Coulson's Secret

by McIntyre, Anna J

  Ed was speechless, and it was the last thing he expected to hear out of the elderly man’s mouth. However, it did explain a great deal. From news reports, he had learned Senator Coulson had shot Kim’s mother, but the motive given had something to do with mental illness on part of the senator. Since Kim’s return home, they had not discussed the topic. Kim had made it clear that she was not ready to talk about the recent events.

  “Well,” Ed stammered, “yes, family is important.”

  “My granddaughter will be returning to Coulson with me in the morning. To spend Christmas with her family.”

  Ed glanced at Kim for conformation. She just nodded and rolled her eyes a bit as if she found the entire situation outrageous.

  “Yes,” Kim finally said, “I’m leaving in the morning. It won’t be a problem, will it? It’s been pretty slow.”

  “No, that’s fine. When will you be back?”

  Kim started to say by the New Year, but Harrison cut her off and told Ed he hoped to convince Kim to stay in Coulson, so he might want to start making plans to find an agent to replace her.

  Kim just shook her head as if to say no, but she decided not to argue with Harrison. Instead, she mouthed the words I’ll be back to Ed when her grandfather was looking the other way.

  Twenty minutes later, Ed stood at the office door and said his final goodbye to Kim, wishing her a happy Christmas. When she walked away, he wondered if she would be returning or if her grandfather would get his way.

  Chapter 34

  The moment Kim walked into the entry of Coulson House she noticed the scent of freshly baked cookies laced with fresh pine. She assumed someone was in the kitchen baking for the holiday. Kim was surprised to find her two teenage cousins, Hannah and Sarah, there to meet her.

  Harrison immediately announced he was tired and would be going upstairs to take a nap. Then he instructed his younger granddaughters to show Kim around and help her get settled. The driver brought in the remainder of the luggage, stacking it in the entry.

  The cat carrier sat among the pile of suitcases and Jake’s loud meow drew attention.

  “I need to set up his litter box first,” Kim explained.

  “Oh, we already did that. Grandpa told us where to put it. Would you like us to show Jake where his litter box is?” Sarah offered.

  “How did your grandfather know… how did you know my cat’s name?”

  “Well, Adam told us all about your black cat and how he got out when Joe Carter broke into your house and how Adam found Jake in the tree. He told us your cat’s name. I guess it was easy to remember because Grandpa used to have a gardener named Jake, and he likes to tell the story about how Jake climbed up into a tree to remove a cut limb after a storm and how he panicked and refused to climb down from the tree.”

  “So naturally, when Adam told his story about my Jake…” Kim began.

  “Yeah, we all thought it was pretty funny, especially Grandpa. Although, we didn’t think it was funny that you were worried about your cat or that your house was broken into,” Sarah quickly explained. “Just that his name was Jake, and both Jakes were stuck in a tree.”

  “Well, my Jake wasn’t exactly stuck, but yeah, kind of makes sense now. Your grandfather had me wondering.”

  “He’s your grandfather, too,” Hannah reminded as Kim leaned down to the cat carrier and opened its door.

  When Jake walked from the container, Kim scooped him up in her arms. She scratched under his chin as the curious feline glanced around at his new surroundings.

  “Yes, I guess he is. I feel funny calling him Grandfather or Grandpa,” Kim admitted as she stroked Jake’s neck and followed the girls to the litter box.

  “So, what do you call him?” Sarah asked.

  “Hmm, good question. You know, I have avoided calling him anything. I really don’t want to call him Harrison.”

  “Well, I can understand that,” Hannah said.

  “I did call him Mr. Coulson, but he told me not to.”

  Sarah showed her where the litter box was located in a small room off the hallway.

  Kim set Jake down by the new covered litter box, yet he didn’t seem especially interested. Instead, he went off to explore his new surroundings.

  “Come on, we’ll show you your bedroom,” Hannah told her, then grabbed Kim’s hand and started pulling her down the hallway. “Do you want to take Grandpa’s elevator or the staircase?”

