by CC Dragon
“No, but I understand you lost a brother not that long ago. That’s hard. I’m not great at these sorts of social things. I always say the wrong thing so I do tend to err on formality.” He surveyed the spread. “This is unusual.”
“A psychiatrist not good at social customs. Please. But a lot is different when you get around people this rich. Just go with it.” I started walking toward the other room.
Fewer people, no food and no flowers. Perfect. I grabbed a chair. “You didn’t have to come.”
“It’s polite. I won’t intrude by staying too long,” he said.
“Someone has to keep the clinic moving forward.” I smiled.
“Brimlow is handling that today. Would you like me at the funeral tomorrow?” LeBlanc asked.
“Yes and no.” I wasn’t sure how to answer.
He nodded.
“I don’t mind your attending but Mary Lou needs my attention. You don’t know them. I think you have work to do. I can’t make the decision for you but I appreciate the gesture,” I said.
“I won’t intrude. But if you need anything, just call,” he said.
“Thank you. I should make a contribution and get back to Mary Lou.” I stood up.
“They said flowers were at the family’s discretion only and no charity was listed,” he pointed out.
“I know. And they’re rich enough that she doesn’t need a thing to help the family with anything. But it’s a gesture,” I said.
I headed to the office and discreetly donated some cash to masses for the deceased. I’d make a donation for the PD through Matt later on when things had died down.
LeBlanc followed me. “Clever.”
“They’ll never say refuse masses or contributions. That’d be rude.” I sat in the open area of the funeral home that had couches.
“Well, I should go. This isn’t my social circle,” he said.
I shook his hand. “Thanks for coming. It’s not my circle either. But it’s my friend’s. My neighbors.”
He held my hand a bit longer than necessary, then left.
I watched him leave and prepared to head back to the main room when I heard a conversation from the office.
“We should call the cops,” said the woman behind the desk.
“No, nothing happened. Nothing was taken. No one was hurt. Someone tried to break in but they didn’t really get in,” said the older man.
“Last week, someone went down there and tried to steal a body,” she added.
“That was an upset family member. They wanted cremation but everyone else wanted a burial. We can’t please everyone and people are grieving. It’s not the first time someone tried to go against the deceased’s wishes.” The older man seemed indifferent.
“The alarm was set off three times this week. That’s not normal,” she retorted.
I stepped back into the office and shut the door behind me. “Sorry, but I overheard.”
The old man shot the woman a look. “Now you’re upsetting people.”
“No, I’m not upset. I’m working with the police on some Halloween pranks and tricks. Some kids are messing up graveyards but some of the attempts are more damaging. This might be part of that. If it happens again, please call me or Detective Hart down at NOLA PD. That way we can try and determine who is doing it and why,” I said.
“Thank you.” The woman took the cards I offered.
“It’s normal Halloween stuff.” The man nodded. “It’ll be fine. We have security cameras inside so if anyone comes in—we know.”
“Good. That’s great. I’m not trying to interfere but if it escalates, please reach out to that detective.” I left the room and went back to Mary Lou.
Greg walked away as soon as I sat down.
Ivy shot me a look.
“What? I made a donation at the office,” I whispered.
“The tension in here is making me nuts,” she said softly.
“Greg said he was over her,” I whispered back.
Ivy cocked her head in a way that said she didn’t buy it.
“Then you take Greg with you when you leave,” I said.
Ivy nodded, then stood and walked off to check on Greg.
Gunnar sat down next to me. “I feel weird. Like I know some of these women.”
“You probably do. You were a stripper,” I replied.
He blushed a bit. “Weird.”
“Relax. They won’t admit to recognizing you even if they remember,” I teased.
Mary Lou had her steel magnolia face on and kept going.
Hours later, I was ready for a hot shower and nap but instead I headed to the Weathers mansion for the late dinner. It was nearly nine when we sat down and began eating. There were only about fifteen people and the massive dining room easily held us.
We ate and I felt oddly alone. Greg knew he shouldn’t come but Ivy and Gunnar both were worn out. I’d almost passed but Matt had come up to me during the wake and told me about the reading of the will as well. I couldn’t sneak out.
The food was amazing and thankfully they’d forgone the formal course after course tradition. As dessert was served, Matt stood up.
“Thank you all for coming tonight. I know it has been an exhausting day. Tomorrow will be another long day. My mother recorded her will. If you’re here, you were named. The lawyers will be in touch with you individually but this should take the pressure off of tomorrow. We’ll all know how things are settled and can simply say goodbye to Mom tomorrow. The rest will be handled by the lawyers in due course,” he said.
A large screen was wheeled into the room and blinked to life. Mrs. Weathers was on screen as the lights in the room dimmed.
“Rumors that I’m a vampire or somehow eternal are now put to rest. I know some of you have been waiting for me to die. You’ll probably get nothing. I have assigned some money to various charities. My nieces and nephews will each get a quarter million. I’ve outlived all of my siblings. My jewelry will be split between my two daughters-in-law. The rest of my money will be split between my sons. The house and its contents goes to Matt. Lance and John are married...it’s time they move out and get homes of their own. If I haven’t mentioned you, you shouldn’t be here or you run one of the benefiting charities. For the family, please take care of each other. Don’t turn into a pack of dogs fighting over things, it won’t help. Money does bad things to some people. A lot of money rarely does any good. All in all, I’m glad I had a lot of it, though. I could handle it with class. Good luck.” She nodded.
