A Lethal Legacy

by P. C. Zick

  Claire never fully recovered physically from her fall. Her head wounds healed and her crying, which continued for nearly a week, eventually stopped. Then she was her old self once again. But she had done something to her left leg that left her unstable on her feet. I purchased a walker for her, which she hated and only used for the long walk to the dining room. Nearly every visit to Claire in the next few months resulted in me lecturing her after finding her wobbling around her room without a cane or the walker.

  She become the child and I the parent. I hated ordering her around, but I worried constantly that she would break a hip. Even though that's what had brought about her own mother's demise, she didn't seem to heed my warnings. She began physical therapy but that didn't help. Increasingly she became upset about the care center's staff who often times left her stranded in the activities room or card room, which meant after a wait of a few minutes or longer, Claire would attempt the long walk back to her own room sometimes falling but never enough to injure herself.

  As the weeks went by, Claire began to tell me more about Kristina's visit, and I discovered the real purpose behind her surprise appearance. It seems Kristina had a plan since Claire was no longer living in her own home.

  "Kris thinks I should buy a small house, and then she could come and live with me and take care of me full time," Claire said.

  "What do you think?" I asked.

  "I think it's a dumb idea. What's a young woman like her want with taking care of an old lady like me. I told her I would think about it though."

  "Have you heard from Kristina since her visit?"

  "No, and I called after I was released from the hospital to tell her about my fall. I left a brief message telling her what happened, but she never called me back. I did hear from Pam though," she said.

  "When?"

  "Last week. She called to tell me she was sorry I had to be living in a place like this, as if she knows all about it. Anyway, she said I should move out to Las Vegas to be near my only blood relative. She offered to let me live with her and Oscar."

  "That's a surprise," I said.

  "Sure is. That woman always hated me. Now she wants me to come and live in her spare bedroom so I can be closer to Kristina? That takes the cake. Then she went on to say that even though you had been very good to me, you weren't real family, and with her and Oscar and Kristina, I'd be with a real family. Can you believe the nerve?"

  "How did you handle her?"

  "You would have been proud. I was gracious and told her I was very comfortable here and that she shouldn't worry. She's a mess." Claire and I both laughed.

  Soon after, Claire became increasingly weak on her feet and was dissatisfied with the level of care she was receiving. When we visited her doctor, he suggested that the time had come to move to a nursing home that would be better equipped to meet her needs. Claire agreed and within the week, I moved her to Magnolia Arms in Ocala, the best facility in north Florida.

  When she finally fell and broke her hip, I wasn't surprised. I had expected it since she still insisted in getting up and moving around without assistance. Short of tying her in her chair there was very little to do. When I saw her in the hospital, she explained that she only wanted to move the wheelchair away from her bed a little way.

  The doctor told me they would have to perform a hip replacement since the hipbone had come out of its socket. While we waited for surgery to be scheduled, I tried to call Kristina. I eventually called Pam when I had no luck at Kristina's apartment.

  "Thanks for calling, Ed. I know Kris will appreciate it," Pam said.

  "I just thought she should know. It's pretty serious for an almost 90-year-old woman to go in for major surgery. I'll call when it's all over."

  Claire came through the surgery with an excellent chance at recovery. Kristina called me soon afterwards.

  "I'm coming there for Thanksgiving, Ed," Kristina said.

  "Good, good. Your grandmother will be happy to see you," I said.

  "I'd like to see you, too," she said.

  I was silent for a long moment. "Cassie and the kids would love to see you," I said.

  "OK, if you want to play it that way, Eddie, baby. I'll probably see you at the nursing home. I've really missed you."

  "Kristina, please don’t do this."

  "Haven't you missed me just a little? Don't you ever think about us? Remember taking me Christmas shopping?" She talked soothingly and softly lulling me back into her web.

  "For chrissakes, Kristina, stop," I said.

  "I will for now. But you'll see me when I get there, won't you?"

  "Yes, yes, of course."