  “Stairs. That elevator creeps me out,” Kim told her.

  “Yeah, Mom won’t use it either,” Sarah said. “Grandpa had it installed after his stroke.”

  “Your mother told me that, when she showed me the house over Thanksgiving. What room are you taking me to?” Kim walked up the stairs with the girls. As she approached the second floor, she noticed a faint scent of paint.

  “Has someone been painting?” Kim asked, before her cousin could answer her original question.

  “After Shelly moved out, Grandpa had all the rooms in their wing freshly painted. Mom said he must have paid a fortune, considering he was able to get someone over here on such short notice and right before Christmas,” Hannah told her.

  “Your mom didn’t show me this section of the house when I was here the last time,” Kim noted as she walked down the hallway.

  “This is your bedroom,” Sarah announced as she pushed the door open, revealing a large, spacious room devoid of furniture except for a king size bed pushed against the wall opposite the brick fireplace. The floor was hardwood, and when they walked in, the room echoed.

  “Wow, a fireplace. I always thought it would be cool to have a fireplace in a bedroom,” Kim said. Then she paused a moment and looked at the girls. “Was this Harrison’s bedroom?”

  “No.” Sarah smiled. “Grandpa didn’t think you’d feel comfortable in Harrison’s room. Actually, there are two identical rooms like this in this wing. Shelly used this one as her bedroom and Harrison’s is down the hall. Grandpa said you could fix that up as a sitting room.”

  “They didn’t share a bedroom?” Kim felt more comfortable knowing this hadn’t been her father’s room.

  “I guess not. I don’t think I was ever in this part of the house until after Shelly moved out,” Hannah told her.

  “Me, either,” Sarah chimed in.

  “Seriously?” Kim was surprised the girls had never seen all the rooms in their grandfather’s house until recently.

  “We really never came here that much, maybe a couple times a year. Grandpa used to take all of us out to dinner once a month, to a restaurant. Sometimes Uncle Harrison and Aunt Shelly would come, yet not often,” Hannah explained.

  “I bet I’ve been in this house more since Uncle Harrison was killed than all the times before put together,” Sarah told her.

  While Kim listened, she walked over to the bed and ran her fingertips over the blue satin bedspread. Someone had turned down the top of the spread, revealing a stack of pillows, each one encased in a crisp blue and white pillowcase, while the edge of the top sheet was folded neatly over the turned-down portion of the bedspread.

  “The bed is new,” Sarah told her. “It was delivered yesterday for you.”

  “Wow, he was confident I was coming back with him,” Kim commented as she walked from the bed to the adjoining bathroom. The spacious bathroom included a garden tub, separate shower, and dressing table. Sparkling clean white tile covered the floor, while a fluffy white throw rug provided a soft spot to stand on while using the bathroom sink. The room needed color, yet that was about the only thing it needed, Kim told herself. She suspected the bathroom had been modernized in recent years.

  “Well, that’s Grandpa. I know there isn’t any furniture in the bedroom, except for the bed, but Grandpa wants you to pick out your own furniture, and he’ll buy it for you. For now, we’re supposed to look through the rooms on the third floor. If you see something you want to use, either permanently or until he is able to buy you something, then we’ll have the household staff bring it down
,” Hannah explained.

  The next moment, someone Kim hadn’t seen before walked into the bedroom, carrying several of her suitcases.

  “Where would you like me to put these, Miss?” the man asked. He was a clean-shaven young man in his mid-twenties, wearing gray slacks and a crisp white, button up, cotton dress shirt, reminding Kim of someone freshly out of boot camp.

  “Next to the bed is fine, thank you.” Kim smiled. The man nodded before setting the suitcases on the floor beside the bed, and then he left the room to retrieve the rest of the luggage.

  “That’s Craig. I guess we should have introduced you. He does odd jobs for Grandpa,” Hannah explained. Then, as if she just remembered something, she tucked her right hand into the front pocket of her jeans and pulled out a slip of paper. She handed it to Kim and said, “I almost forgot. Grandpa said you’d need this.”