As the lights came up, I blinked. Mary Lou caught my eye. She got half the jewels. That was a lot. I wasn’t sure what I’d gotten or if I was there just for support but I enjoyed the fancy desserts.
After people started to leave, John sat down next to me.
“Hi, sorry. I’m just here because Matt said I was named.” I didn’t want to seem to be intruding.
“You are named but as a director for your charity. Mary Lou mentioned your clinic to Mom. She liked the idea. Ten million should help,” he said.
I grabbed a glass of water as I nearly choked on air. “Ten?”
He nodded.
“Million?”
He nodded again.
After downing some of the water and clearing my throat, I put the glass down. “That’s too much. Her nieces and nephews only...” I trailed off.
“I know. Lance is pissed about the house. He thought he deserved it all as firstborn,” John said.
“Thanks for the information. I hope Mary Lou is okay. I should check on her,” I said.
John stood. “You don’t have to avoid me. My wife isn’t the jealous type.”
I grabbed my purse. “John, we’re old news. There’s nothing to avoid. Mary Lou is my friend. Matt is my friend. I’m here for them. You have someone.” I headed over to Mary Lou.
“It names only you for half the jewels, right?” I asked.
She nodded slightly.
“Not Lance?” I asked.
She shook her head
. “Just me. Lance thinks we should get more because I was married and in the family a lot longer.”
I rolled my eyes. “But it names you, not him.”
She nodded.
“Well, at least she didn’t forget what you did for her.” I patted her hand.
“I want to read it to be sure there are no conditions,” she said.
“When do you get a copy?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” she said.
“We’ll figure that out in a day or two. Unless you think he might steal something,” I said.
Mary Lou shrugged.
I walked over to Matt. “Hi,” I said.
“Hi. Thanks for being here. The charity stuff, she always admired you for that.” He smiled.
“I’m blown away with what John said. But I am worried about the jewelry,” I said.
Matt frowned. “Why?”
“Just that someone might go up to her room and steal something. Even Lance might think Mary Lou deserves more.”
“He is grumbling,” Matt agreed.
“You’re a cop and impartial. If the lawyer doesn’t secure the jewelry, maybe you should,” I suggested.
“I’ll go padlock her room.” Matt sighed. “She’s got a lot of jewelry.”
“And it should be distributed the way she wanted.” I nodded.
Chapter Eight
The next day came too fast and I made it through the mass and graveside service without crying or losing my temper. Lance’s attitude hadn’t improved. Greg was next to me at the luncheon after the services and I was pretty much in the line of glaring between him and Lance.
It was a fancy restaurant where I felt out of place so it was good to be next to Greg. I didn’t stand out so much. The hovering wait staff and private room in the back make it seem more like we were being watched. Mrs. Weathers might well be keeping an eye on the tribute.
“I shouldn’t have come,” Greg said.
“You knew Mrs. Weathers just like me. Anyone at the service was invited here. Last night though, you would’ve been out of line,” I admitted.
“I should go,” he said, fidgeting with his tie.
“Stop. Stop running. Stop wringing your hands in guilt about this. Be normal. I’m tired of it. This isn’t about you.” I shot him a harsh look.
“You’re right.”
As people mingled after the food, I stretched my legs. John was getting another drink. He walked up to me as I approached the bar and ordered a white wine.
“Is Greg still in love with Mary Lou?” John asked.
I shrugged. “I have no idea. I think they just feel guilty but it’s not helping anything. I can tell him to leave.”
John shook his head. “Lance was always so...it’s good for him to have a weakness.”
“Fine.” I sipped my chilled wine and blurted out what had been racing around my mind all night. “I can’t take the money.”
John scoffed. “You’ll have to talk to the lawyers for her estate. And they’d only divide it between the sons. You’d be giving Lance a third of that. You really want to do that?”
John and I hadn’t dated much but we’d known each other a long time. He knew exactly how to play that. “No,” I confessed.
“Take it. Use it for the charity. That’s all,” John said.
“Fine.” I downed the rest of the wine and found Greg still at the table.
“Let’s go. Mary Lou has a ton of people to chat with here. We’ll be there for them later,” I said.
Greg stood. “Are you okay?”
I nodded but it was a lie. “I haven’t done the full funeral thing since my brother’s. I just need a break.”
“Okay, I’ll get the car.” He went out the front door.
I followed him. I was tired of saying the right things and being polite.
I slipped out as the valet brought round the car and Greg got in. I slipped into the passenger seat and took a cleansing breath.
“I should’ve let Gunnar come instead. Ivy didn’t want you going alone,” Greg said.
“No, you know them more. Certainly longer than Gunnar. Ivy could’ve come too. I just want to be there for Mary Lou and Matt. I don’t need all of the other people around.” I rubbed the back of my neck.
