by Kelly Utt
November would be here soon, too, and with it the start of the winter holidays. Cate had always loved this time of year. She and Mick usually cooked Thanksgiving dinner and hosted the rest of the extended family. They would typically start baking a full two days early. Cate would make her Grandma Tatum’s from-scratch pie crust, which was always a hit. The night before Thanksgiving day, she and Mick would stay up late, drinking wine and preparing casseroles to be baked the next day. They’d fall into bed, exhausted, and make love by candlelight. It had become tradition. When Turkey Day finally arrived, they’d wake up early with the kids, too excited to care that they hadn’t gotten much sleep. They’d all watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on TV together while they finished the final work on the holiday dinner. Extended family, and sometimes friends, would arrive in the late afternoon. They’d eat the bounty they had prepared so lovingly, then end the day positively glowing they were so happy.
The day after Thanksgiving always meant Christmas shopping in the Brady household. The five of them would get dressed up in festive attire and hit the mall for all the big sales. The things they bought weren’t nearly as important as the time spent together. The fun always continued throughout December with hot chocolate, visits to see Santa, baking and decorating cookies, and festive gatherings. Cate thought it really was the most wonderful time of the year and she had successfully convinced her kids of the same. Christmas Eve always included more holiday meal prep, cookie decorating, matching family pajamas, stories told at bedtime, and the opening of one special gift. When Christmas morning finally arrived, they’d stumble downstairs, bleary-eyed and giddy with excitement to open presents. Most years, the Brady’s hosted Christmas dinner for extended family, too. They enjoyed hosting and didn’t mind the work it took. Family would come over for dinner, then they’d all sit around the fire and sing Christmas carols together. It was every bit as much fun as it sounded. Each member of the Brady family thoroughly enjoyed themselves every year.
Remembering their family traditions made Cate terribly sad at the thought of moving through the holidays without Mick. At the same time though, the season was associated with so many happy things that Cate thought she might just be able to get through it. She knew she needed to make the holidays positive for the kids. Sitting around feeling sorry for herself was not an option. It would be difficult, no doubt, but she owed it to them to put in an effort. Maybe, they could start new traditions together.
As she pulled into the parking garage near her office and parked her SUV, Cate took a few minutes to pretend that nothing was wrong in her life. Or, at least, like she had a fresh start and that things could be good again. Something about the storm and the nice weather that followed seemed to have cleansed her spirit. Or maybe, it was something about her night with Neil Fredericks. Either way, she was beginning to dream about being happy again.
Cate came up with little things she could do which would make things fun for her and the kids. For starters, she decided to get out their Halloween decorations from the attic and to spruce the house up. Especially after the break-in, Cate felt like it was important to reclaim the space as their own. What better way to do that than to decorate for the holiday? If the person who ransacked their home was watching, moving on to not only clean things up but to decorate the place seemed like a good message to send. It would be a show of strength.
Next, Cate turned her attention to the changing seasons and thought about what she would have been doing with the kids this last week of October if life had been normal. She knew she needed to go through Niko‘s winter clothes and figure out how much still fit from last year. At his age, he was growing so fast it was likely that very little was still wearable. Cate would need to do some shopping and make sure Niko had all the clothes he needed. She didn’t think Jilly had grown very much in the past year, but her daughter would certainly enjoy the chance to shop for some new clothes anyway. Aaron would tag along reluctantly, whether or not he had outgrown last year’s clothes. Cate knew shopping wouldn’t be a teenage boy’s favorite activity, but she also knew her son would like some new things, especially if they featured art from one of his favorite bands.
As Cate thought about other tasks she could tackle, work came to mind. The magazine typically ran about six months ahead from the time content needed to be created to when it would be published. That meant articles she worked on in the next few weeks would be slated to come out just as warmer temperatures and summertime rolled around next year. Cate liked the idea of reaching that far into the future. She imagined what would be happening then. The kids would all be getting out of school for summer break. Niko would be finishing preschool and preparing to enter kindergarten in the fall. Jilly would have one more year in middle school and Aaron would be a rising sophomore in high school. Cate hated that Mick would miss seeing their kids grow and change. But she looked forward to being there to enjoy every minute herself.
