Where There's A Will

by Mary Malone

  Frank was thinking of Mags as he drove back from Bantry. He had called her back again to clarify a few details – maybe just to hear her voice if he were honest with himself. Working together as junior lawyers, they’d shared a lot of cases and had lots of fun.

  They had chatted a little, then touched on the “case” again.

  “I’ll do all I can to help, Frank. But I’m making no promises,” she’d said.

  “Time is of the essence, Mags.”

  “Well, get off the phone and let me get to work then!”

  His heart felt lighter as he hung up the phone.

  He rubbed his chest. Damn indigestion again. He picked up his phone from the passenger seat when it rang. He was surprised to see Charlotte’s name on it. A day for surprises, nice ones at that. He pulled into the side of the road to answer.

  “Charlotte!”

  “Dad, can you talk?”

  “Of course.” He looked at his watch to figure out the time difference. “Still in the office?”

  “Sure am. I won’t delay but there’s something I need your help with.”

  He pulled himself straighter in the seat, unable to get comfortable. Again he rubbed his chest with the heel of his hand.

  “I’m presuming you don’t know what Mum and Seth are up to?” Charlotte said.

  Frank gave an involuntary groan. “This can’t be good.”

  “Seth’s falsifying some medical documents to try and oust Kieran from the original inheritance agreement and get it split three ways between Kieran, Beth and myself.”

  “He’s what!” Frank was outraged, blood racing around his body, his face turning dark red. “How dare he disrespect my sister! I guessed he and your mother were in cahoots but I honestly believed they were following a wild-goose chase so I decided to let them walk into a trap of their own making. But producing false documentation as a means of declaring Polly mentally diminished is crossing the line and taking things to a whole new level.”

  “Can you get to the solicitor? Or better still, get to Mum and Seth and tell them to cop themselves on.”

  “They’re wasting their time but they’re too stupid to realise it!” Frank roared down the phone. “Even if his precious medical records were accepted, Beth wouldn’t be the one to gain! As Polly’s next of kin, I would. But aside from that, I won’t let him get away with dragging my sister’s sanity through the mud!” Frank started up the engine of the Mercedes. He swallowed hard, his chest burning, the pain moving towards his shoulder. “Oh God, Lot,” he groaned as the pain intensified, shooting through his chest and down his arm.

  “Dad, what’s the matter?”

  “Call an ambulance, Lot,” he said, beads of sweat on his face, his body clammy. He pulled at his tie knot, finding it difficult to breathe.

  Charlotte screamed at him. “Where are you, Dad?”

  He didn’t answer, everything blacking out. The engine was still running. His foot slipped and lost its grip on the brake, the car rolling very slowly down the slope, gathering speed as it moved toward the main road and oncoming traffic.

  “Dad! Dad!” Charlotte’s voice came down the phone, her father gone beyond hearing.

  “Back it in altogether,” Kieran advised the driver, opening the gates wide and guiding him into the back garden. Excited at the prospect of having money at his disposal, Kieran felt he owed a huge debt of gratitude to his aunt. He’d wanted to do something special for her, tidying the garden the best thing he could think of. He’d trawled the Golden Pages for a local guy with a mini-digger, delighted that the first guy he called was free.

  “I want the entire area dug up,” he called to the driver. “I’ll be setting grass seed, so you can judge the depth yourself.”

  With that, Jess came running in, followed closely by Greg.

  “I didn’t expect an audience,” the driver said with a laugh before starting up the machine.

  Kieran turned to Jess. “What’s up?”

  “I’ve got the best news,” she shouted over the din of the digger.

  “Go inside, I’ll be right in.” But first he needed to give the driver his instructions. “I want that area left intact,” he told him, pointing to the only surviving flowerbed in the garden, Polly’s handiwork, a lasting memory of the precious hours she’d spent tending her plants. “But clear the rest. Give me a shout when you’re done.”

  “Come inside with me,” Jess instructed her son.

  “No, I want to watch, Mum.” Greg was indignant, refusing to join her in the kitchen, terrified he’d miss any excitement.

  “We’ll leave the door open, and you can stand and watch,” said Kieran. “But under no circumstances are you to go anywhere near the digger. It’s too dangerous and we don’t want anything happening to you.”

  Much to Jess’s amusement, Greg nodded and went and stood by the door.

  “You’re a good influence, Kieran,” she said when he joined her inside. “I honestly believe he’s better behaved when you’re around.”

  Kieran shrugged. “You should see him when we’re playing football or fishing off the pier! Then he’s not so well behaved. Are you, Greg?”

  The young boy giggled, his eyes fixed on the machine, watching it turn the soil over.

  “So what’s the big news?” Kieran asked.

  “The pressure is off with Henry. I don’t have to move after all. Looks like you’re stuck with us next door.”

  He grinned and went to swing her around.

  Jess confused his approach and made to hug him, their arms ending up wrapped around each other, her head tucked under his chin. She looked up at him, remaining in his arms for the briefest moment.

  “Ugh! Are ye kissing?” a disgusted Greg asked.

