Cold Heart

by Sheila Dryden

  Her cell phone ringing nearly gave her a heart attack. She shrieked. She rushed to pick it up hoping it wasn’t the person who had done this calling to see if they had frightened her.

  17

  “Hello,” Lexi said, trying to sound normal.

  “Lexi, it’s Carter,” he said. “I hope I didn’t scare you. I just needed to let you know I have to go out of town and I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.”

  “Oh,” she said, surprised. “Why, what’s wrong?”

  “It’s my mom,” he said. “They just called me from the nursing home. She’s taken a turn for the worse and they think this might be it.”

  “Oh Carter,” she said. “I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do? What about the horses do you need me to look after them?”

  “That’s very sweet of you,” he said. “My friend Randy will come and stay in the house and look after the horses while I am gone.”

  “That’s good,” she said.

  “Will you be alright? I wish I didn’t have to go right now,” he said.

  “I’ll be fine,” she lied, not mentioning the message on her mirror. “Give me a call if you can and let me know how things are going.”

  “I will,” Carter said. “I better go now. Bye.”

  “Bye,” Lexi said.

  Lexi sat on the bed. Her shoulders slumped and her eyes filled with tears. She so wished he didn’t have to go away right now and then she felt bad because she felt so selfish for thinking that. His poor mother was dying and of course he wanted to be at her bedside. This had to stop. She needed these men to know once and for all that she wasn’t leaving but she didn’t have the first clue as to how to stop them. This was something tangible though and she should call the Sherriff she thought. Someone had broken in ... but had they? She wasn’t sure. She hadn’t noticed anything when she checked that things were locked up. She was certain everything had been locked up when she left to go to Carter’s. He said he had checked everything. Had he missed something?

  How had someone gotten in? There was no point in calling the Sherriff. He would probably just accuse her of doing it herself. Frustrated, she decided to go to bed and have a good look around the place tomorrow to see where someone might have gained access. She would also have all the locks changed just in case someone had a key.

  It was a fitful sleep and when she woke in the morning and looked at the word still on her mirror, she was more convinced than ever that she needed some tangible proof that these men were intimidating her. She had no idea how she was going to get it, though. The first thing Lexi did after she made herself a coffee in the morning was to walk around the entire exterior of Wildwood and look at ways that someone might have gained entrance. She looked for footprints around windows and ways they might have climbed up to the second story. There was nothing. It was almost like they had keys. Could someone have a key?

  She turned on her laptop and looked up local locksmiths and called one. He said he couldn’t come until tomorrow. Fine, she made the appointment. She had no other workmen coming today, so she decided for distraction she would call Grace Montgomery and see if she wanted to meet for tea. Lexi would talk to her about her mother but maybe she could find out something about why Montgomery was so interested in her property. She looked up the number and made the call asking the maid who answered if she could speak to Mrs. Montgomery. The maid took her name and asked her to wait.

  “Hello Lexi, this is Grace,” she said.

  “Hi,” said Lexi. “Thanks for taking my call. I was wondering if we might have that cup of tea. I’d love to talk to you about my mother.”

  “Yes, of course my dear,” said Grace. “How about this afternoon? Would you like to come here?”

  “Ah, yes, that would be very nice, thank you,” Lexi said. She had actually been thinking of neutral territory but be brave she told herself.

  “Come at three,” said Grace.

  “Thank you,” said Lexi. “See you then.”

  She hung up and immediately starting having second thoughts. What if she ran into Montgomery while she was there or ... even worse, Mitch. He frightened the crap out of her. No, she needed to do this and she was going to do it. No more tears, no more being afraid of these creeps. If proof was what she needed she would get proof.

  Lexi found it hard to focus on anything in particular and was relieved when it was finally time to get ready to go to tea. She dressed in a skirt and sleeveless sweater and some sandals. She had wiped the word from her mirror but not until she had taken a photo of it. She did her hair and put a little make up on. She made the short drive to the Winery and parked close to the house then walked up to the front door and rang the bell. A maid greeted her and led her through the living room and out to the terrace where Grace was sitting at one of the tables out by the pool.

  “Hello Lexi,” Grace said. “Please come and sit down.” Grace had her auburn hair up in a French roll that seemed very formal for her age but she was dressed in a flowered sundress. The maid remained standing next to the table.

  “Would you like ice tea or hot tea?” Grace said.

  “Ice tea would be wonderful,” Lexi said.

  Grace gave the maid a nod and the maid left.

  “So my dear how are you settling in?” Grace said.

  “Uh, just fine,” said Lexi. The woman was obviously oblivious to any of the problems that Lexi had been having.

  “Well good. I was sorry to hear about your barn burning down,” she said.

  “Yes, an unfortunate accident,” Lexi said. I haven’t decided whether I will build another one.”

  “Well with it gone at least it’s not such a sad reminder of Max’s untimely death,” Grace said.

  “I suppose that’s true,” Lexi said. “At least now Tucker sleeps in the house.”

  “I don’t understand,” Grace said.

  “Well Tucker, that’s Max’s dog, insisted on spending day and night lying on the exact spot where Uncle Max was found and where he spoke his last words.”