Feeling positive, Cate began to think about ideas for magazine articles. The town’s newest winery, Valley Vineyards, had opened down by the bay. It was Cate's job to go and interview new businesses, particularly those which aimed to attract tourists. She’d take a photographer with her and visit the grounds, then would write it up so the most positive parts of the story were highlighted. Much of her job was focused on making Rosemary Run look and sound attractive to those who might want to visit the quaint little town. Cate enjoyed her job and she did it well. Vine Country Magazine was a wonderful place to work.
Bolstered by her visions for the future, Cate turned off the ignition in the SUV and stepped out into the October air. She knew there was a growing list of unpleasant things she should be turning her attention to, such as digging into her finances and finding out whether or not Mick had life insurance. Or searching for a record of the debt Nancy claimed he owed and finding out if she was in jeopardy of losing her home. But Cate wasn’t ready for those tasks yet. She needed to pretend for a while longer that everything would be okay.
She walked to the Brick House Café as usual and purchased two breakfast sandwiches and two cups of coffee. One for her and one for Pal. Hopefully, he wasn’t mad at her for getting forceful with him when they last spoke. She stepped out of the café and around the corner, where she saw Pal sitting in his usual spot on a bench. Cate felt a little apprehensive when she laid eyes on him. She hoped that giving him today’s coffee and sandwich would help smooth things over. She still wanted to find out what, if anything, he knew about Mick’s death. She didn’t even have to know right away. She had decided she could take things slow and wait for Pal to become comfortable enough to talk to her if that’s what it took. After all, knowing wouldn’t bring her husband back from the dead.
“Pal! Good morning,” Cate said, picking up her pace as she approached the homeless man.
“Hi, there,“ he replied. He reached out his hand and gratefully received the coffee and sandwich. As usual, he opened the sandwich quickly and scarfed the food down. He was hungry. “Thank you,” he managed in between bites. He didn’t seem upset over what had happened between them. Cate suspected that he might have had some kind of mental break when he had begun muttering. And if so, maybe he wouldn’t even remember what had happened. Cate knew she was no expert, but hoped she could keep the man calm.
“You’re very welcome,” Cate said. She sat down beside Pal on the bench and waited while he ate.
“I saw your husband,“ Pal said nonchalantly as he chewed.
“Yeah, I remember,” Cate said as she looked straight ahead, people watching. “I think you met him more than once, actually. He used to come here and meet me for lunch sometimes.“
“At Lorraine‘s Diner,” Pal added.
“What?” Cate asked. “I don’t think Mick ever saw you at Lorraine’s. At least, he didn’t mention it to me.” Pal seemed lucid, but Cate thought what he was saying wasn’t making much sense. She thought he must have been confused.
“Yes, ma’am,” Pal continued. “Lorraine’s Dine
r, yesterday. He was talking with Tim, Lorraine’s son, who owns the place.” Cate felt a chill run up and down her spine when she heard Pal say those words. She thought that if he were trying to toy with her or to play a joke, it wasn’t funny. Without consciously realizing it, Cate turned her body away, shifting her weight in the other direction.
“Pal,” she said, not looking at him. “You know my husband passed away. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say things like that. I find it disrespectful. I really don’t like it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, balling up his empty sandwich wrapper and moving on to the hot coffee.
The two of them sat silently as Cate considered whether or not to try and question him. She figured Pal’s comment about seeing Mick at Lorraine’s only proved his level of delusion. And that meant that his comments from the previous day about knowing how Mick died were probably off base as well. Maybe Pal had lost touch with reality. Cate knew it was a sad fact that homeless people were often mentally ill. She didn’t want to get into another hostile exchange with Pal, but a part of her thought maybe what he had said could be true. Could Mick be alive? Cate felt dizzy as she tried to make a case in her mind for the possibility. She wondered if the man at her parents’ farm last night might have had something to do with this. She remembered what her dad had said about him not seeming aggressive. But that sounded crazy, even to Cate as she thought about it.