  “Don’t be silly. Of course not!” Jess instantly retreated, her cheeks flushing bright red. She’d wanted to kiss him. More than anything. Part of her was sorry she hadn’t.

  Kieran glanced at Jess, his lips shaping into a cheeky grin. “Excellent news, you guys, but I’m afraid my foundations here aren’t quite so solid. Looks like those contesting Polly’s will are producing some convincing evidence, enough to force me back to the world of wanderlust!”

  An unperturbed Greg continued to stare at the digger in fascination.

  The animation left Jess’s face. “You can’t be serious.”

  “Deadly serious unfortunately.”

  Without thinking about what she was doing, she stepped into his arms once more, raising her face to his and welcoming the feel of his lips on hers. Melting into his kiss, she was oblivious to everything around her.

  Meanwhile music was blaring from the digger, the driver covering a lot of ground in a short space of time, moving over and back in rows, concentrating on the area near the garden shed.

  Unable to see anything much, Greg moved outside, crouching on to his hunkers and piling the fresh earth into a mountain.

  The machine approached from the back corner again.

  As the kissing couple pulled apart, Jess glanced around for her son, releasing her hold of Kieran and darting to the door when she couldn’t see him anywhere.

  “No!” she screamed at the top of her voice, running toward the small boy who was right in the oncoming path of the digger. Too late Jess reached him. The digger had already nudged against him, knocking him face down into the earth.

  “Ooh!” Greg cried.

  “Damn, what the hell have you done?” Kieran rushed to Greg’s side, waving the digger driver away when he went to help Greg to his feet. “Leave him,” he growled, pulling him into his arms and waiting for his sobbing to subside before examining him.

  “I can’t see! Mum, I can’t see. There’s dirt in my eyes.”

  Jess tugged at Kieran’s arm. “Bring him inside. We’ll have to try and wash his eyes. Hush, Greg,” she soothed her son.

  “God, I’m so sorry about that!” The driver was shaking. “I didn’t see him there.”

  “Accidents happen,” Kieran said gruffly. “We should
have been keeping an eye.” Instead of eyeing each other, he thought, glancing at Jess, the taste of her lips still on his. He carried Greg inside, patting him on the back to try and soothe him.

  “He’ll have to get his eyes checked in the hospital for safety,” Kieran advised a few moments later. “See the grit inside his lids. Very important to get all of that out.”

  “I’ll call Henry, get him to come back and drive us to Bantry General. It’s not too long since he left. He shouldn’t be too far away.”

  “I’m sorry, Jess. I shouldn’t have distracted you.” He held her gaze.

  She shook her head and grinned back at him. “It wasn’t exactly one-sided,” she responded, her words loaded, desire lingering between them.

  “Raincheck?” Kieran whispered.

  “Soon, I hope.” She turned her attention to Greg. “Don’t rub your eyes, pet. The nice doctor will clean the dirt out once we get there. Come on, we must call Uncle Henry to drive us there.”

  “I don’t like doctors and I don’t like Henry!” Greg gave another exaggerated wail, glancing slyly at Kieran to ensure he was being watched, disappointed when the shrill of Kieran’s phone stole his attention once more.

  Kieran recognised Charlotte’s number and groaned inwardly. Another bout of long-distance complaining to come no doubt.

  “Charlotte, what’s up?”

  Jess touched his arm and he nodded, signalling that he would follow them in a minute. He gave Greg a wave as they slipped away. Poor kid, he thought, as Greg brought a hand to his face to rub his eye and Jess slapped it away.

  “Sorry, Charlotte – what’s that you said?” His expression darkened as he listened to his sister. “But where is he?”

  “I don’t know,” Charlotte was saying, “but he must have been feeling really bad. He seemed to be in great pain. He told me to call an ambulance and that was it. I stayed on the line, could hear some noises but that was it.”

  “And you’ve called the ambulance?”

  “I eventually got through to the emergency services. It was a bit difficult calling from outside the country. I had no idea where Dad was. There wasn’t a lot of immediate help they could offer but they promised to radio a message to the Gardaí and get them to advise as many stations as possible. Will you please find him? Before . . .”

  “I’ll take it from here. It’s okay, Lot, don’t worry. Have you called Beth?”

  “No, I tried Mum but she didn’t know where he was. I thought I should tell you next. You’re much calmer in a crisis. You know what Beth’s like, she panics at the slightest thing.”

  Kieran couldn’t think straight. His father needed urgent help. But first he had to find him. And with Charlotte having no idea where he was and his mother none the wiser either, where would he start? How would he track him down?

  “I’ll ring you later, Char. Let me see what I can do first. I’ll get back on to Mum. She surely has some idea of his plans for the day.”

  “She told me she hasn’t seen him since early this morning. And she was really off with me too – nervy and jumpy.”

  “Probably because it’s not all about her,” Kieran muttered. “Right, Charlotte. Talking won’t find Dad. I’d better go.”

  “Thanks, Kieran. I’ll ring Beth right away. Panic or not, she needs to know.”

