, even if only on a subconscious level.”

  “Oh come on!” Hudson blurted the words before he could help himself, leaning forward on the desk. “Tess doesn’t have a dishonest bone in her body!”

  “Take it easy, brother,” Ford admonished gently. He was the one giving out suspicious looks now and Hudson felt it. “Is there something you aren’t telling me?”

  Hudson groaned and ran his hands through his hair, yanking on the ends. “No, no. I’m sorry.”

  “Be honest with me, do you have a thing for Tess?”

  Hudson wanted to shout no, just as vehemently as he had defended her moments before, but didn’t. After a few seconds, he found his voice. “No. Not really. I mean, I can’t deny she’s hot. And I feel really bad for her. This is about the shittiest situation I’ve ever seen for a girl who’s so young, but…” His voice trailed off.

  “But what? You hardly know her. You can’t be in love with her.” Ford glowered as he said it and Hudson felt ashamed of himself for having lost some of his objectivity.

  “No. I’m not in love with her.” Hudson answered honestly. He wasn’t in love with Tess, but he certainly was attracted to her. “I guess maybe it’s just the case? She’s always on my mind.”

  Ford’s glare faded, replaced with a grin. His eyes even twinkled a little from the mirthful expression on his face and that made Hudson feel more like an ass than anything else.

  “Don’t look at me like that.”

  “What?”

  “Like you’re about to start singing ‘Tess and Hudson sittin’ in a tree.’”

  Ford’s laughter was like a strong breeze coming through the office to blast away the cobwebby feeling in Hudson’s brain and he joined in with a chuckle of his own. There was that connection again, the one brothers shared that was as unexplainable as the Bermuda Triangle.

  “How long has it been since you got laid, brother?”

  Hudson snorted. “Too long.”

  “Rebecca? That was the last girlfriend, right?”

  “Yeah.” Hudson
didn’t even want to think about her. They’d met at the gym and dated for awhile, but she had wanted marriage and kids and a house – the whole nine yards and it wasn’t something he’d been ready for at the time.

  “Gotta put yourself back out there, Hud. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself mooning over your client and that is not a good idea.”

  “I know.”

  Ford leaned down in an attempt to catch Hudson’s eye. “I’m serious. If you can’t be objective, you won’t be able to help Tess.”

  “You’re right. I get it.” Hudson looked at his brother and nodded his head. “It’s just that–”

  “I know. You don’t have to say it. Either lock it away until this mess is over, or stop it once and for all. Otherwise, you could fuck it all up. Not just for Tess, but for your license to practice law.”

  Hudson took a deep breath and nodded again. “Don’t worry about me, brother. I’ll handle it.”

  “Good.”

  “All right then. Do you want me to start looking into Jack?”

  “Yes. Do it.”

  Chapter 20

  I’m such a hypocrite. Ford sped along the streets of St. Clair Shores, his motorcycle thrumming between his thighs. He’d given Hudson the what for about not getting hung up on a client, when it was all he could do not to think about Tess. Unless he had a specific task at hand, the image of her face hovered in his vision way more than it had any right to.

  And now he felt guilty. What if his brother did want to pursue something with the lovely widow after the case was resolved? Ford hated to admit it, but he would never be able to be in the same room with them at the same time. It would drive him crazy. His logical brain knew that there could never be anything between Tess and him. His rational mind understood that he was just lonely and longing for some female companionship with more substance than the airheads he found at the bars he frequented. His lucid self was firmly grounded in the reality that he was not someone good enough for the likes of Tess Kingston. Besides all of that, Hudson would be a far better match for her than he could ever be.