  "Good, Eddie, you won't be sorry, you know. Remember I've always told you it was bigger than both of us." She paused. "I need to ask you something. Mom and Oscar want to know if the nursing home might have been negligent."

  "You mean, could they have prevented the fall that broke Claire's hip?"

  "That's right. How could it have happened if everyone there had been doing their job?"

  "Kristina, Claire is a very stubborn woman. One reason we moved her to the nursing home was for more supervision, and short of restraining her in a wheel chair or bed, they couldn't have stopped her from doing what she did."

  "But was the floor slippery? Did they leave the wheelchair in her way?"

  "What are you talking about? They feel awful about what happened. Claire fell. Restraining her is illegal."

  "Did you know my mom just started working in a nursing home? She thinks maybe they were negligent and are now covering up something."

  "Have you called Magnolia Arms?"

  "I made some inquiries, but evidently, you, as power of attorney, are the only one who can request records. So we wondered what you thought."

  "Kristina, Magnolia Arms has given nothing but excellent care for Claire. Remember I've had some experience with nursing homes, and this one is the best."

  "I'm sure you'd spare no cost for Grandmother's care, would you," she said, the tough girl returning. "Oscar thinks you enjoy spending my inheritance."

  "You can tell Oscar to mind his own business. And since when did you start listening to him anyway?"

  "He's been very good to me these last few years while I tried to get established in Vegas. He's found me some jobs and sometimes he makes a lot of sense when he starts talking about my money."

  "If you are coming here to cause trouble, then don't bother coming," I said. "Claire is very fragile right now."

  "OK, OK. I'm just covering all the bases. I just feel so bad for Grandma."

  "Good, she needs your kindness. Besides, she's been talking about moving to the place where her mother resided after she broke her hip. It was in a private home, and I've had some people checking on it. Maybe a smaller facility would suit her more."

  "Maybe. It might cost less, too. And, Ed? I really miss you, and I respect you and think about you often. Please don't shut me out when I get there. I really need to see you."

  "Kristina, you've always known how I felt about you. I just wish you took more responsibility for yourself. Aren't you almost thirty now?"

  "Not quite. I'm trying, Ed. So you'll see me while I'm there?" she asked in her familiar little girl voice that still haunted and aroused me.

  "It'll probably be a mistake, but I don't see how we can avoid one another."

  "Still can't trust yourself?"

  "I can't trust you. I think I can handle myself."

  "Yeah, you've always handled yourself and me just fine, Eddie," came the seductive reply.

  "Good-bye, Kristina. I'll see you at the nursing home on Monday afternoon. Are you going to call Claire and tell her?"

  "I already did before I called you. I just wanted to ask you a few questions. I trust your opinion, you know. I'm sorry if it upset you, but now I can get Oscar and Pam off my back."

  "Just come here and be kind to your grandmother and don't hassle the nursing home staff. You might not want to mention your mother's name around your grand
mother. The two of them never got along very well."

  "Don't worry, I'll be her perfect little princess. See you Monday, Eddie."

  I walked into Claire's room the next Monday afternoon bracing myself for a face- to-face confrontation with Kristina. Instead, I found a very frail Claire lying flat on her back with a box of homemade peanut butter fudge open next to her on the night table.

  "Hi, Claire. Where's Kristina?" I asked when I saw Claire turn toward me.

  "She went out for some lunch. She'll be back soon," she said.

  "Here, let me roll the bed up some. Why is it down flat?"

  "Sometimes I just like it that way. Oh, that does feel better, Ed. Thanks."

  "Where's your roommate?"

  "She went home for the holidays this afternoon. It makes it nice for Kris and me to visit."

  "I'm glad that you and Kristina are having a nice visit."

  We sat and talked quietly for a few minutes. Some good friends of hers who had dropped by earlier in the day brought the peanut butter fudge. She told me Kristina had been spoon-feeding it to her during the afternoon. I noticed that little bits had been taken from the fudge, and a spoon rested on the edge of the table.

