by Kris Calvert
“Come with me, handsome,” Mimi smiled at the agent guarding her door. “We’ve got some work to do.”
Mimi sat on the couch of the now empty suite. We’d been packing Nancy’s things and sorting through items for the last two hours. She’d been at Autumn Valley for five years – a little longer than Mimi, and in those five years she’d amassed quite a few knickknacks. There were books – I knew Mimi read to her often, postcards and letters from Mac telling her about his adventures and a drawer full of cards from the florist –no doubt that accompanied many birthday and Mother’s Day arrangements Mac had sent to her.
Her beautiful clothes were perfectly aligned in her closet and color matched from darkest to lightest. Even in her Alzheimer’s she loved order.
I stared at the safe in the wall that separated her closet from the bathroom. Most patients at Autumn Valley were wealthy and brought valuables with them to the home to live. Nancy was no different.
She’d cleaned out the safe and given Mac the key six months ago, afraid that in a confused state she might give away something she would later regret. For the most part, she’d removed most of her valuable jewelry with the exception of her pearls. He knew she wore them almost every day and in fact died in the grand style of a great Southern lady – wearing her lipstick and pearls.
I pulled the key from my pocket, and as the lock clicked I didn’t really know what to expect. There were several jewelry boxes, some papers, a small letterbox and a book.
I took them out in one motion, using the large envelope that sat below everything as a tray.
Placing it all on her empty bed, I began to sort through what Nancy thought valuable enough to place in her safe. The jewelry boxes contained a beautiful strand of black Tahitian pearls, a gold ring with the Callahan crest – something I thought only the Callahan men wore, and assorted jeweled earrings.
The final velvet box was large, as if it contained an elaborate necklace of some sort. As I opened it, I smiled and began to cry. Threaded together on a long piece of red yarn, she’d kept a necklace made entirely of macaroni noodles. There was no doubt in my mind that Mac had made it for her when he was probably no older than Dax. She’d kept it among her most prized possessions, locked safely with the baubles and pearls she couldn’t live without. It was touching, and yet as a mother I understood completely.
I wiped away the tears as I moved on to the papers. There was her certificate of baptism, copies of her marriage certificate, her will, the funeral plans and three sealed letters. One was addressed to Mac, one to Timms and one simply marked: To the future Mrs. Callahan.
“Mimi.” I sat, putting my hand over my mouth, overcome by emotion.
“What is it?” she asked as she stopped sorting and tossing old magazines from the corner of Nancy’s reading nook.
I held up the envelope as if she could read it from where she sat.
“Honey, you must think I’m still twenty-twenty, but that’s really only the case when I have a pistol in my hand. You’ll have to read it to me.”
“It’s a handwritten letter. There are three of them,” I began. “One to Mac, one to Timms and this one. It’s addressed to the future Mrs. Callahan.”
Mimi grinned and nodded. “Atta girl, Nancy.”
“Do you think she meant it for me?”
“You’re the only Mrs. Callahan left, my dear. I’m positive it’s for you.”
I didn’t know what to do with the letter. I was afraid to open it, and yet I was so honored she wanted to know me and in turn, wanted me to know her.
“You don’t have to read it now, sweetheart,” Mimi offered. “It’s obviously meant as something special for the two of you to share.”
“But how would she know?”
“Know what? That Mac would eventually get married? Believe me, when she was really herself she worried a lot about Mac. She wanted him to get married, but she knew he was fighting with himself and his past.”
“But Mac is the most traditional man I’ve ever known.”
“He is now,” she said. “I’m not telling you anything you didn’t already know about your husband.”
“I know,” I sighed. “I mean, I don’t know. I’ve heard.”
“Do you want to read it?” Mimi asked.
I shook my head in uncertainty.
“I’ve made you buck up and do a lot of things you didn’t want to today. I’m not going to push this on you too. Although,” she sighed, “cleaning out this room will make it so much easier for Mac to close out this chapter of his momma’s life.”
“I agree.”
“Save it for later if you want. But don’t hang on to it too long,” Mimi advised.
Wiping the tears from my cheeks, I carefully opened the top of the white envelope and looked to Mimi as if I needed permission. She nodded and I slowly unfolded the letter.
As I looked down at the white linen paper, what struck me first was how lovely Nancy’s handwriting was. It was almost a work of art. No one wrote letters anymore –real letters – and I could already tell this would be a moment I’d remember always.
I took a deep breath and read it to myself.
To the future Mrs. Callahan,
I write this not knowing if it will ever be opened, as my lovely son McKay has told me he has no plans to ever marry. However, if by some chance, he meets the girl of his dreams and I am no longer living, I wanted to have a moment with you. With the way my memory works these days, I’m sure I will have long forgotten about this letter if I do happen to meet you. Regardless, I want to welcome you into our family. You are the new Mrs. Callahan. Use the moniker with pride, my dear. We are a small group.
I decided long ago when my husband Edward wrote our will, that there were more important things than where the money, the property, or my jewelry ends up after our demise. The one thing I cannot will to anyone is McKay himself. If you’re reading this, he’s done that for me.