If Mick were alive, who did they bury?
“When did you say you saw Mick at Lorraine’s?” Cate asked.
“Umm, hmm,” Pal replied, sloshing coffee around in his cup and spilling some onto the front of his coat.
“Mick Brady,” Cate tried. “When did you see him at Lorraine’s?”
“Oh, yeah,” Pal mattered, rocking back-and-forth like he had done yesterday.
Cate began to get frustrated and angry. Apparently, Pal would lock up when anyone asked questions. And that wasn’t helpful. Cate turned her body around towards him and put both of her hands on his arm. She wanted to anchor him. To bring his focus to the present moment.
“Pal,” she began. “If you really saw my husband at Lorraine’s yesterday as you said, and if you know something about his... death, I need to hear about it.“
“Umm, hmm,” Pal muttered again, rocking back-and-forth even harder.
“I’m his wife,“ Cate tried. “We have three children. Do you realize how serious this is?“
“Yes, ma’am, Mick Brady,“ Pal muttered. Then his speech became completely incoherent. Cate couldn’t tell whether or not it was an act. For all she knew, he might have been perfectly sane and pretending to be deranged. She wasn’t qualified to make that judgment. She thought It was odd how Pal had sounded lucid when he first saw her, when he wanted the coffee and sandwich. Maybe that was all he wanted and he had no interest in other discussions.
What Cate did know, was that she wasn’t going to get any more information out of the pitiful man. At least not today. With her own self-preservation in mind, she said goodbye to Pal, got up, and walked away.
17
As Cate opened the door and stepped into the chic lobby of Vine Country Magazine, Anna Isley was in her usual spot at the reception desk, smiling, albeit reluctantly.
“Good morning, Cate,” Anna said. Cate was distracted, her good vibes ruined by her conversation with Pal.
“Hello, Anna,” Cate replied. She wasn’t in the mood to chat, so she made a beeline for the elevators. Anna stopped Cate as she walked past.
“I’m sorry,” Anna said. She could read Cate’s face. “But there’s someone here to see you again this morning.”
“Detective Fredericks?” Cate asked, a mix of wariness and excitement in her voice.
“No,” Anna replied. “It’s Nancy DeAngelo. I put her in the conference room and gave her a bottle of water. She’s waiting there now.”
Cate’s eyes nearly popped out of her head, she opened them so wide with surprise. “Nancy DeAngelo?” she asked, to clarify. “What does that old witch want?”
Anna nodded, then giggled. She couldn’t help herself.
“Thank you, Anna,” Cate said. “I appreciate the way you take care of us. I’ll handle it from here.“
After everything Cate had been through, She didn’t think she had an ounce of compassion left for Nancy and her nasty ways. Cate marched directly into the conference room. There was no stopping at the bathroom to freshen her makeup like she did yesterday when she had heard Neil was waiting on her. There was no need for any of that. Cate’s objective was to get Nancy out of her office building as quickly as possible. Cate pushed the door open hard as she entered the room. She couldn’t tell for sure, but she thought it had made Nancy jump. She hoped it had.
“Hello, Nancy,” Cate said, sitting down at the conference table near her mother-in-law. Her voice was cold. She could hear it coming out, but she didn’t much care to do anything to modify it.
“Hello, Cate,” Nancy said, her voice even colder than her daughter-in-law’s. Nancy was wearing a black pants suit and looked like she had somewhere formal to go today. It was different than her usual, although not by much.
Cate began to wonder if she was going to need to get one of the magazine’s security officers to escort Nancy out of the building. Cate was more than willing to do so if Nancy wouldn’t go quietly. She didn’t mind if it made a scene.
