A Ghost of the Past

by Mary Goldberger

  Shane looked at her with a smile, “Thank you, Lucille.” He turned away from them to escort Lucille into the living room and they followed behind.

  Cordial wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Do not let him bother you.”

  They talked with a few other people as they headed for Mark and Pauline who were standing in front of the bay window.

  “Shay,” Pauline said looking at her pale face, “how are you holding up?”

  “Okay,” Shay answered as she laced her fingers with Cordial’s that rested lightly on her hip.

  Finally, people were leaving as Willis headed over to Shane.

  There were only a handful of people left as the room cleared out and Willis shut the doors behind the last people to leave. “Okay,” Willis began to be cut off by Shane.

  “Why are they here?” he stated coldly looking in their direction.

  “Jessica wanted Cordial to be here when I read the will and Mark and his wife are in the will,” Willis said quietly although his eyes were hard, “As for the others, I don’t see why they cannot stay. You have a few people that don’t need to be here as well.”

  He looked over to a red-head who smiled as she flicked her hair over her shoulder and sent Cordial a sly wink. Then there were a few other people there that looked ill at ease although why Shay did not have a clue.

  “Let’s began,” Willis said just as the door opened and Barry walked in with Tad. Willis nodded his head as Tad closed the door behind them. Then Willis cleared his throat as Shane said with a smirk, “Can we get on with this?”

  Willis threw him a glare, “Yes, we can but you are not going to like it. First off, Jessica wanted me to tell all present that she was sorry she did not tell any of you about her cancer. It was something she did not know how to say and she figured silence was best at the time. Secondly, here is a file for you Sheriff that she said you can do with as you pleased.” He pulled out a file from his briefcase and handed to Barry.

  Shane had a frown on his face as he watched this because he had no idea what was in the file.

  “Thirdly,” Willis started, “Cordial, Jessica said you liked that land over by the lake.”

  Cordial eyes widened as he said, “Yes, I do.”

  “Jessica has bequeathed it to you,” Willis stated and Shane’s eyes widened.

  “Now what a minute,” he said harshly, “Jessica knew I wanted that land.”

  “Yes,” Willis confirmed with a nod of his head, “She also knew what you intended to do with so she gave it to Cordial instead.”

  Shane muttered a curse as he glared at him, “Finish the rest so you all can get the hell out of my house.”

  Willis smiled, “As for the house, it was in Jessica’s name and she had it donated to a charity for homeless teens.” The shock on Shane’s face was priceless as Shay stood next to Cordial watching the drama unfold.

  “As for Jessica’s assets,” Willis said and Shane began to smile. “She had a savings account which housed $500,000 and then there is the business in which she owned a majority of the shares. As her husband, you were entitled to those shares, Shane.”

  Shane smiled as he said, “I know and I …”

  “But,” Willis said interrupting him, “she started selling off her shares two months ago. As of now, you only have the shares that you inherited when her father died.”

  Shane’s smile dropped as he started at him.

  “As for the savings account,” Willis turned to Mark and Pauline, “I am to split the $500,000 to fund you, Mark, in building the clinic that you wanted and the rest is put into a fund for this house.” The look on Mark’s face was one of shock as Willis continued, “Cordial, Jessica wanted me to ask if it was possible to use the land by the lake for the clinic.”

  Willis laughed, “She bequeathed the land to you before she decided about the money and then she realized that the land was ideal for Mark’s clinic, but she knew that you wanted it so…”

  Cordial and Mark both started laughing at his words. After their laughter quieted down, Mark explained, “It was the reason Cordial wanted the land in the first place. We had agreed the land was a perfect spot for the clinic, but neither of us had the deed and we did not know at the time who did own it until Shane told us. He also he was not going to sell it.”

  Willis shook his head, “The land did not belong to Shane; it was left to Jessica by her mother and in her maiden name as it was listed in her mother’s will years before she got married.”

  There was silence in the room after these words.

  “So what did my dear wife leave me?” Shane said pale as he realized that Jessica had basically taken everything from him.

  “Well, Shane, you still hold the shares of the company as I said before,” Willis stated looking at the papers in front of him, “Also there is the money in your joint checking account that is all yours.”

  Shane looked at him as shock flashed across his face, “You mean to tell me that as her husband I received nothing from my wife’s estate except for about $6,000 that is in our joint checking.”

  “Well,” Willis said slowly, “she left you one last thing, but it is in a letter and I figure…”

  “Read it,” Shane ordered.

  “Shane,” Willis sighed as he was interrupted by Shane, “Just read the damn letter.”

  Willis shook his head but he opened up the envelope that Jessica had given him to give to Shane and he began to read,

  So, my dear husband, are you happy with what you were left with? I know I am because it was how you left me so many times. Did you know that because of your little stunt years before I went into early menopause and was not able to have children including the fact that it weakened my immune system? You took that from me even though you knew that I wanted children, then you turned around and we adopted a child that was biologically yours from the start. How you must have laughed at me with that knowledge? Just so you know, I have known about every affair and one night-stand you have had over the past twenty years. I also know that you have been taking money from the business, but that is okay because the shares I sold will cause your destruction. As the majority share holder of the company, I made sure that my shares went to people who knew how to run it so that the employees would not lose their jobs. I loved you and hated you. In the end, my hate overruled the love I had for you.

