Unbreakable Bonds (An Angela Panther Mystery Book 2)

by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson

I leaned my head back, and shook it, and then I dropped the F-bomb.

  Just then Mel pulled up, and honked. I straightened, and gave her a half smile and waved.

  Mel sat and took a sip of her coffee. "Thanks, I needed this. Sorry I'm late. Nick was being an ass. He didn't pay the water bill last month, and the water was off this morning. How could he not pay the water bill? Then when I told him they'd shut it off for non-payment, he acted like it was my fault. I told him I wasn't responsible for paying the bills, and he said we didn't have any money because I spend it all of the time. Seriously? I barely ever shop for anything other than something the kids need." She took another drink from her cup. "He's such an ass."

  When it rained, it poured.

  I pounded my head on the plastic table.

  "Ang?" Mel asked. "You okay?"

  I looked up and said, "Ma's here." And then I whacked my head into the table again and left it there.

  "Did I interrupt something?" Mel asked.

  "Sort of," I said, my head still on the table.

  "Does she have someone with her?"

  I lifted my head. "Yup."

  "Wow. Seems like Starbucks is the place for ghosts to hang, huh?"

  "Yup."

  "So what's the deal this time?" Mel was excited. Ghosts perked her up, at least the ones who didn't threaten her ability to climax.

  "It's a woman who wants to connect with her cousin."

  "Cool." She rubbed her hands together. "This'll help me forget about my jerk-of-an-almost-ex-husband."

  I looked Mel in the eyes. "Her cousin is Helen."

  It was Mel's turn to drop the F-bomb.

  "That's what I said."

  "She doesn't know, right?"

  I shook my head.

  "So what are you going to do?"

  I moved my coffee from in front of me, and pounded my head on the table again, hoping to knock myself out, but I didn't.

  Mel half laughed. "That helping?"

  "Ah Madone, Angela. Stop that. You'll end up with brain damage."

  "Ma says it'll give me brain damage." I pounded it again.

  Mel giggled. "I love your mom."

  "Uh huh."

  "Is something wrong?" Brenda asked.

  "Your cousin doesn't know Angela can talk to us spirits," Ma said.

  "Oh," Brenda said.

  "And I hadn't planned on telling her," I said.

  "What's going on?" Mel asked.

  I sighed. "Ma just told Brenda that Helen doesn't know I can talk to ghosts."

  "Oh."

  "Yeah, that's what Brenda said."

  "So what're you gonna do?" Mel asked.

  "This ain't about you, Ang," Ma said. "So you're gonna put on your big girl panties, and do what you're supposed to do, whether you like it or not."

  Ma was right. It wasn't about me. I pressed my thumbs into my temples. "I'm gonna put on my big girl panties, and do what I'm supposed to do, whether I like it or not."

  "That's my girl," my mother said.

  Mel put her hand on my shoulder. “It's gonna be okay, Angela. I don't really know Helen, but I do know that you've changed the lives of everyone you've had these conversations with. You've given them something they needed more than anything."

  "She's gonna want to know if I've talked to my dad. What do I say to her then?"

  "You don't have to tell her you have this gift, you can just tell her you had a dream or something." She took a sip of her coffee. "You don't even have to mention your father."

  "I don't know," I said.

  "Has she mentioned her cousin recently? Does she know she's dead?" Mel asked.

  "Yeah, she knows. Apparently there's been some questions about her death. She'd recently married a man much younger than her-what, fifteen years, Brenda?"

  "Seventeen," Brenda said.

  "Seventeen years younger than her, and then changed her life insurance policy to make him the beneficiary. Then she died, and he got everything. Her kids couldn't even pay for the funeral."

  "Wow," Mel said. "Do they think the husband did it?"

  "He didn't," Brenda said. "It was an accident. I tripped at the top of the stairs, and I fell. Brian—my husband—wasn't even home."

  "She just told me he didn't. Said she tripped and fell down the stairs."

  Mel sipped her coffee. "So maybe you tell Helen that you dreamed Brenda came to you, and told you that? She might be okay with that."

  Mel had a point. "Brenda, I'm assuming that's what you want Helen to know. That is was really an accident?"

  "Yes."