  "I'm back. Hey, Ed, you're here. Sorry it took me so long." Kristina rushed into the room and into my arms before I knew what happened.

  "Isn't this nice. My favoritest people in the whole wide world right here with me," Claire said.

  "Yes, Grandma. We're all here except for Cassie. Right, Ed? Grandma was telling me how close she and Cassie have become and how your kids are the 'bestest' besides me, in the world. Right, Grandma?"

  "That's right, honey," Claire said.

  "What's wrong, Claire?" I asked as I looked at her drooping eyes.

  "I feel awfully tired. I'd like my nightgown on I think. I'm going to eat dinner here."

  "I'll call an aide," I said as I headed for the door.

  While Claire prepared for bed, Kristina and I walked out into the hallway.

  "I'm worried about Grandma. She doesn't seem herself. Come on, Ed, I need some fresh air," Kristina said as she headed for the front door.

  "How do you mean that Claire doesn't seem herself?'" I asked as we began a walk around the building.

  "She seems depressed, for one thing. She always told me she was going to live to see the year 2000, but today she remarked that maybe that wasn't such a great thing after all."

  "She might be a little down, I guess. You know how active she always was, and her recovery has been slow."

  "Also, she has trouble following a line of thought for very long."

  "Really? I find her to be as alert as ever," I said.

  "I got a list of her medications because I thought maybe that might be a problem. Mom works in a nursing home, you know."

  "So you said. Who gave you the list?"

  "One of the nurses. Anyway I'm going to call Mom tonight, and she'll look into the meds and see if anything there might be causing the problem."

  We had come to a dark corner behind the nursing home, and Kris stopped walking as she leaned up against the building. She motioned for me to join her. I looked at her standing there in the dark night highlighted by her very tight white jeans. Her equally tight sweater did not conceal her shape in any way. As if hypnotized, I walked toward her.

  "Now isn't this better?" she asked as I walked into her waiting arms. "I've missed you so much, Ed." She brought my head down to her waiting lips, and I sank into her body that had already opened itself to me.

  I sought her breasts with one hand while our lips locked together for one long drink. She pressed against me until I couldn't stand it any longer. I pulled my face away from hers but locked my hands firmly to her front.

  "Please, Eddie, please. I've missed you so much. You're the only one who understands me. Don't be mad at me," she babbled while I lifted her sweater and unsnapped the front of her bra. When I had released her breasts, I no longer heard her continued pleas as my mouth found its way home.

  She began fumbling with the front of my pants and as much as I hated losing the cushion of her when she moved her head lower, I no longer cared about anything but the feelings her mouth aroused.

  Suddenly headlights came around the corner and lit up the side of the building. When the light hit my eyes, I woke from my trance and saw for the first time what was happening. I moved slightly so the car wouldn't be able to see the squatting body in front of me. They probably thought I was just relieving myself in the bushes.

  "Kristina, stop. Stand up. Here pull down your sweater," I said, but only after I had been spent.

  "Ed, I want you so much. Can't you come back to the motel with me?" she asked sweetly as she reached up to caress the side of my face.

  I looked at her longingly but knew I couldn't do anything more tonight. "Maybe tomorrow," I said. "Besides we need to get back inside."

  "OK, but, Ed, do you really think the nursing home wasn't negligent when Claire fell?"

  "No, I don't. I've already told you that, Kristina."

  "Have you seen the report about her fall?" she asked.

  "I don't need to see it. This nursing home is the best that money can buy and is providing Claire with excellent care.

  " I have no doubt that you would give her the best possible care and spend her money freely. By the way, Ed, where are Claire's valuables? Oscar told us to ask because he warned us that nursing homes are notorious places for thieves, especially among the employees."

  "You and Oscar don't need to worry about her valuables, Kris. Just concentrate on helping her get better."

  We walked back into the room. A woman stood next to the bed talking quietly to Claire. She turned around as I came nearer.

