Beyond the Garden (Magnolia Series Book 2)

by Ashley Farley

  Abbott patted her hand. “First things first. We can worry about all that later.”

  Julian’s phone rang, and he answered the call from Gary Bates. He provided an introduction to his father-in-law and handed the phone to Abbott, who walked Bates through the events leading to Lia’s arrest. Abbott was silent while he listened to the attorney. Before ending the call, he gave Bates his own number and asked him to use it going forward.

  “He’s going to see what he can find out and let us know,” Abbott said.

  Ellie’s eyes sought out her husband’s. “We need to talk to Tyler. Do you think he’s out of court yet?”

  Julian glanced at his watch. “He should be by now. I’ll give him a call,” Julian said as he stepped away from the table.

  “Tell me what to do, Dad.” Ellie’s eyes were on her husband as he paced around the garden with his phone pressed to his ear. “Even if the police determine she didn’t kill Ricky, she’s not stable enough to raise Bella and Mya. I’m willing to pay Lia whatever she wants to get her out of their lives. But it seems irresponsible to give her a fortune for her to squander.”

  “Your attorney will advise you on the best way to handle the situation. But you need to fight to keep the twins and your money. Bring out the big guns if you have to. She’s flat broke, which makes her vulnerable and gives us the upper hand. I barely know Lia, but she’s still my daughter. If it turns out she’s mentally ill, I will get her the help she needs, provided she’s willing to accept it. If the behavior we witnessed from her yesterday continues, and it turns out she’s your grandmother’s reincarnation, I will run her out of town myself. And she won’t be taking my granddaughters with her.”

  Ellie’s lips turned up into a soft smile. “That’s exactly what I needed to hear.”

  Abbott’s phone rang with a call from Bates, and he snatched it up. The attorney’s powerful voice boomed loud enough over the line for Ellie to hear most of what he said. The police considered Lia a flight risk, therefore they were holding her until Detective Hamlin arrived tomorrow morning from Key West. Bates would be there when they questioned her, and promised to call Abbott with updates as the situation evolved.

  Julian rejoined them as Abbott was ending his call. “Tyler has to be back in court all day tomorrow, but he’s agreed to meet us tonight. I booked a table at Husk for seven o’clock.”

  Ellie glanced at her watch. “That only gives us an hour. I don’t even know if Becca can babysit.”

  “I’ll stay with the girls,” Abbott said, rising from the table. “We’ll order takeout and stuff ourselves silly.”

  “Thank you, Abbott. That would be very helpful.” Julian turned to Ellie. “Why don’t we go early and have a drink? We have a lot to discuss before we meet with Tyler.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Ellie

  Ellie quickly changed into a pale blue, sleeveless linen dress and espadrilles. After spending a few minutes with each of the girls, she and Julian headed off on foot, hand in hand, toward Queen Street. As they navigated the uneven sidewalks, they inhaled the sweet fragrances of early summer—ligustrum, magnolia, honeysuckle—the intoxicating scents that usually promised hope for a new season but did little to chase away Ellie’s feelings of dread that particular evening.

  “After hearing the desperation in my sister’s voice, I’d do almost anything to keep Lia away from the twins,” Ellie said as they waited for the pedestrian-crossing light to change at Meeting and Broad.

  Julian squeezed her hand. “Let’s wait and hear what Tyler has to say. The most important thing is for us to remain calm. If we go off half-cocked, we’ll come across as being as unstable as Lia.”

  “That makes sense,” Ellie agreed, and they walked the rest of the way in silence.

  She located an empty table in the small courtyard while Julian went inside the renovated brick building that housed the bar for one of Charleston’s most celebrated restaurants. He joined her five minutes later with two glasses of Madeira wine.

  “A lot has happened in the three weeks since we flew to Key West looking for your sister. At the time, I thought Lia incapable of killing her husband.” Julian looked away, watching a young couple emerge from the bar building. “I’m not so sure anymore.”