  "What else?" Ma asked. "Do you got some cash hidden somewhere? We like to find cash. It's fun."

  I shook my head.

  "What?" Mel asked.

  "Ma asked Brenda is she had cash hidden anywhere."

  "I love your mom."

  "I don't have any cash hidden anywhere, no."

  "Drats," Ma said.

  I asked Brenda why she'd want my stepmom to know what happened. "Don't you want to get a message to your kids?"

  "I didn't have a relationship with my children," she said. "I hadn't for a long time, and I don't think they'd believe you if you talked to them."

  I nodded. "But why Helen? I got the impression you two weren't all that close."

  "Just before I died, I borrowed some money from her. I hadn't worked for some time, and Brian and I had separated—though nobody knew that, and I needed the money to pay my mortgage and attorney fees. I was in the middle of a lawsuit, and was expecting to win so I figured I could pay her back then."

  "Oh, I see." I glanced at Mel, and then explained it to her.

  "So she wants to apologize for not paying her back?" Mel asked.

  "No, that's not it," Brenda said. "When she gave me the loan, I signed a loan agreement. It's an official document, and since the lawsuit was settled just before my fall, she can bring it to the lawyer and get a portion of her money back."

  "So you want me to tell my stepmother—who doesn't know I can speak to the dead, and whose husband died recently—that her cousin did really trip and fall down the stairs, and oh, by the way, if you call her attorney, Mr. so and so, he's got some of that money she owes you?"

  Mel nudged me. "Ang?"

  "What?"

  "Chill."

  "Mel, Helen doesn't know."

  "Maybe it's time she finds out."

  I shook my head. "I'm not sure I can do this. I mean, if I could pass it off as a dream, maybe, but this is too much for just a dream."

  "You can do it, Ang," Ma said.

  "What if she doesn't believe me? What if she thinks I'm crazy?"

  Mel placed her hand over mine. "She won't. Just give her the facts. Ask Brenda for specifics, and then have Helen call the attorney. She'll believe you then. She'll have to."

  She was right, and I knew deep down Helen wouldn't think I was crazy, not anymore than she already thought, but that wasn't really my concern. "What about my dad?"

  Mel nodded. "What about your dad?"

  "She's going to want to know if I've seen or heard him Mel, and I'm gonna to have to tell her no. That's going to destroy her."

  "She'll understand."

  "I'm not sayin' me and Helen were best friends, but she's always done right by you, and I think you gotta tell her. I think Mel's right," Ma said.

  "I can tell you everything in detail if you'd like," Brenda said.

  The whole conversation made my stomach ache. I had no idea how I was going to talk to Helen. "Geesh, Dad, I really wish you'd say something right now."

  "He ain't here," Ma said.

  "Thanks, Ma. I kind of figured that."

  "I'm just sayin'."

  I held up my hand. "Let me just think this through for a minute."

  No one said a peep. I dropped my head onto the table again. "This sucks."

  "Quit that for cryin' out loud," Ma said.

  I sat up, rolled my shoulders, took a few deep breaths, and said, "Okay, let's do this."

  I gra
bbed a pen and note pad from my purse. "Brenda, I need everything. Lawyers contact information, details about the lawsuit, details about your fall, everything." I shifted my attention to Mel. "And you need to stay here. I've got stuff to tell you, too."

  Her mouth dropped. "That doesn't sound good."

  I didn't say anything, just half-smiled at her.

  "Okay then, I'll get more coffee, and something with chocolate. You talk with Brenda." She pushed her chair back, and walked to the door. "I'm already getting pissed. This isn't going to be good." She pulled open the door and let it slam behind her.

  "Oh boy," Ma said. "She's in for a shocker."

  I nodded. "Okay Brenda," I said. "Shoot."

  She gave me everything—from the events surrounding her death, to specifics about the lawsuit. Helen was going to get about 25,000 dollars.

  I filled Mel in after she returned.

  "Wow. That's a lot of money. You definitely need to tell Helen."

  "Is that how much she loaned you?" I asked Brenda.

  "It includes interest."

  "I coulda used that kind of money when I was still kickin'," Ma said.

  "Mother."

  "What? All's I'm saying is it woulda been nice. Maybe I could a used it for a little vacation now and then. It would a done me some good. I mighta not got the big C."