  “Oh my,” Grace said. “I was under the impression that he was dead when he was found.”

  “No, when Carter found him he was still alive and he did have a few words to say.” Lexi said but she didn’t elaborate. Grace looked a little shaken.

  The maid appeared and set a tall ice tea in front of Lexi and one in front of Grace. She also set down a plate of cookies and then left.

  “So tell me about my mother,” Lexi said. “How long did you two know each other?”

  “We met in the sixth grade,” Grace said. “My family moved here from Arkansas and Ann was the first person I met. It was during the summer and I was so lonely, not knowing anyone you see and well we just became the best of friends.”

  “Did you know my father as well?” Lexi asked.

  “No, not really, Ralph was Max’s much older brother and away at college when we were all in high school together,” Grace said. “It was just such a shock when she ran off with Ralph, so suddenly like that.”

  “What do you mean?” Lexi said.

  “Well everyone was so certain that she and Max would get married. They dated all through high school and they talked and talked about how they would build a Lodge just like the one that Max eventually built. They both got jobs as soon as they graduated and they were saving every penny. Then one day, poof, his older brother comes home from school and Ann just dumped Max like a hot potato.”

  “I ... well ... I had no idea,” Lexi said, taking a big gulp of her ice tea. “How could my father steal away his own brother’s girlfriend?”

  “Well, I don’t think Ralph even knew about Ann and Max. Then I think that Max was too hurt and proud to even say anything.”

  “Ralph was going off to join a law firm and be a big city lawyer. It must have appealed to Ann a lot more than being an Inn Keeper’s wife,” Grace said.

  “And when exactly did all this happen?” Lexi asked.

  “Well it was, let me see, the May or June the year after we
all graduated.”

  Lexi was flabbergasted. Uncle Max’s mystery woman was none other than her own mother. Her mind was racing with all the possible ramifications of this news.

  “Well if it isn’t Lexi Thomas, come a calling,” Geoff Montgomery’s voice boomed behind her and made her jump.

  “Geoffrey, for heaven’s sake,” Grace said. “Don’t frighten the girl.”

  “Well I wouldn’t want to do that?” Montgomery said. “To what do we owe the honor of this visit?”

  “We were just having tea Geoffrey and talking about Lexi’s mother,” Grace answered impatiently.

  “I see,” said Montgomery. “Well I’ll leave you two to your girl talk then. I have a meeting anyway.”

  Lexi wanted to say something, anything so that he wouldn’t think she was afraid of him but she could think of nothing. Montgomery turned and walked back into the living room.

  “I’m sorry,” Lexi said. “I’m just a little in shock from what you have told me. I really had no idea that my mother was involved with anyone before she met my dad.”

  “Grace would you mind terribly if I used your washroom?” she said.

  “Certainly my dear, it’s at the end of the hall outside the living room,” Grace said.

  Lexi definitely remembered where it was. She got up and walked into the living room then walked slowly, for fear of running into Montgomery. When she reached the hallway there was no one in sight but she could hear muffled voices. She could see Montgomery’s office door was slightly ajar so she tiptoed close to try to hear what was being said.

  “Enough of this bullshit Montgomery,” a male voice said. “I want action and I want it now.”

  “Look I’ve tried to tell you, the girl won’t sell,” Montgomery said.

  “Yeah, we’ve tried scaring her but she’s not budging,” it was Mitch speaking this time.

  “Then it’s time to try some stronger tactics,” the unknown male said. “Why do you think you are here Mitch?”

  “I know, I know,” Mitch said but it’s not the same as when we were dealing with her uncle. She’s got this other guy involved now and every time you turn around there are workmen there. I have to be careful, I can’t be raising suspicions. I have no intentions of going to jail.”

  “Your intentions are what I tell you they are,” the man said. “Montgomery you get that land and that water or your loan will come due immediately and you know what that will mean. I don’t care what you have to do to make it happen, just make it happen.”

  Lexi heard a chair scrape and she bolted for the living room and then ran and when she got close to the terrace door she slowed down. Instead of sitting down when she went outside she walked down to the pool and along the edge and waited for her breathing to slow.

  “Your place is really lovely Grace,” Lexi called to her.

  “Thank you, I’ve been happy here.”

  When she felt she would appear normal she returned to the table and sat down.

  “Do you and Mr. Montgomery have children?” Lexi asked, trying to seem nonchalant while her brain was racing in time with her heartbeat.

  “No, sadly we don’t. This is Mr. Montgomery’s second marriage but my first and it came late in life for me so I was beyond child bearing years.”

  “I’m sorry, so you would have liked children then?” Lexi asked.

  “Oh yes most definitely,” Grace said.

  “I just can’t get over this revelation that Max and my mother were in love and planning to be married.”

  “Well I can imagine you would be shocked if nothing was ever said about it. Max and Ralph’s parents had just been killed, which really was what prompted Ralph to come home. He was all the family that Max had. Since it was Ann he felt had betrayed him, he didn’t want to fight with his only family, so he just took it. But he never got over it and one day he just started building Wildwood. I didn’t understand why.”

  “So you and Max stayed friends all these years,” Lexi said.