Mrs. Callahan, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are beautiful, smart and kind – Mac would never agree to spend his life with anyone less. I want to welcome you into our family. It’s one filled with a rich history of Callahan men, and the women who’ve loved them come hell or high water – and there’s been plenty of both in our history, I assure you.
Mothers-in-law always feel the need to give advice without getting in the way, and I would be lying to tell you I’m different. So here’s my two cents:
Love each other fully and without judgment. Never let the sun set on your disagreements and always put each other first. I know you and Mac may never have children of your own, but I urge you to adopt as our family isn’t made of flesh and blood, but love, sacrifice, faith and fortitude. When you make that decision it will be scary – starting a family always is. Just try to remember that even though my grandchildren may live a life of privilege, the best gift you can give them is to love each other.
Take care of my precious Mac and demand that he do the same. And although I don’t know you, or perhaps I do and I’ve long forgotten as my brain doesn’t seem to cooperate as well these days, know that you have my blessing, that I love you and I’m proud to call you my daughter. Edward and I always wanted a daughter to call our own, and now Mac has provided that for us.
Try to live for all the small moments that don’t seem to matter very much at the time. As you age, you’ll discover these are the ones that are the sweetest to revisit in your old age.
Finally, thank you for loving my son. He isn’t perfect, as I’m sure you’ve discovered, but loving each other openly and with all your heart makes all our faults fade into the background. Remember to give each other hope in the darkness, and you’ll always find your way back to the light of your love.
Sincerely,
Your mother-in-law, Nancy
I dropped the letter into my lap as a single tear hit the page and ran the ink from the fountain pen she’d used long ago. I took a deep breath and leaned into Mimi as she gave me a tight hug.
“Everyt
hing okay?” she asked. She gave my back a gentle pat as if I were still a baby.
I nodded as she held me close and I smelled her perfume – Jean Patou’s Joy. She’d worn it ever since I could remember and it immediately brought me back to her every time.
Mimi held me at arm’s length and gave me a long look. “Are we finished for the day?”
“No,” I sighed, remembering Nancy’s words. “I need to get everything boxed up before tomorrow. Mac can go through her things later when he’s up to it. I’ll have a moving service pick all of this up and bring it to Lone Oak.”
“I think that’s a fine idea,” Mimi agreed. “Why don’t you head home? You’ve got two babies and a husband that need you right now. We’ve sorted through the important stuff.”
Mimi struggled to her feet using her walker as a crutch. It worried me to see her getting so frail and the last thing I wanted to think about was cleaning out her room at Autumn Valley.
I helped her to the door and as we walked down the hallway, Nancy’s letters and precious items from the safe were cradled in my arms. I needed to get to Mac. I needed to take care of him. Most of all I needed to give him his own letter.
30
MAC
I sank into the chair, still numb with grief and anxiety. I looked around the study at the faces I knew all too well from the Bureau. Everyone, with the exception of the young agent who’d asked to be transferred before I could get rid of him myself for allowing Hector to slip into my mother’s room, was accounted for.
“Let’s hear it,” I demanded. I wanted a quick and up to date report on everything from Hector to Richard and back again.
“Don’t start without me.”
I knew the raspy voice and I dropped my shoulders, knowing exactly why she’d come to Alabama.
“Micah,” Z drawled with a smile. “How’s it hanging, cher?”
“Fuck off, Z,” she chimed, giving him a smile as if it were a compliment.
I stood and she gave me a hug without reservation. Awkward at first, I felt my body release as she hugged me tightly.
“Do you want to postpone, Mac?” Z asked sincerely. “We can give you a couple of minutes.”
I pulled away from Micah and gave her a wink. “No, I’m fine,” I blurted.
I sat down again as I watched Micah pull a chair into the small circle of agents. “Moss, talk to me.”
“All the surveillance tapes from Autumn Valley, Lone Oak and Jackson House have been pulled. Hector’s been using different identities to slip past us. We think he was dressed as an orderly at Autumn Valley when he went into Nancy’s room. He was credentialed, so I’m sure the agent who let him pass thought he was legit. We think he posed as catering staff here on the wedding day, and possibly grounds at Jackson House.”
“Dax always draws him in green in his pictures,” Z offered. “When I questioned him about it, he said that Cucuy worked in the flowers.”
“Someone wanna fill me in on who the hell Cucuy is?” Moss asked.
“El Cucuy,” Z continued. “That’s the name he gave himself to Dax, Samantha’s son.”
“My son,” I said. “He drew pictures of him.”
“The boogeyman,” Micah interjected.
“Yes,” said Z. “I’ve put copies of Dax’s pictures with the report on your desk. I’ve had the security tapes pulled from my house where he posed as a gardener. He had a passkey to get onto my property. It’s required of all the workers. They each have their own passcode to come and go from the property. It’s how I know who’s been there to work.”
“And there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary?” I asked.
“No. And all the employees have been questioned.”