  "Smoking caused your cancer Ma, not lack of vacations."

  "Well then maybe I could a used the money for one of those stop smoking classes they always got advertised on the TV. Then I could a gone on a nice vacation with the money I saved from not buying cigarettes."

  "I'm consistently amazed by the way you think, Ma."

  Mel asked what Ma said, and I repeated it to her.

  "I'm with you on this one, Fran," she said.

  "Lovely." I put the paper and pen away. "Okay. I need to prepare myself to make this call. I'll have Ma get in touch with you as soon as I'm ready, okay?"

  "Yes, and thank you."

  Ma said, "She's gone. Now let's get down to business."

  I swirled the coffee in my cup, and contemplated how to tell Mel about Nick's bank accounts. "So, who do you think will win the super bowl this season?"

  Mel groaned. "It's that bad, isn't it?"

  I raised my eyebrows and nodded. "It's that bad."

  She laughed nervously. "What are you gonna tell me, that Carrie's pregnant or something?"

  "Ah Madone, she psychic?" Ma asked.

  I dropped my head and stared at my coffee cup.

  "Holy mother of God, she is, isn't she? That son-of-a-bitch, how could he?" Mel shot out of her chair, knocking it over in the process. "I'm gonna kick her ass." She grabbed her purse and went to leave, but I grabbed her arm.

  "Wait," I said. "There's more." I pushed the chair closer to her. "Sit, so I can tell you."

  She sat and shook her head. "How far along is she?" She pulled her hair out of its ponytail, twisted it around in her hands, and put it back up. Her beautiful Asian features morphed into a snarling, tomato red explosion of anger. "I'll kill him for doing this to my family." She pounded her hands on the table and our coffees fell over. "Son-of-a-bitch."

  I winced, and grabbed our drinks before they emptied onto the ground. "Breathe," I said.

  She exhaled and fanned her face, likely willing herself not to cry. "I'm fine. You said there's more, right?"

  I nodded.

  "Then spill it. It can't get any worse." She bit her lip. "Can it?"

  I told Mel about the bank accounts and how Ma found them.

  She leaned back in her chair. "That's over 20,000 dollars. No wonder he isn't paying the bills."

  I nodded. "Yeah, I know."

  "I'm sure they're not connected to our accounts. Did Fran get the passwords?"

  I pulled out the paper with all of the account information and passwords on it. "Do you have an attorney?"

  "No."

  "Here." I handed her the attorney's business card Jake gave me. "Jake checked this guy out. He says he's good."

  She took the card and nodded. "Thanks." She got up to leave.

  "Call the attorney before you tell him anything. Please? Promise me."

  She closed her eyes, and shook her head. "I'm not sure I can do that, I gotta go." Her eyes welled with tears.

  "Okay, please call me, or come over, or whatever, if you need me. Please."

  She nodded, and then turned and left.

  I banged my head on the plastic table again, and then my cell phone alarm beeped. It was time to get Emily to the gynecologist. I got up, threw our cups out, and walked to the car.

  Driving home Ma said, "Well that wasn't so bad. I thought she might go all Bruce Lee on you or something."

  I laughed. "Did you ever watch Bruce Lee, Ma?"

  "Sure did. Your dad loved him. I bet I could do some of those moves now, seeing as I'm more flexible in spirit form than I was as a human. I wonder if I could karate chop Nick for knocking that girl up? Hi-ya!"

  "Good Lord. In spirit form? As a human? What's happening to you?"

  "I'm evolving. It happens to all us celestial beings."

  "No words, Ma. I have no words."

  "That's a first."

  "So Ma, why didn't you tell me about Brenda when she approached you before?"

  "'Cause you mighta gone all Bruce Lee on me, and given me a hi-ya."

  "I can't see you Ma, remember?"

  "Oh yah."

  "Well?"

  "I was waitin' on Alo to have that talk with you, 'cause I didn't want you thinking or hoping your father would show up when you talked to Helen."

  "Alo? Who's Alo?" And then I remembered, the Indian from my dream. "You mean the Indian from my dream? How do you know about my dream?"

  "Me and Alo, we're tight," she said. "Thick as thieves, us two."