  Kim took the small piece of crumbled paper, unfolded it so that she could read what someone had scribbled on one side of the paper. It was a random series of letters and numerals.

  “What is this?” Kim asked, looking from the paper to Hannah’s face.

  Hannah started to laugh, realizing Kim didn’t understand what it was. “It’s the password to the wireless connection here.”

  “I’m a little surprised he would think of this.” Kim smiled.

  “Actually, it was our idea, Grandpa asked us what we thought you would need to feel comfortable here,” Sarah said.

  “And we told him the password to his wireless connection,” Hannah added.

  After Craig finished bringing the suitcases upstairs, he accompanied the three cousins to the third floor so that Kim could find several pieces of furniture for her bedroom. Alexandra had given Kim a quick tour of the third floor on Thanksgiving, yet it had hardly been enough time to see everything.

  Kim suspected a professional interior designer had decorated the rooms and wondered which family member was initially responsible for making the final decisions. If she were to guess, she’d say it was her grandmother or great-grandmother Coulson, considering the overall décor was dated and didn’t look like something Shelly might select.

  The décor was a bit dark with a gothic feel and excessively ornate. Most of the furniture was antique with enough oak and cherry wood pieces to open up an upscale antique store. The art featured on the various walls were original paintings, and Kim wondered about their value and thought it was a shame the artwork was hidden away on the third floor of Coulson House.

  “There are some beautiful pieces up here.” Kim sighed, running the fingertips of her left hand gently over the top of an oak dresser.

  “Well, it will all be yours someday,” Sarah cheerfully told her.

  “No,” Kim said, pulling her hand away from the dresser, “that isn’t right.”

  “Don’t be silly. You know, if we never discovered you were our cousin, this house and all the furnishings would someday go to Dad and eventually to me. But if I was given the choice between you or the house, I’d choose you,” Sarah told her, her voice serious.

  “Now,” Hannah piped up, “if I could get rid of both of you, I would eventually get the house. Hmm… House or Sarah? House or Sarah? Let me think about it.”

  Sarah gave Hannah a playful punch in the arm and both girls laughed.

  “Oh, Kim, for years—and when I say years, I mean my entire fricking life—my mother has been lecturing us both about what fortunate girls we are and how responsibility comes with wealth, blah blah blah,” Hannah told her, yet her tone was teasing.

  Kim got the feeling Kate’s lectures had made an impression on the teenage girls. She then recalled Adam telling her when they were in high school that Kate often spent her holidays feeding the homeless. She wondered if it was something Kate still did and how she involved her daughter in such charities.

  Kim wandered through the rooms, admiring the furniture, yet she was a little shy to select anything for the bedroom. After asking for Kim’s opinion on various pieces, Hannah had a good idea what type of furniture Kim might like for her room. She ignored Kim’s protests and told Craig what items to bring down to her cousin’s bedroom.

  “No, really,” Kim insisted. “I can get along with just a bed while I’m here.”

  “Well, that is not what Grandpa told us, so unless you make a selection, I’ll pick it out for you,” Hannah told her.

  “You sure are bossy!” Kim laughed.

  Hannah smiled at her older cousin, while Sarah rolled her eyes and agreed; Hannah could definitely be bossy.

  The girls went downstairs to get something to eat from the kitchen. Hannah and Sarah stayed for another hour while their grandfather continued to nap upstairs in his room. After the girls finally went home, telling Kim they would see her the next day, on Christmas Eve, Kim went back upstairs to her bedroom.

  On the way upstairs, she found Jake wandering through the hallway. She scooped him up in her arms and carried him to her bedroom. To her surprised, the selected furniture was already in her room, and she assumed Craig had found someone to help him move the pieces, as most were far too large for one person to handle alone.