“What brings you back to Rosemary Run?“ Cate asked. It was odd for the old woman to be here, all the way from Oklahoma.
“I have a business matter I need to discuss,“ Nancy said. “Since you are the mother of my grandchildren, I thought I’d give you the courtesy of doing it in person.”
Cate scoffed when she heard this. She wasn’t sure when Nancy had afforded her any courtesies in the past. She wondered why she would start now. “Okay,” Cate said. “What is it?“
“I’ll get right down to business,“ Nancy began. “I have in my possession promissory notes and other financial records which prove that I loaned a substantial amount of money to Mick. I’ve decided that I want to be paid back for the debt he owed me. I’ve hired an attorney and I know my rights.”
Cate winced as Nancy said the words. “This again? Are you serious?“ she asked. “I’m telling you, we had savings. The down payment on our house came directly from our savings. I saw it with my own eyes. I think you’re off base here.“
“You’re sorely mistaken,“ Nancy said, leaning forward in her chair.
The pair of them looked at each other, locked in disagreement.
“If you have these records like you claim, then let me see them,” Cate said.
“Gladly,“ Nancy replied with an antagonizing smile. She reached into her bag and pulled out a manila file folder. The contents were situated neatly inside. The level of organization made Cate nervous. It made her think perhaps Nancy really did have an attorney involved. Cate still couldn’t wrap her mind around the idea that Mick had borrowed money from his mother. He was the one who had wanted to cut her out of their lives. He was the one who didn’t want her influencing their children. “It’s all there,” Nancy said. “See for yourself.“
Cate opened the folder to find an itemized summary of payments which had been given to Mick by Nancy. The list was long, but the number of payments wasn’t the most alarming part. The dollar amounts nearly made Cate faint, right there in her chair in the conference room.
The total debt, printed in big black letters at the bottom of the page, read 5.3 million dollars. The pages which followed were original promissory notes, complete with Mick’s signature. It was his handwriting. Cate was sure of it. And then, at the back of the folder, were bank records showing transfers from Nancy’s account at Bank of North America to one in Mick‘s name at Bay Valley Federal Credit Union. Cate’s stomach turned as she saw the records. She and Mick banked at that credit union. If Nancy had been cut out of the Bradys’ lives as Mick had claimed was the case, Nancy would not have known where they banked.
“I don
’t know what to say,“ Cate stammered. “I certainly didn’t know Mick had borrowed any money, let alone this much. Honestly, Nancy, I didn’t even know you had this much money.“
Cate’s mother-in-law was enjoying watching her squirm. “I have this and more, inherited from my father. Just because I’m not showy with it doesn’t mean I’m poor. I’m not like your pitiful, blue-collar family.”
The words cut Cate like a knife. This was exactly what Nancy did that Cate hated so much. She’d manipulate things so that she had the upper hand, but she was sneaky about it. She’d act nicer when she needed to to get you right where she wanted so she was in control. Cate felt sick at the thought of being indebted to this woman. $5 million was a lot of money. More than Cate had ever seen. It was more than she’d probably ever see in her lifetime. She suddenly felt very angry with Mick for leaving her in this situation. She began to think about the fact that maybe she really would lose the house and have to start over with the kids. Cate didn’t know how the courts would treat a debt of this type left for a surviving spouse. She felt helpless to do anything about the situation. And the way things were piling on, Cate didn’t know how she would find the strength to tackle one more issue, especially of this magnitude.
“And now you know,“ Nancy said smugly, pushing the folder further towards Cate. “It’s right here, in front of your face. Maybe you should’ve thought twice about your attitude towards me all these years. From where I’m sitting, it looks like you made a serious mistake in keeping those kids away for me. And now you’ll have to pay, literally,” Nancy said with an evil laugh. She pointed her finger in Cate’s face. “I intend to take every single cent from you that the courts will allow. You might want to find another place to live because I’m coming for that picture-perfect house of yours. You’ll be hearing from my attorney.“