  I shook my head. "I'm confused."

  "Your spirit guide, Angela. Alo's your spirit guide."

  I let that sink in, and then, for reasons I didn't even know, I asked my mother to stay away from my spirit guide.

  "Fine, you want me to stay out of your life? I can do that," she said.

  "That's not what I said, Ma." I rolled my eyes. "I don't understand this spirit guide stuff, but I guess I just don't want you, or even Linda, talking to him. If he's my spirit guide, then I should be the one talking to him. Okay?"

  She didn't answer.

  "Ma?"

  She still didn't answer.

  "Well, crap."

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  EVERY MOTHER SHOULD TAKE her teenage daughter to the gynecologist—not just because it's important—because it's a fantabulous mother payback moment. The complete and utter fear the girl feels before the exam is the greatest payback for teenage daughter angst known to mankind. I almost peed myself from holding back the laughter. Okay, so a few giggles may have snuck out, but I couldn't help it.

  "Mom, it's not funny," Em whined.

  "From this angle, it pretty much is, Em. Sorry."

  "You're mean."

  "You think I'm mean? Wait until you meet Dr. Sheila."

  Her face paled. "Do I have to do this? I like, don't want to do this, Mom. Seriously. Can we just go? I can't, like, see Chandler anymore anyway so what's the point?"

  I walked over to Emily and brushed her hair from her eyes. Her forehead was clammy. "Honey, seriously, this isn't as big of a deal as you think. The worst part is right now—the fear. I promise. The exam itself takes less than five minutes, okay? You'll survive." I hugged her, and she pulled the white paper robe tighter around her.

  "Why don't guys have to go through this stuff?"

  "Honey, if a man had to carry the burden for all the responsibilities of safe sex, we'd have billions more kids running around the world. Why do you think God made women the child bearers?"

  "I dunno."

  "Because we're the more responsible sex, that's why. As the saying goes, they think with the wrong head."

  She laughed. "It's not fair."

  "Yea
h, I know. Blame it on Eve. Probably happened because she bit into that apple first, and God wanted to punish her."

  "Probably."

  Doctor Sheila walked in. "Well hello," she said, looking at Emily. "I'm Doctor Sheila, and you must be Emily."

  "You know what? I'm going to leave you two alone for this," I said.

  "No, Mom. Can you stay?"

  "Don't sweat this Emily," Doctor Sheila said. "You'll be outta here in a flash."

  "Okay," she said.

  I kissed her forehead. "I'll be outside, kiddo."

  Five minutes later Sheila came out, and filled me in on birth control options. "Emily said she'd prefer the shot, if that's okay with you?"

  "Absolutely. I'd much rather she go that route, too."

  We reviewed potential side effects, and then she wrote out the prescription. "Have her come back with the 'script, and we'll give her the shot." She ripped the prescription off of the pad. "She's getting dressed and will be out in a minute."

  Emily walked out smiling. "That wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be."

  "Pretty sure I said that too, didn't I?"

  "Yeah, you did. Can we stop and get something to eat? I'm starving."

  "Sure. We can drop off the prescription, too."

  "Okay."

  "Hey," I asked. "Did your dad and you talk at all?"

  She nodded.

  "Feel any better?"

  She shrugged. "A little, I guess. He said I had to, like, ask you if I could have my phone back, but that I was, like, grounded for at least three weeks."

  I was surprised Jake gave a time frame. Usually—because of his work schedule, he left that to me.

  We got in the car. "I'm willing to give you your phone back, but if I find out you're texting or talking to Chandler, I'll take it back, and keep it indefinitely. Do you understand?"

  She slid over to me and hugged me. "Yeah, and thanks, Mom."

  ***

  I didn't hear from Mel the rest of the day. I sent her several texts, but she never responded. I talked to my mother too, but she was giving me the silent treatment. I worried about Mel, and felt bad about hurting my mother's feelings, but I tried to cut myself some slack. Truth was, I needed the breather to focus on what I'd say to Helen. I knew I needed to make the call, but I wasn't sure the words would come out.

  I stood in my bathroom and practiced the call in front of the mirror. "Hi Helen, I know this is going to sound strange, but just hear me out, okay?"