“That’s hard to believe,” I ground out.
“Hector has been inside your house,” said Z. “How the hell did that happen?”
“He followed us to the King Giles home too,” added Moss.
“He’s a crafty asshole, that’s for sure,” said Micah.
“He’s got an inside track, but he’s messed up this time,” said Moss. “We’ve got his DNA from the lips on the mirror. If we can bring him in, we’ve got the evidence to put him away.”
“And Richard?” I asked.
“He says we can’t keep him in the house.”
“He’s right. Did he leave?”
“Not yet, but when he does, he’ll have a tail,” Moss assured me.
“Speaking of Richard,” Micah added. “We’ve got the info back on the phone call. It traced to a burner phone.”
“The burner phone that we lost in town last night?”
“Same.”
“If Peterson is working with Hector, I want to question him immediately,” said Moss.
“Not yet,” I added. “I’m perfectly fine with Richard thinking he’s off the radar. In fact, why not let him roam around a little? You never know who he might hook up with.”
When the meeting wrapped, the agents quickly dispersed – except for Micah. I knew she wanted to talk. I knew she felt like we had unfinished business. Maybe we did.
“Surprised to see me?” she asked as the last agent left the study.
“Not really.”
Walking past her, I shut the door. If she wanted to finish our conversation from D.C., the last thing I wanted was for the fifteen agents roaming the hallways of Lone Oak to be privy to it.
“I just…” she began.
“Look Micah. About the other day–”
“No, I want to apologize, Mac. I had no right to say those things to you – especially in the middle of this fiasco. I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry and it won’t happen again.”
“Micah, I’m glad that you care about me. You were the only woman who really did, other than my mother for a long time. But you have to know how happy I am with Samantha. We’re meant to be together. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced in my life. She is my life.”
“I understand,” Micah nodded as she rose from her chair to meet me. “I was just worried about you and with your mother dying, I guess I just wanted to be close to you. I wanted you to know you had my support – as a friend.”
“Thank you.”
She sighed as she put her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. “How am I ever going to survive without you? You’ve always been the most important G-man in my life.”
I pulled away from her and nodded. “You’ve always been my Betty.”
The floorboard behind me creaked and I turned quickly to find Samantha standing in the door.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she whispered as she stared past Micah and through me.
“You aren’t,” I said as Micah and I quickly dropped our embrace. “We were just finishing up a meeting.”
“Mac, I’ll follow up on the… ah –” Micah stuttered as she breezed past Samantha on her way out the door. “Good to see you, Samantha. Sorry for your loss.”
She shut the door behind her as I walked to Sam to give her a hug and kiss. I wanted to explain immediately what she’d just witnessed. “Hi, baby.”
“Hi,” she managed.
“How was Mimi?”
“Um,” she hesitated as she walked away. “She’s fine.”
“Did you hear from the church? They’re worried there won’t be enough space for the crowd we’re expecting. I don’t know what to do about that,” I sighed. “I want Momma’s funeral to be small and low key. I don’t know how to accomplish that in a small town where she and my father were so loved.”
“Is there something between you and Micah that I should know about?”
“No.” It was true. I paused, momentarily wondering if I should tell her the entire story, and thought better of it.
“It seems like maybe there is.”
“Samantha, I have a killer stalking you and the children, a dead mother and a funeral tomorrow. Can we not do this?”
“Of course,” she agreed as she wiped tears forming in her eyes.
“Wait,” I sighe
d grabbing her arm and circling her around to pull her flush with my body. I kissed her on the neck. “Please don’t be mad at me.” I worked my way to her lips, speaking in short gasps. “I’m trying my best to keep everyone safe and happy.”
She nodded and reluctantly kissed me back.
“You,” I said, taking her face in my hands and looking her squarely in the eye, “are the most important thing in the world to me. Nothing and no one is ever going to change that. Not Hector, not funerals, nothing. Do you understand?”
Taking my hands away, she put my palms together in a praying position and gave them a shake. I knew she was too choked up to utter a word and I felt like a complete heel.
“I have something for you. Wait here.”
I sat behind my dad’s desk and looked through all of the evidence. It was a distraction from what I’d be doing tomorrow – burying my mother.
“Here,” Samantha said as she handed me a white envelope that had one word written on the front. Mac.
“Where’d you get this?” I asked, knowing the handwriting belonged to my mother.
“I cleaned out Nancy’s suite today at Autumn Valley. I packed everything up and arranged for a service to deliver the boxes here in a couple of days. There were some items in her safe. This was one of them.”
I sank in my chair, clutching the envelope in my hands. “I don’t understand.”
She walked to my side and lovingly squeezed my shoulders. “She left three letters in her safe. One for you, one for me and one for Timms.”
I was speechless.
“That was why I came in here and,” she hesitated. “Interrupted your time with Micah.”
I looked at her and ran my hands through my hair. “I don’t know if I can read this right now.”
“You don’t have to. You can wait a few days. You can wait longer. Just read it – eventually. I think she has some things she wanted to make sure you knew.”