  “Me either.” Ellie ran her fingertip along the lip of her wineglass. “More and more, I’m starting to think she’s schizophrenic or has some other type of disorder. Maybe she’s bipolar. I’m not a psychiatrist, and I’m not trying to diagnose her. But mental illness runs in families. And Maddie really struck a nerve today when she compared Lia to my grandmother. I trust her opinion. She remembers what happened in this house, and she knew my grandmother better than any of us. I hate to say it, and I wouldn’t admit it to anyone except you, but having Lia locked up in jail for murder is the best-case scenario for us.”

  “I agree with you, sweetheart.” Julian took a big gulp of wine and pushed back from the table. “Let’s go check in with the hostess. I’d hate for her to give our table away.”

  When their attorney arrived fifteen minutes later, Ellie and Julian were seated at a corner table on the piazza in the old, two-story house that served as Husk’s main dining room. Tyler signaled for the waitress to bring him a Maker’s Mark on the rocks and sat down in the seat next to Ellie. He picked up the specials menu and fumbled in his blazer pocket for his reading glasses.

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of ordering several small plates for us,” Julian said.

  “Works for me.” Tyler set his menu aside and removed his reading glasses. “I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow. The earlier I can get in bed, the better.”

  “Thank you for meeting us on such short notice,” Ellie said.

  “Of course. I understand from Julian that your sister has been arrested. The situation may take care of itself if the police have enough evidence for the prosecutor to press charges. If not, you need to be prepared for your next move in the event she’s released from jail tomorrow.” The waitress delivered his drink, and he took a sip. “Bring me up to speed on what’s happened since we last spoke on the phone on Friday.”

  Ellie planted her elbows on the table and laced her fingers together. “Despite our best efforts to secure the house, Lia managed to crash the twins’ birthday party yesterday afternoon. Julian whisked her off to his study before she could cause a scene. She demanded half of my grandmother’s estate in exchange for custody of the girls.”

  “Did you agree to her deal?” Tyler asked.

  “She gave us twenty-four hours to think about it,” Ellie said. “The police arrested her this morning for murdering her husband, before she could circle back around to us.”

  A server appeared at their table with a loaded tray. “Good lord, Julian,” Tyler said, his eyes round and wide. “Did you order one of everything on the menu?”

  Julian shrugged. “Pretty much. I’m starving, and I wasn’t sure what you liked.”

  The server placed platters of food in front of them: wood-fired oysters, beef tartare, pig’s ear lettuce wraps, field pea salad, Southern-fried chicken skins, and a skillet of real cornbread.

  “Can I get you anything else?” the server asked.

  Julian requested another round of drinks.

  The trio then passed platters around the table as they continued their discussion.

  “The way I see it, you have two choices,” Tyler said as he scooped a spoonful of cornbread onto his plate. “If you pay her off in exchange for her signature on the adoption papers, I advise you to be prudent about the amount you offer. From what you’ve told me, she’s not privy to your financial statements, which means she has no concept of your net worth. Offer her more than last time to appease her, but be sure to leave room for negotiating.”

  Ellie nibbled a bite of fried chicken skin. “Yum, this is delicious.” She finished the skin before asking, “What can we do to prevent Lia from coming back for more?”

  “You already have the contingency clau
se in your contract. We’ll have it signed by both you and your sister and notarized. However”—Tyler pointed his fork, its tines stuffed with field peas, at Ellie—“the next time your sister is broke, no document, legal or otherwise, will stop her from showing up on your doorstep, disrupting your lives, and pulling on your heartstrings for money.”

  Ellie set her fork down and lifted her wineglass. “You mentioned another option.”

  “We can try to fast-track our petition for legal guardianship. Judge Osborne is presiding over the lawsuit I’m currently trying in court. If I can get a few minutes with him to discuss your case, I may be able to convince him to order a psychiatric evaluation for your sister. That would accomplish two things. First, it would bring the case to his attention. Secondly, he might consider granting you temporary legal custody until the evaluation has been performed and he can render a decision.”

  “What if it backfires on us and scares Lia away?” Julian asked.

  “She can’t go anywhere without any money,” Ellie reminded him.