  She was also surprised to find a fire burning in the brick fireplace and her suitcases unpacked and neatly stacked in the walk-in closet. Against one wall in the bedroom was an antique oak dresser, which she had selected. She pulled open a top drawer and found her clothes from the suitcase neatly folded and put away. Kim was grateful that the underwear she had packed was fairly new and not worn and tattered.

  Her laptop computer was sitting on the top of the oak desk, which they placed under the window. Kim thought the desk was an exquisite piece and didn’t feel right about having them move it to her room, since she only intended to be in Coulson for a short time. Yet, Hannah had insisted, and now Kim was happy her cousin was bossy.

  Kim sat down at the desk, opened her laptop computer, and turned it on. She’d already memorized the password, so she didn’t need to refer to the slip of paper, which she had left sitting on the bathroom counter. After entering the password and going online, Kim decided it was time to write Nick to let him know what was going on.

  * * *

  Nick, you will never guess where I am. I’m in Coulson. I arrived this morning. I considered picking up my phone and calling you, yet I wasn’t sure you would want to see me, considering how I’ve been avoiding discussing ‘us’. I’ve just been so confused.

  I’m not at my mother’s house. I’m staying at Coulson House, spending Christmas with the family. Family. It still feels strange to think of them that way. Remember how after they read Mom’s diaries, and I told you I felt disconnected and couldn’t help but feel some resentment toward them, as if they were in some way to blame?

  I can honestly say some of that has faded and I’m able to separate them from Harrison. I remember a fight I had with Mom when I was a teenager, and she told me I couldn’t pick my parents, so learn to deal with it. At the time, I thought she was talking about herself, yet now I wonder if she was talking about Harrison.

  My grandfather (I still can’t call him that to his face) showed up unexpectedly at my office yesterday. He took me to dinner and asked me to come home with him for Christmas. I rather like him, although he is rather pushy and crusty.

  I have so much to tell you. I could go on and on, but I would rather see you in person. Would that be possible? I’m not sure how long I’m staying. My grandfather wants me to move here permanently.

  I thought I would start feeling normal again when I returned to Arizona, but I didn’t. Strangely, I felt more disconnected there than I had after the reading of the diaries.

  In the past, when I went away for a few days, I would always be happy to get back home and tell myself it would be a long time before taking another trip. However, it was different this time. Coming home didn’t feel like coming home. I kept missing everyone here and feeling guilty for being mad at them for what Harrison did when I knew it wasn’t their fault.

  I’m sor
ry, this email is longer than what I intended. I would love to see you. Please call me if you still feel the same way.

  Tomorrow night the family is having a big Christmas Eve open house here, beginning around 6:00 p.m. There will be tons of food, and you and your dad are invited, if you can get away. I understand that may not be possible because of your business. I’d also love to see you on Christmas Day.

  I hope to hear from you.

  Love,

  Kim

  * * *

  After sending the email, Kim turned off the computer. Jake was by her feet, weaving in and out, moving between the legs of the chair and meowing loudly. Standing up, she pulled her cell phone from her back pocket and checked the time. It was almost five.

  “Hungry, Jake?” Kim asked as she looked down at her feet. Jake stared up and gave a pitiful meow. She had tucked several cans of cat food in her suitcase before she left Arizona, but she wasn’t sure where the staff had put them after unpacking her bags. After rummaging through all the drawers, checking the closet, suitcases, and bathroom, she still could not find the cat food. Kim headed downstairs with Jake following her.

  When she got to the small storage room with the litter box, she found her cat carrier sitting on an overhead shelf and next to it the cans of cat food. Next to the litter box were two small bowls. One held water and the other was empty. She had noticed the water bowl when she first arrived but hadn’t realized there was a second bowl. She grabbed one can off the shelf, opened it, and dumped the cat food into the empty bowl, giving it a little shake to dislodge all the smelly bits. She carried the empty can into the kitchen, where she found a woman standing by the kitchen counter dicing up vegetables on a wooden cutting board.

  The woman appeared to be in her sixties and wore a dress and apron, which reminded Kim of the uniforms worn by motel maids. The woman looked up and smiled.