  Punching his mother’s number into his keypad, Kieran tried his best to try to get her to remember anything Frank had mentioned about his whereabouts for the day. With very little to go on, he called the emergency services again to report the information Marian had given him.

  Chapter 40

  “Will I follow the ambulance or go with him?” Marian’s body trembled from head to toe.

  “Best if you follow us,” the ambulance driver advised. “There’s only one allowed to travel with the victim and your son has already said he’s travelling with us.”

  Kieran had been first to arrive on the scene, having run all the way up the town to the garage and collecting the Golf he’d just bought. Heading towards Bantry town, he was only a few short miles from Schull when the Gardaí rang with the news his father had been found. The remaining journey was a blur.

  Marian was horrified to see her husband’s body being cut from the car. Staring in disbelief, she watched as they got him into the ambulance as quickly as possible and, sirens blaring, rushed towards Cork city.

  Following behind, Marian put a call through to Beth, reassuring her that her father was still alive but gravely ill.

  “No! Please, Dad can’t die! I didn’t think it would be this serious when Charlotte called with the news. Oh, Mum, I said some terrible things to Dad earlier!”

  “Charlotte couldn’t have known how serious it was. And he was lucky the car veered to the side and crashed into a stone entrance. Otherwise he’d have careered straight into oncoming traffic.”

  “Doesn’t bear thinking about,” Beth blubbered through tears.

  “And never mind whatever petty squabbles you had with him. You weren’t to know. Nobody knew. You’ve had a dreadful shock, pet. Get Carl to drive you to the hospital and I’ll meet you there.”

  “Should I call Charlotte?”

  “Kieran’s calling her with an update.”

  Hanging up, Marian was forced to do some soul-searching of her own. Beth wasn’t the only one with concerns. Marian’s conscience was pricking her too, recent behaviour towards her husband weighing heavily on her heart. But she’d deal with her guilt later. For now she’d be happy if he continued breathing and allow her the time she needed to make amends.

  “There’s a family emergency back in Ireland,” Charlotte told her boss. “My father had a heart attack while driving and crashed his car. I’ve got to return home immediately.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Charlotte,” he said, his genuine sympathy evident. “Of course you must do whatever’s required. But sit there and take a moment to recover from the shock – I’ll get one of the girls from Admin to bring you a coffee. Meanwhile I’ll move my car around to the front of the building and, whenever you’re ready, I’ll drive you home so you can get organised.”

  “But I don’t have a flight booked yet.”

  “Leave your flight plans to me. What Irish airport will you be landing at? I’ll organise it quickly through the company account.”

  “Not at all, I couldn’t accept that,” Charlotte waved away the generous offer, his kindness much appreciated, a powerful contrast to the pressure and discomfort she’d experienced in the workplace previously. “Dublin or Shannon – either will do. A direct flight if you can.” She closed her eyes when he left the office, her thoughts a jumbled mess. But her only priority was her father’s safety, other concerns unimportant by comparison.

  Chapter 41

  “Beth, he’ll be okay. Frank’s strong as an ox.”

  “How can you be sure?” she snapped at Carl. “He’s stressed, all of us fighting and squabbling.”

  Carl glanced sideways at his wife, recognising her fear, understanding her reason to lash out. “I suppose so. He wants to protect his family. It’s all he cares about underneath.”

  She snapped her head in his direction. Was her husband being sarcastic? She couldn’t be sure.

  “I think we should get a divorce,” she told him. It was a day for truth, she felt, a day where they should all think about moving on.

  His face dropped but he merely nodded. “I’m sorry, Beth.”

  “I know. Me too.”

  Their unborn baby, their lost chances, lingered in the car between them. There were some things insurmountable and both of them had known it for quite some time. Carl’s reckless driving and passion for risk had caused their car to crash, leading to Beth’s miscarriage and the beginning of the end of their marriage – but she wasn’t without blame. She had long enabled his lifestyle and personality and had eventually paid the price. But acknowledging guilt wasn’t enough to repair the damage done.

  His voice was thick with emotion. “I found an old
address for Ed’s ex-boyfriend and sent him a letter.”

  “And?” She hid her surprise at this.

  “He’s flying in later this evening. Wants to see him apparently . . . regrets leaving but was too proud to say or return. He knew nothing of Ed’s illness.”

  Silence fell between them for a few miles until Carl spoke again.

  “Should we try again?”

  “Just drive, Carl,” she said, letting out a long sigh, too tired to think but not too stupid to let a bit of raw emotion cloud her judgement again.

  Joining her brother and mother at Frank’s bedside after running the whole way from the car park, Beth felt relief wash over her for the first time since she’d heard of what had happened to him. She had made it in time to apologise. He was still alive.

  “Only two visitors at a time,” a nurse advised gently.

  “I’ll step out and give Beth time,” Kieran offered and left.

  Beth moved past her mother and leaned over Frank. “Dad, I’m so sorry,” she said. “Please be okay. We’ll take care of you for a change.”

  Hearing his daughter’s voice, he opened his eyes and acknowledged her with a nod of his head and the faintest of smiles.