by Anna Jacobs
‘I gather Mrs King had no direct descendants, so she left her estate to a trust whose main purpose was to help any of her female relatives who were in need. She felt she’d been lucky, had a long life and good friends, so she devised her own way of helping others. Mr Greaves said the old lady could be very determined once she’d decided upon something. She planned the way the trust would do that.’
He cocked his head on one side and paused, as if to ask whether she was taking this in.
‘Goodness me.’ Gabi looked down at the letter again. ‘It says something here about there being conditions for taking up the inheritance. Do you know what they are? I might not qualify.’
‘Mr Greaves would prefer to explain the details to you himself.’
‘Why did … I suppose I should call her Cousin Rose. Why did she think I needed help?’
‘She knew very little about you when she died. She simply left instructions about keeping an eye on her female relatives and made a list of those she knew about. Mr Greaves hands over this surveillance to me, while he pursues the genealogy – which is one of his interests – and unearths the occasional distant cousin. It was he who asked me to check on you and your husband a while ago.’
She was surprised by this. ‘Why would he want to do that?’
‘He knew you existed, but had found it hard to contact you. Apparently, your husband had deliberately left as few traces as he could after you married. I investigated further and, quite frankly, I wasn’t impressed by Stuart Dixon, so when I found out you were divorcing him, I informed Mr Greaves and he sent me to find you, in case you needed help.’
Gabi began to read the two pages of attachments. Appendix I mentioned houses Rose King had owned, which now belonged to the trust.
‘One of those houses is always available for her descendants to live in,’ Dan said quietly. ‘Not permanently, but as needed, in times of crisis. They’re a bit old-fashioned, but comfortable enough. You’ll be losing this house when you settle your finances, I assume.’
‘But I’m not in crisis – well, except for the divorce and … a series of nasty tricks.’ Not just nasty but frightening. Could Stu really be arranging these shocks?
‘Are you all right?’
She blinked and looked at him. ‘Sorry. My mind wandered for a moment. I shall have enough money left to put a decent deposit on a small house or flat, and I already have my furniture and appliances. So I don’t think I shall need to use the trust house, though it’s wonderful of Cousin Rose to care about her descendants like that.’
‘It’s entirely up to you. But have you thought that you may need somewhere to stay while you’re looking for another place to live? You can’t move straight into a house. These things take time. Will you stay in this area?’
‘To tell you the truth, I’ve no idea what I’m going to do.’
‘There you are, then – Rose’s house might be just the thing you need till you’ve worked things out.’
‘I suppose. But I don’t know anyone in Lancashire. I’d thought of renting nearer here.’
‘Whatever you prefer. There are also some boxes of documents available, which you may enjoy going through. Mrs King was very interested in family history. But we’re not allowed to take them away from the houses.’
‘Ah. That does interest me. I know so little about my mother’s family.’ Gabi looked down at the papers again. Whether she needed this help or not, it felt good to know that someone in her family had cared enough to make such provisions. It made her feel less alone in the world.
She smiled at him. ‘Whatever happens, Mr Monahan, I would like to see those family documents, so I won’t make a decision yet.’
She turned to the last page. ‘Oh!’ A further surprise was outlined in Appendix II: Mrs King had left some small legacies, one to be given to each person using a house. All the dwellings – Gabi loved the old-fashioned term – were on the outskirts of Rochdale, near a place called Littleborough. She wasn’t even sure where Rochdale was, not exactly; she’d have to look it up on the internet.
‘Is anyone living in a house at the moment, Mr Monahan?’
‘I’m not at liberty to discuss other people’s details, I’m afraid.’
‘Oh. Well, can you tell me what it means by a legacy? Does that mean she’s left me some money?’ Gabi would need as much money as she could find after the divorce to buy a house. So although it might be mercenary, perhaps it’d be worth going up to see Cousin Rose’s lawyer and find out what she had to do.
‘Mr Greaves will give you all the details of the legacy when you go to see him.’
‘I see. I would love to go through the family documents, I must admit. My mother threw all hers away. Only I don’t have time to go up to Lancashire to see him at the moment. I have the divorce to finalize, for one thing, which means getting this house ready to sell.’
‘Mr Greaves said to tell you there’s no hurry, but perhaps you could go and see him within the next month or two. I’m authorized to pay your travel expenses.’ Again, Dan Monahan looked at her questioningly.
She pulled her wandering thoughts together and frowned at the letter. ‘Unfortunately, I’ll have to leave it till I’ve sorted everything out here.’
She couldn’t believe the legacy would be anything big. Her mother didn’t come from a rich family. It was only in fairy stories that heroines inherited a fortune from a rich relative.
Dan’s quiet voice cut through her rambling thoughts. ‘Perhaps you should plan to go and see Mr Greaves after you sell your house, then. When does it go on the market? How are property sales going round here?’
A tired sigh escaped her. ‘Sales are very slow. And I can’t put it on the market till I’ve painted the ground-floor rooms.’
He looked surprised. ‘You’re not hiring someone else to do it?’
‘I can’t afford to. I’ve taken a month’s leave from work to deal with the house and … and because I feel a bit run down. There’s such a lot to do and I’ve only got one pair of hands, so it’ll take time.’