  Your wife, Jessica

  There was complete silence after Willis read the letter and Shane stood in the center of the room with a lost look on his face.

  He started to shake his head as he said, “No, she could not do this to me. I was her husband and everything she had should have gone to me.”

  “You may have been her husband, but everything she gave away was things that were bequeathed to her by her parents even the shares were hers to do as she wished,” Willis stated clearly.

  “But…that means I have nothing,” Shane said with wide eyes.

  “Whatever is in your name in yours,” Willis said. “Jessica did not touch anything that belonged to you.”

  “It is barely anything,” Shane shouted. “Even the damn boat I bought a few years ago I mortgaged for the extra money that now I cannot even sell it. How do you expect me to live?”

  “That is your affair, Mr. McCloud,” Willis stated as he put the papers back in this briefcase. “I was not your lawyer so I do not know how you managed your funds.”

  Barry stepped up at this, “Well, Shane, according to the files that Jessica had given to us, you may not have to worry about that. We need to talk with you about some missing funds from the company.”

  Shane looked at him and sneered, “As it is my company, I don’t think I need to explain anything to you.”

  “Actually, you do,” Tad said as he stepped forward, “When Jessica sold her shares, she actually sold them to one person, a friend of hers who always wanted them and now he owns more than enough to have a audit on the company. He found the discrepancy in the paperwork and notif
ied the police, and with this file there is more than enough to put you away for embezzlement.”

  “We can also probably add a case of attempted murder,” the Sheriff said although he knew it would never stick.

  “What?” Shane whispered as his face fell.

  “You gave your wife arsenic poison,” Barry reminded him.

  “But I stopped,” Shane defended himself until he realized what he just said.

  There was satisfaction in Tad’s voice when he said, “You need to come with us.”

  Shane was beaten and he knew it but he just had to say it never knowing that he planted a seed of hope in Shay’s mind.

  “I see, Tad,” Shane sneered as he looked at him, “You are enjoying this because it makes you feel superior knowing that you finally beat me at something. Just remember, Teresa wanted me not you always no matter how much you wanted her.”

  Tad’s face went blank as he grabbed his arm, “Yes, she did and it cost her.”

  “They were my children,” Shane shouted as he was escorted out of the house.

  Shay had stiffened in Cordial’s arms as she heard what Shane said. She turned her gaze to Mark and Pauline, but Mark shook his head, “We will talk, Shay, but not right now.”

  Shay nodded her head as Cordial looked at Mark with a frown.

  “That is all,” Willis said running a hand through his hair. “Cordial, Mark, I will need to see you in my office tomorrow afternoon around 3pm so I can have you sign some papers and give you copies of Jessica’s will including a letter she left for you, Cordial.”

  Cordial nodded his head as they said their goodbyes and headed for the door. The people that had been with Shane left as soon as they heard that he would not be getting anything. Shay had seen the relief on their faces and she wondered about it, but as they went outside, they were gone. The only one who remained was the red-head who immediately walked towards them.

  “Hi,” she purred looking at Cordial who had is arm wrapped around Shay’s waist. “I thought maybe you would help me…”

  “I am sorry, but my fiancée and I are heading home,” Cordial interrupted smoothly as he gave her a smile.

  She pouted looking at Shay and she said with a slight smirk in her voice, “I doubt your fiancée would mind.”

  “Actually,” Shay said although she was still stunned at what Cordial had called her, “I would mind very much.”

  Shay looked at the red-head for a moment with hard green eyes and she stared back thinking to intimidate her, but Shay did not flinch. She shrugged her shoulders and turned away saying over her shoulder, “If you rather have that compared to the best.”

  She stopped at her car and slyly looked over her shoulder with a lick of her lips, “I could have rocked your world.”

  “I am sure you could,” Cordial responded. Then he said, “But you can believe me when I tell you my fiancée already has that covered and more.”

  The look of pure astonishment on the woman’s face as she realized what he meant caused the others to turn away to avoid laughing and she slid into her car without a word pulling away from the curb with a squeal of tires.

  “Fiancée?” Ray asked as she looked at Cordial.

  Cordial shrugged his shoulders as they walked to their vehicles and Shay just shook her head with laughter.

  “That was really mean of you,” she stated as they were in the truck and heading for his house.

  “Maybe,” he said with a wink at her.

  As they entered the house, Cordial turned and locked the door putting on the security system as it was late. Shay was already heading upstairs when Cordial called out, “Shay.”

  “Yeah,” she said looking at him and her eyes widened when she saw the look in his silver eyes. She started to giggle as she began to run up the stairs with Cordial right behind her and he caught her in the middle of their bedroom.

  “So,” he said picking her up by the waist, “how about rocking my world?”

  Shay laughed as he took two steps to the bed and dropping them both down onto it. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she whispered, “Anytime” before kissing him and for the rest of the night, they only thought of each other.