  “Oh yes, we were good friends,” she said.

  “Well this has been most enlightening Grace but I really should be going, thank you,” Lexi said.

  “I’ll see you out,” Grace said and rose from her seat.

  The two walked out to the front door together. Lexi desperately hoped she would not run into Montgomery. As Grace opened the front door Lexi could see a large black limousine driving away.

  “Thank you again, Grace,” she said. Then she forced herself to walk, not run to her vehicle. It was all she could do to drive at a normal speed down the driveway. She wanted to race as far away as fast as she possibly could.

  When Lexi got back to Wildwood she unlocked the door and Tucker raced out. He was so happy to see her and she him. She closed the door and walked around a little with him and then they both went inside and she locked the door behind her. She went directly to the kitchen and opened a bottle of wine. She wished she had something stronger to drink. Between Grace’s disclosures and the conversation she had overheard between Montgomery, Mitch and the mystery man, she was reeling. Had she actually heard Mitch admit to killing Uncle Max or was she mistaken. She hadn’t been mistaken about their intent. She was either to sell the property or likely face the same fate as her uncle had. What the hell was she going to do now?

  Her cell phone rang. Her hand shook just a little as she pressed the button to answer it.

  “Hello,” she said tentatively.

  “Lexi,” Carter said. “Are you okay?”

  “Hi, it’s good to hear your voice,” Lexi said. “How’s it going?”

  “Well, she is in and out and it’s just hard to say,” Carter said. “I can’t say if this is really it or not, but just in case I need to stay put.”

  “Of course you do,” Lexi said. “You don’t want to have regrets.”

  “Is everything going okay, really?” He asked.

  “Yes, everything is fine,” she lied. “Just fine.”

  “Okay, well I should go, just wanted to check in,” he said. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Okay, Carter, thanks for taking the time to call.” She said.

  Lexi hung up. Tears threatened. She took a big drink of wine and swallowed the lump in her throat. She was done crying. She’d had one of the single most upsetting days of her life and she couldn’t even share it with Carter. She would just have to suck it up and get on with it. Lexi was not sure which she was more upset about; the fact that some loan shark or investor of questionable character didn’t care if she lived or died or the fact that her mother could have been so cruel to someone she supposedly loved. Okay the life threatening thing was the worst. She laughed, surprising herself.

  “So Tucker, what’s my plan?” Lexi asked the dog. Tucker lifted his head, looked at her and then put his head back down on his paws.

  She decided Tucker’s dinner was the first thing on her agenda. She certainly didn’t have much of an appetite herself at the moment. She got his dinner ready and then as she was topping up her glass of wine, the phone rang, startling her and causing her to knock the glass over.

  18

  It was the Landscaper she had called earlier in the week and he was finally getting back to her. She really hoped that one of these days she could stop being freaked out when the phone rang. He wanted to make an appointment and they made a time for tomorrow. She was going to keep the place busy with lots of people coming and going. He would come and discuss ideas with her and he was pretty sure he could get a crew started right away. Lexi was pleased. The idea of having a few burly men around working on the property seemed very appealing to her right now.

  Lexi mopped up the spilled wine and decided she was going to search the property for this ‘water source’ she had heard mentioned when she was eavesdropping. She wasn’t aware of anything but she had been just a young girl when she was here the last time. Tucker was finished his food so she called him and grabbed her keys and went out to the SUV. She would drive the property and look.


  There was a rutted dirt road that ran around the perimeter of the property and she decided to start with that. She supposed that somewhere in a land registry office in town or maybe in the county seat there would be a plan that might show if there was a stream or small lake. She was just guessing here. This was all new to her. She drove slowly and looked at the areas she could see. Occasionally she stopped and she and Tucker got out and would walk to a high point of land hoping to see something. There was nothing.

  When she’d been driving a little ways she thought she recognized a particularly big tree. She wasn’t really sure why or what kind of tree it was, an oak maybe, it just looked familiar somehow. She stopped the vehicle and she and Tucker got out. Lexi stared at it for awhile and suddenly she knew. She walked over to the tree and started looking around it and there it was, faint but still there after all these years; a small heart with initials carved under it. She had found it almost twenty years ago. It was actually a knot but it had taken on the shape of a heart and some couple had carved their initials under it. She’d ridden out there on the old mare that Uncle Max kept and had stopped to sit under the tree. They were going home the next day and she was so distraught that she wouldn’t be seeing Carter again. He was her first real crush and being twelve it seemed earth shattering that she had to leave and wouldn’t see him again until next summer. Her uncle had come looking for her and she had been so excited to show him the carving and then in showing it she had realized that two of the initials were Uncle Max’s.

  It all came flooding back to her. She had brought it up at dinner. Told everyone she’d seen some initials carved in a tree and they were Uncle Max’s and some girl with the initials A. H. Hey mom wasn’t your last name Hanley before you got married? She could see the whole thing now as if it had just happened yesterday. How could she have forgotten? Uncle Max trying to shush her, her mother’s face flushed with embarrassment and her father’s face white with a rage she had never seen before. Nothing more had been said at that moment but she had heard the three of them later, the accusations flying fast and furious.