‘I can’t help being nosey – blame it on my profession – and I shan’t be upset if you don’t want to answer, but surely your ex should be helping with that?’
‘Stu? He doesn’t do decorating. Or anything practical in the house.’ She couldn’t keep the bitterness from her voice. ‘Besides, he’s in Prague for a few weeks.’
‘I see.’ Dan looked round. ‘The place does need a bit of a touch-up, I agree. It looks shabby.’
‘We never got round to decorating it, as we’d planned. No, as I’d planned.’
He went across to run his fingers across one wall and squint sideways along it. ‘The plaster’s not in too bad a state. It’ll only need one coat of paint if you keep it to some similar pale colour. Look, I know this sounds crazy, but how about I help you with the decorating? I’m a dab hand with a paintbrush.’
She was rather taken aback by this offer from a complete stranger and couldn’t believe he meant it.
He gave her a wry smile. ‘My horoscope this morning said I’d be helping a friend and would greatly benefit from doing so.’
This was weirder and weirder. ‘Do you believe in horoscopes?’ she asked.
His smile broadened. ‘Not at all, but I thoroughly enjoy reading them all the same. And I actually like painting and decorating. Just occasionally, you know. It gives you such an instant reward, don’t you think?’
She still didn’t know how to respond to his offer.
His voice was gentle. ‘Sometimes it’s good to do something for another person. And if you don’t mind me saying so, you look as if you’ve reached the limit of your endurance, physically and mentally.’
She couldn’t hold back tears, could feel them rolling down her cheeks. This sympathy and understanding from a complete stranger was more than she could cope with.
Dan pushed the box of tissues across the table to her. ‘Here. If you want me to mind my own business, just say so and I’ll leave you to it.’<
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She blew her nose firmly, but the tears still kept coming. To her surprise, she didn’t want him to leave, didn’t want to be on her own again. ‘I can’t understand why you’d offer.’
‘A few years ago, when I was going through a hard time, someone was kind to me. It wasn’t anything big, but it made all the difference to my life. He didn’t want anything from me in return except the promise to help other people now and then. So I do. Hence my offer of help.’
He smiled reminiscently. ‘I’ve never failed to benefit from doing that – not necessarily financially, but in some roundabout ways. One old lady gave me a bowl because she couldn’t afford to pay me. I didn’t need payment, but it made her feel better to give me something.’
Gabi nodded. She could understand that.
‘The bowl turned out to be quite valuable as well as beautiful – early Moorcroft, a rare piece. I didn’t sell it. I have it on display in my house and look at it every day when I’m at home. I’ve had such pleasure from that bowl.’
‘What a lovely story! I like Moorcroft, too.’
Dan stared into space, still lost in reminiscences. ‘Another old man died happily because I’d been able to help him find his grandson. I went to a bit more trouble than he could afford to pay for, but I didn’t tell him. I found the young man in time, and that, too, gave me great satisfaction. Some people scorn private investigators, but I really enjoy what I do.’
She wished she enjoyed her job.
He looked at her. ‘Well? Am I hired?’
She was definitely tempted to accept his offer. ‘Do you have time to help me? What about your business?’
‘I’m in the fortunate position of being able to pick and choose my cases. I can take time off whenever I want.’ He saw her expression and laughed at her puzzlement. ‘I’m not rich. It’s just that I’m an only son and I inherited the family house from parents who’d been careful with their money, a trait I’ve inherited. I’m not extravagant. I don’t need a lot of money to live comfortably.’
She wished her parents had had more sense about money. And her ex. ‘Well, then … if you’re sure you don’t mind helping.’
‘I wouldn’t have offered otherwise.’
‘I’d be very grateful for any help you can give me, Mr Monahan. You’re right. I’m finding it hard to get through all this on my own. I’m a bit run down, I think.’
‘That’s settled, then. And do call me Dan. You’re Gabrielle, I gather.’
‘People usually call me Gabi.’
‘Seems a pity. Gabrielle is a beautiful name. But hey, if you want me to call you Gabi, I will.’
She looked at him thoughtfully. ‘I prefer Gabrielle, actually, but Stu said it was old-fashioned and changed it to Gabi. My parents always used my full name, though. Yes, please do call me that. In fact, I think I’ll ask everyone to call me Gabrielle from now on.’
‘Signalling a new start.’ He gave an understanding smile.
‘Exactly.’
‘I’ll go and see if I can get a room in that nice-looking bed and breakfast I saw at the lower end of this street. Then I’ll come back and we’ll plan how to tackle this job.’ He stood up. ‘Do you have some paint already or do we have to buy some?’
‘I haven’t got anything, not even the painting equipment. I thought … white. People say you should go for a neutral look if you’re selling.’
‘Off-white would be better, or it’ll look too stark.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘I’ll go and book a room. If I come straight back, we can go out and buy the paint today, then get an early start in the morning.’
He stopped at the door to say, ‘Leave the broken glass. I’ll clear it up later.’
When he’d left, she stood in the doorway, watching him drive down the street and stop outside the B and B.