  “Exactly,” Tyler said.

  “Surely the judge will rule in our favor once he hears our story,” Julian said, spearing another oyster off the serving platter. “We didn’t ask for any of this to happen. Ellie did what any normal person would’ve done when she discovered she had a long-lost sister. She went in search of her, in the hopes of getting to know her. In return, Lia dumped her kids in our laps and took off. We’ve taken care of Mya and Bella all this time as though they were our own children. It’s unfair of her to expect us to give them back when she’s ready to be their mother again. Surely the judge will understand that.”

  Tyler offered Julian a sympathetic smile. “One would think. Unfortunately, the court often rules in favor of the parent despite the circumstances. You need to be prepared for that.”

  “Losing this case is not an option,” Ellie said, thinking she sounded as desperate as her sister. “I refuse to turn those helpless children over to a potentially dangerous woman.”

  “It’s my job to warn you of every possible outcome. With that said, I believe you stand a good chance of getting custody.”

  “Well, I . . .” Ellie felt pressured to voice a decision she wasn’t quite ready to make. The legitimacy of getting a judge involved appealed to her as much as it scared her. Writing a check to Lia seemed so much easier. No matter how ironclad her contract, there would always be strings attached with that option. She was curious what the psychiatric exam might prove. Many mental illnesses tended to run in families, which meant one or both of the twins could one day face the challenges of a genetic mental disorder. In some ways, it was better not to know than to have that cloud hanging over them. In other ways, knowing of the threat enabled them to be better prepared. “I really need to sleep on it before I make my decision.”

  “Say no more.” Tyler cut the air with his hand. “I’d like to give it some additional thought as well. Maybe I can come up with another option. I’m due in court at nine tomorrow morning, but I could talk anytime before that.”

  Ellie relaxed back in her chair. She’d sleep and pray on it. With any luck, the situation would appear clearer to her in the morning.

  “Well, then,” Julian said, placing his palms on the table. “Now that that’s settled, shall we order some entrées or dessert?”

  Tyler rubbed his belly. “Thanks, but I’ve had a gracious plenty. I need to get home to bed so I’ll be well rested for court tomorrow.” He stood and squeezed Ellie’s shoulder as he rounded the table. “Hang in there. I’m confident things will work out the way they’re meant to.”

  She smiled up at him. “I hope you’re right.” Once he’d left, she turned to Julian and said, “I wish I shared his confidence.”

  “I know what you mean,” Julian said in a solemn voice. “Shall I get the check?”

  “Please! I couldn’t eat another bite, even if this is the best cuisine in town.”

  They finished their wine while waiting for the check. “I paid the deposit on the Sullivan’s Island rental house today,” Julian said on the way home. “Just think. In two weeks’ time, all of this will be behind us. We’ll spend a heavenly week at the beach with our girls. If luck is on our side, all three custody agreements will be signed, sealed and delivered, and our family will be legitimate.”

  “A lot of water needs to flow over the dam in a short amount of time in order for that to happen.” Her breath hitched. “I haven’t thought about it, Julian, but if Social Services gets wind that my sister is a murder suspect and that she poses a threat to her daughters, who happen to be living in the same house with Ruby, they could take Ruby away from us. The same goes for Katie, if Laura finds out about Lia.”

  Julian brought her in for a half hug. “Calm down, Ellie. You are getting way too far ahead of yourself. Nobody is taking anybody away from us. We simply won’t let it happen.”

  “It creeps me out the way Lia was sneaking around our house. If he doesn’t have the evidence to charge her with murder, Hamlin will have to release her tomorrow from jail, and she’ll be free once again to spy on us.”

  “I’m one step ahead of you. I have a friend, Robbie Simon, who took early retirement from the police force after he was shot during a domestic dispute. What do you think about me hiring Robbie to guard the house?” Julian saw her expression of doubt and added, “Don’t worry. I’ll make certain Robbie’s discreet and stays out of everyone’s way.”