“It’ll be fine. You’ll be back to fighting demons and chasing bad guys in a day or so. Today, rest.” Greg drove the short but winding route back home.
“You, too.”
As we headed into the house Gunnar came out of the kitchen.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m just worn out. I forgot. Can you check on the funeral home from yesterday? There was talk about someone trying to break into the prep area where they keep the bodies. Check out the other funeral homes and see if they’re having any issues too.” I just wasn’t up to it.
“Sounds like that should be done by the police,” Greg said.
“The funeral home is worried about bad press. Odds are they’ll talk to you instead. I’m just not up to making those rounds. Say you’re investigating privately and work for a PI or something,” I said.
“Lie?” Greg said.
“Actually, I was thinking of maybe getting a PI license since I keep doing this sort of stuff,” Gunnar said.
“That might help,” I agreed.
“It also comes with legal responsibilities and limits,” Greg said.
“I’m not going to be one. You’re not. Ivy isn’t. There are ways around it.” I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water and some yogurt, but really just wanted to grab a bottle of wine. “I’m going to take a nap. Gunnar, you can always test the security the hard way but you might get arrested. Either way.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll get on it,” Gunnar said.
“Ivy has these mini bottles of wine.” Greg ducked down into the fridge.
I took one and kept going toward the stairs. I was pretty sure Greg was hitting the beer anyway.
A couple days later, I’d texted Mary Lou but she was dealing with the brothers. Lance was pissed about having to move out. John and his wife had already bought a separate home.
I was in the kitchen going through Gran’s old recipes to see what I might make for Matt and his family. It wasn’t quite noon but Gunnar was still out. Ivy was making a shopping list.
“Are you going to make something this week?” I asked.
“Maybe or maybe not, but pasta stuff won’t go bad. Put down the makings for lasagna. And chicken. I can always make it for us.” I heard a car outside.
A few minutes later, Gunnar walked in the kitchen door. “Hi. Funeral homes are creepy as hell. That’s where they need to set a haunted house.”
I smiled. “Still want to be a PI?”
He poured himself a cup of coffee and then sat down. “I think so. People are a lot more willing to talk to random people than I thought. A lot of the funeral homes are dealing with people trying to sneak down or even asking to watch a body getting prepped.”
‘Those aren’t the people we’re looking for,” I remarked.
“No. Plenty of reported attempted break-ins overnight. Alarms going off when no one is working and so on. Some said it’s the season but most agreed it’s worse than prior years. I gave them my card. Tried to get them to be more careful.” Gunnar grabbed a couple muffins and sat at the table.
“I should call Detective Hart and see what’s going on,” I said.
Ivy shook her head. “Take the rest of today. If there was something big, you’d have gotten a call or a vision.”
“True. I just feel like I’m on vacation and it’s not even my family.” I flipped through the old recipe book more.
“It’s still stressful and hard. It’s not like there’s a serial killer out there,” Gunnar said.
“Brody likes his job,” Ivy offered, changing the subject.
“That’s good. I should call and check on LeBlanc.” I reached for my phone sitting on the kitchen table.
Ivy got to it first. “J
ust relax. You can’t flush or force the creepy dead body lovers out before they make their move. The police are on it. You’ll get a vision when they have a concrete plan. Or maybe all the investigation has warned them off.”
“I should check on Mary Lou,” I said.
“I’ll go over there and see if they need anything.” Ivy stood up.
I pushed the recipe book aside. “I need to get back to normal.”
“Tomorrow is another day. Figure out what you want to for dinner. Comfort food sounds good. I’ll make cornbread,” she said.
I rolled my eyes at Gunnar.
“You can always try to have a vision. Nail down who the freaks are. Pranks and Halloween crap won’t stop. The hard part is sorting those out those who deface or disrespect the dead and those doing harmless stuff,” Gunnar suggested.
“Thanks. Maybe I will.”
I texted Greg to see where he was.
Running some errands.
I texted back. Alone?
Does it matter?
I had the feeling he was with Mary Lou and decided to call him out on it.
No. Ivy went to the Weathers’. Is Mary Lou okay?
It was a minute or so before I got a response. I’ll check on her.
I smiled at the reply.
Thanks...
After dinner, I retreated to my bedroom with Tish and tried to get a mental read on the butt-biting criminal. Part of me wanted to laugh. But if it was my family’s grave or a dead family member’s butt it wouldn’t be as funny.
I needed more help. Closing my eyes, I focused on crossing over to the other side. Going to visit Heaven was not always a good solution. Often there was no helpful information. But I had the urge to see my Gran and my brother, if I could.
It wasn’t all angels, harps, and clouds. It was sort of like life, only without the bad stuff. People had homes and pursued things they were interested in. No hunger or fear. I never stayed too long or I wouldn’t want to leave.
It used to be harder to achieve the crossover. I was getting better. This time, I projected myself right into my Gran’s home in Heaven. It was cozy and filled with overstuffed furniture and books.
Gran walked in and wasn’t shocked to see me. “How are you, dear?”
“Distracted. How are you?” I asked.