  "Hello, Ed. How are you?" Pam said.

  "Pam? What are you doing here?" I asked.

  "Yeah, what the hell are you doing here?" Kristina echoed.

  "I wanted to visit Claire. You know I owe Claire an awful lot for helping me get through the early years with you, and I wanted to come and see her," Pam said.

  "That's thoughtful of you, Pam," I said.

  "I was talking about all the parties Claire used to throw for us in Ann Arbor. Those were the days, weren't they, Claire?"

  "Yes." Claire said.

  "What's wrong, Grandma?" Kristina asked.

  "I miss everyone so much. Philip, Gary, they're all gone."

  "We're still here, don't forget that," I said. I was shocked to see Claire weeping. She hadn't done that since Kristina's last visit in September.

  My lawyer, Tim Pierce called the next day as I sat before my computer with a major case of writer's block. Kristina always managed to stifle my other passion.

  "What's up, Tim?" I asked.

  "I got a call from a Pamela Timmons today. Do you know her?"

  "She was married to Claire's son Gary at one time. She's Kristina's mother."

  "I figured that out," Tim said. "Do you know why she's here now?"

  "She says she just wanted to come since Kristina told her that Claire wasn't doing very well. But last night Pam tried to talk to me as I left the nursing home and said she was worried that Kristina might be planning something. I think it's probably Pam that has the plan. She's been pushing for years for Kristina to get money from the Townsends," I said. "And now I get the feeling Pam might be pushing Kristina into filing a law suit against Magnolia Arms."

  "Can't be done unless you agree; she doesn't have power of attorney. The reason I called you is because I'm a little uneasy about some things, too," Tim said.

  "What things?"

  "First, Pam asked to set up an appointment with me. She said it was about Claire's will. My secretary came and got me out of a meeting immediately because we both thought it meant Claire had died. Those requests don't usually happen until after a death."

  "That's a little creepy," I said.

  "I told her that since we didn't represent her, I couldn't talk about it with her. I probably wouldn't have even called you i
f it had ended there because I didn't know both she and Kristina were in Ocala at the time."

  "What else happened?"

  "Next, I got a call from the Clerk of the Court office. Kristina was down there raising hell about seeing your Aunt Susan's will in probate. They called me because I'm the attorney of record, and she was making such a stink. I told them to go ahead and show it to her. She wanted copies, I guess."

  "That's interesting," I said.

  "They've both been terribly busy. Soon after that, I got a call from a lawyer friend who had a Miss Kristina Timmons and a Mrs. Oscar Timmons in his office. Kristina was claiming that an evil nephew with my help had cut her out of a will. He was calling to get the scoop before proceeding any further. I told him the story, and he agreed that she wasn't entitled to anything."

  "Pam and Kristina went to that lawyer together?"

  "That's what this guy said. I guess Pam wanted him to draw up an affidavit that stated Kristina was really the daughter of Gary Townsend. That's why I called. Are they at the nursing home very much?"

  "Kristina arrived yesterday and spent all day with her; Pam arrived last night. It's difficult because Claire isn't herself."

  "What do you mean?"

  "She's tired and weepy."

  "Doesn't sound like Claire. Make sure the nursing home staff is aware that Pamela was making inquiries about Claire's will today. I would suggest they not leave either of them alone with her.

  "Why? You don't think they'd do something to harm Claire, do you?"

  "Who can say, but why take the chance?"

  "Pamela will be easy to keep out, I guess. She's probably the one we need to worry about. Kristina said Pam would be checking on Claire's meds, but that was before Pam arrived. Kristina seemed quite surprised when we found Pam in the room last night talking to Claire."

  "Just put everyone involved with Claire's care on alert. I don't like the things I heard today."

  She greedily reached for another piece of meat not waiting to finish chewing before stuffing more bites into her mouth. Juices dripped down her chin onto her naked breasts, and he greedily lapped up the leftovers.