  “The idea of an ex-cop lurking around the house feels like an invasion of privacy. But with Lia roaming the streets, I have to admit I’d feel better knowing he was nearby. I guess we don’t have much choice.”

  He massaged her shoulders. “I’ll get in touch with him, to see if he’s available.”

  Back at the house, they found Abbott in the living room, watching an old western. He turned off the TV when they entered the room. Ellie sat down on the sofa beside her father and Julian in the chair next to him. “I trust your meeting was productive,” Abbott said.

  “As well as can be expected,” Ellie said, and then briefly outlined their options. “Tyler advised us not to make a rash decision. I’m going to think about it tonight and let him know in the morning what plan of action we’d like to pursue.”

  “I think that’s wise,” Abbott said. “Feel free to call me tonight or in the morning if you need to talk.”

  “I will, Dad. Thanks.” Ellie patted her father’s arm. “By the way, did Lacey tell you I hired her today?”

  His face beamed. “Are you kidding me? She’s so excited she can hardly talk about anything else.” He glanced at the clock above the mantel. “She’s at my house now, picking out the photographs for my opening. I should get home to oversee the selection.”

  They all stood and walked together to the door. “How were the girls?” Ellie asked.

  “Delightful, as always. We ordered takeout from Toast. The girls got burgers, and I had the shrimp and grits.”

  “I’ve never eaten there,” Julian said. “Is it any good?”

  “It can’t compare to Maddie’s cooking, but it’s better than pizza. You should try it sometime. They deliver.”

  “That’s good to know,” Ellie said.

  “The twins have been asleep for an hour.” Abbott snickered. “But I had to chase Katie out of Ruby’s room three times. They’re giggling and carrying on. I suspect Ruby’s trying to finish her homework, but she’s too considerate to ask Katie to leave.”

  Ellie smiled. That scenario had become their nightly routine. “That sounds about right.”

  “My daughter is lonely,” Julian explained. “Turns out she’s too social for homeschooling. The sooner her friends get out for the summer, the better off we’ll all be.”

  They shared a laugh. “She seems happy,” Abbott said. “That’s the most important thing.”

  They bid him good night and closed the door behind him.

  “Let me go see if I can dig up Robbie’s number,” Julian said, already on his way to h
is study.

  Ellie was suddenly too tired to walk to the kitchen for a cup of chamomile tea. Gripping the railing, she trudged up the stairs and peeked in on the girls. Katie was snoring softly, with her right arm flung up over her head. Ruby had just finished her homework and was turning out her light. She crossed the hall to the twins’ room. Wedging her body between theirs in the queen-size bed, she smoothed back their hair and kissed their sweet faces. Their peaceful presence comforted her as she replayed her conversation with Tyler over in her mind and debated her dilemma. Julian was already asleep when she finally abandoned the twins for her own bed.

  She struggled with her decision well into the night. She was tempted to give Lia whatever she wanted to go away. She would, in essence, be buying her sister’s children, and that felt wrong. Adopting Bella and Mya wasn’t about Ellie’s inability to have children of her own any more than fostering Ruby was. In the absence of competent parents, the twins needed someone to love and care for them. Julian and Ellie already did that—and could do so much more besides. What kind of stability would they have with Lia constantly coming in and out of their lives? A formal adoption would give her the closure she needed, not some bogus agreement that came with a hefty price tag.

  #

  Ellie eventually drifted off to sleep, but woke again at dawn. As the first pink rays of light streamed through her blinds, she made her decision. She would not cheapen her relationship with the twins by buying them from her sister. She would not stop fighting until that relationship was permanent in the eyes of the law.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Lia

  Lia’s skin crawled, her scalp itched, and her fingernails were bloody from clawing at the cinderblock walls. For much of the night, she’d howled like a deranged lunatic—until the guards threatened to actually send her to the psych ward at MUSC. She sent her dinner tray back untouched, and when they brought her breakfast, she sloshed the watery oatmeal all over the concrete floor and banged the plastic bowl against the metal bars. By the time the guard finally came for her at eight o’clock the next morning, Lia was on the brink of insanity.