This had been the strangest encounter she’d ever had. She couldn’t believe what she’d done – first invited a complete stranger into her house and then accepted his offer to help her paint it. And what about the legacy? And the offer of a house?
It all felt unreal. But nice. The nicest thing that had happened to her for a while.
She frowned. Was Dan Monahan really passing on a kindness? Or did he have an ulterior motive for helping her?
She knew what Stu would have said: nobody does anything for free. They’re always looking for a kickback of some sort.
But she wanted quite desperately to believe that there were good people in the world, people who really did help their neighbours. Not everyone was like Stu.
The legacy couldn’t be much, anyway – probably just a token amount. It was the family documents that interested her most. And the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of getting away to think about her future.
For the present, she was going to work really hard on getting the house ready to sell, so that she could get completely free of Stu. And she wouldn’t have to do it on her own. That was such a load off her back. How kind of Dan!
Afterwards, she would try to make some new friends. Perhaps contact some of her old ones. She would just go with the flow, as Tania would say, till she saw her way clear.
She couldn’t imagine this house selling as quickly as the agency had said, so she’d need to go back to work after her month’s leave was up.
She was dreading that.
But she did like the idea of her new start, including a return to her full name. It was a small thing, but a first step towards … something different. A better life, she hoped.
Dan came back an hour later, casually dressed, carrying a shopping bag with a brand-new set of overalls in it.
‘You must let me pay for those,’ Gabrielle said at once.
‘No need. I’ll be using them for years, probably. My old overalls are ragged and stained now, full of holes. Shall we go?’
‘Go?’
‘Shopping for paint.’
‘Oh, yes. We can go to one of the shops in the chain I work for. I’ll get a staff discount there.’
‘Sounds good. And I rang up my friend to ask the exact name of the paint he used in his house. It looks great – a very subtle colour, neither cream nor white. Shall we go in my car? It’s bigger than yours, in case we have to carry things. Do you have a ladder?’
Gabrielle felt as if she’d been swept away by a gentle whirlwind, and she didn’t mind at all. She felt safe with Dan. Maybe whoever was threatening her would stop if she wasn’t alone.
However hard she racked her brains, there was no one she could think of who might be trying to upset her, except the man who’d once said he loved her. Stu was extremely eager to get his money from the house; he’d soon lose interest in tormenting her once he got that.
Till then, she’d be careful not to be alone with him again.
Oh, she was full of foolish ideas today. She needed to pull herself together. This was starting to sound like a bad B movie, full of gangsters and threats.
Wouldn’t it be amusing if it also involved a creepy old house on the edge of the moors? Shades of Wuthering Heights. She’d never liked that book. It was so miserable a tale.
Henry Greaves picked up the phone that evening.
‘Dan here, reporting in. Is this a convenient time, not too late?’
‘Very convenient. My wife’s out at her book club meeting. And you know very well that I’m a night owl. I don’t consider nine o’clock late. So, how’s it going?’
‘I’ve found your Gabrielle. She’s almost finalized her divorce, and she’s using her maiden name again: Ms Newman. We chatted for quite a while. That husband of hers seems to have made sure she cut off all ties with her past life. I told you I didn’t like him. It’s strange, though, how thorough he was about that. I had trouble finding his trail. Most amateurs don’t hide their whereabouts nearly as well.’
‘What’s he like?’
‘I haven’t met him – only seen him in the distance. Good-looking, I suppose, if you like the showy type. She’s almost free of him now, so I pr
obably won’t have anything to do with him. She’s just waiting for the decree absolute and to sell the house.’
‘How is she coping?’
‘At the moment, she’s run down and, I think, a bit depressed. She’d be pretty if she wasn’t so pale and didn’t have such dark circles under her eyes. I think she’s had a rough time. She was trying to prepare the house for sale on her own. Her ex is apparently too busy to help get it ready.’
‘Do you think she’ll want to collect the legacy?’
‘Depends how much money she gets from the house and what she plans to do with her life. She doesn’t know much about the north of England, or her family, and she has a southern accent.’
‘Rose would be pleased you’ve found her. I still miss the old lady. She could hold a truly intelligent conversation that always caught your interest. She was a lateral thinker, too – had some unusual ideas. Ah, well. That’s life. We all have to die one day.’
‘The later the better, as far as I’m concerned.’
‘When will you finish there, Dan? Have you thought any more about moving up here and accepting my offer of the job as manager of the trust? Those investments of Rose’s have paid off big time and there’s a lot more to dealing with them than I’d expected.’
‘I’d very much like to accept the job. It’s interesting and worthwhile work.’
‘Good.’
‘I’ll move to Rochdale when I get a few weeks clear. About time I found a different house – something more modern, perhaps.’
‘Are you working on another job now?’
‘I have one that I need to finish off. I’ve promised to help my client with that. In the meantime, I’m helping Gabrielle decorate her house.’
‘You’re what?’
‘You heard me perfectly well, Henry.’
‘That’s above and beyond the call of duty, isn’t it? We don’t need to know what she has for breakfast – just whether she needs help or not.’
‘It’s got nothing to do with duty. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve more or less finished the job you gave me with her. This is just … I couldn’t bear to see her struggling and I quite like decorating, so I offered to help.’