  Chapter 38

  “Hey, Shay,” Mrs. Lockwood said as she walked into the kitchen.

  “Hi, ma’am,” Shay said as she continued preparations for the ordered lunches. It had been two weeks since Jessica’s funeral and Vincent had left to spend some time with his friend. He called a few days ago after he got there saying that he would be staying until the end of the month, and both his children were wondering how things were going as he did not say on the phone.

  Cordial did admit that he sounded happy though as they had went to bed that night. That was when Shay had brought the subject of going back to work.

  “Cordial,” she had said tracing a fingertip on his chest, “I told Mrs. Lockwood that I can start back at work tomorrow if she needed me.”

  Cordial had stiffened, but he had known that not working was driving Shay crazy. He rolled over until he was lying on top of her, “Is it really necessary?”

  Shay laughed as she looked up at him, “Cordial, I am broke. I have no vehicle and my bank account has about five dollars in it.” He went to go say something, but Shay put a finger over his mouth, “I know that you make enough money to take care of me, but I have worked since I left the orphanage even before then. I do not want to be a burden to you. Besides, sitting here all day without anything to do is driving me crazy. Ray rarely comes over at the moment because she finalizing her wedding preparations although they are completely done. Your father made sure of that before he left.”

  Cordial had sighed and kissed her which led to other things Shay remembered blushing and Mrs. Lockwood noticing it laughed.

  “Sorry,” Shay said as she chuckled, “My mind was on other things.”

  “Mine would be too if Cordial was my boyfriend,” she said and Shay just laughed. “Speaking of boyfriend, Cordial is out in the dining room wondering if you would eat with him.”

  Shay frowned as she looked at her and she just smiled, “Go. You have not been on break yet and I think it is time that you do.”

  “Are you sure?” Shay said.

  “We are not busy,” she said pushing Shay away from the counter to the door, “and just so you know, I was a cook myself so I know what to do.” Shay laughed as she took off her apron and headed for the door. She had not known that her boss was a cook herself until almost three days after she came back. In fact, Shay had learned a few things from her and she was hoping to learn more as she walked into the dining room. She saw Cordial immediately as he leaned against the counter talking to a few people and he smiled as she made her way over to them.

  “So the taskmaster let you have lunch?” Mr. Thomas said, an older gentleman who sat in the same stool everyday around the same time.

  “Yes, sir,” Shay said as her boss called from the back, “I heard that old man.”

  “Old man?” he huffed although his eyes twinkled and Cordial laughed as he grabbed Shay’s arm waving to them.

  “So where are we going?” Shay asked as Cordial intertwined their hands and started walking in the opposite direction of his truck.

  He continued walking until they got to a little shop with the door closed, but that did not stop Cordial. He opened it pulling her inside as Ray shouted, “You are here.”

  Shay looked around at the walls and the counter, and it hit her.

  “You got your shop,” Shay said with joy in her voice.

  “The loan came through the other day,” Ray said as she came up to them.

  “Congratulations,” Shay said giving her a hug and Ray hugged her back.

  “Come on,” Ray said pulling them over to the table where there was a simple meal lay out. Todd was pouring champagne as they sat down.

  “To Ray,” he said in a toast, “My love, I wish you the best in your new business.”

  Ray laughed as they all sipped their champagn
e, and she said, “I am on cloud nine, but there is still a lot left to do.”

  She frowned as she looked at Todd who noticing the look said, “Is something wrong, Ray?”

  She fiddled with her fork as she said seriously, “We never talked about children, but…”

  Todd stilled, “Are you pregnant?” he asked.

  Ray shook her head “no” and Todd said gently, “Ray, I love you and I want to have children with you, but if you are not ready then we will wait.”

  Ray smiled as she leaned forward and whispered, “But I don’t want to wait so I am rethinking the decision of the bakery.”

  Shay’s mind was working as she listened to them and Cordial said, “You have us, Ray, and besides you can get the bakery going and hire someone to run the daily operations if you would like to stay home more with the children.”

  “True,” she said. Then she shook her head as she laughed, “What am I thinking about? I am not even pregnant and already I am freaking out about it.”

  They all laughed as they continued eating their lunch and Shay made light conversation as Cordial walked her back to the café.

  “See you later, honey,” he said giving her a kiss on the lips as she walked back into the café. She went straight to the bathroom where she sat down on one of the toilet seats. She lowered her head into her hands as she silently counted back. She had not been thinking about anything since Jessica’s death except for Cordial. It has been close to a month now since that dreadful day. She had not had her period during this month although it could be due to the stress of what happened and she realized that she was over-thinking. She shook her head slowly as she got up and splashed her face with cold water.

  She looked at herself in the mirror noticing how bright her eyes were with fear and apprehension, but there was a small glimmer of hope that she could not erase even from her mind as she went back to work.

  A few weeks later, Shay was in the kitchen preparing dinner when she became lightheaded.

  “Shay,” Ray said coming into the kitchen stopped what she was saying as she rushed forward to catch her before she fell.