Joel shook his head. “Were you expecting company?”
The man was lying spread-eagled in a patch of weeds. Linus sniffed at him and poked him with his nose. Kat looked up into Joel’s eyes. “Who is he?”
Joel shrugged and looked down at the old man. “I don’t know him.”
After being repeatedly poked, sniffed and growled at by Linus, the man in the grass finally stirred, shaking his mane of long gray hair. He sat up and rubbed his gray beard, wiping off some Linus drool. “Damn! What is that? It’s huge! Get that thing away from me.”
Joel handed the dog’s leash to Kat and grabbed the front of the man’s shirt with both hands, pulling him up to a standing position and then lifting him off the ground so he was face-to-face with the old man. “Who the hell are you?”
Kat shuddered. Joel was normally fairly quiet and composed. She’d never seen him really angry before and it was a little scary. “Yes, and why are you on my property?” she squeaked.
The older man squirmed, “Put me down, dude. Jeez man, what’s your problem?”
Joel loosened his grip and lowered the man to the ground. “My problem is that you’re creeping around here in the dark, and I don’t like trespassers.”
“I’m not trespassing! This is my house.”
Kat was irritated now. She stood up straighter. “It is not! This place was owned by my Aunt Abigail. She left it to me.”
“Well, you might get it someday, but it’s mine now. I’m her husband. So it’s mine. And all the trees, too.”
“She wasn’t married. She left it to me.”
“Yes, she was married. To me. We never got divorced. I helped build this place.”
Kat raised her eyebrows. “Wait. You’re the Lumberjack?”
Joel looked at Kat. “The Lumberjack?”
“I’m Jack Palmer. And yeah, I did some logging back in the day.”
A muscle twitched in Joel’s jaw as he leaned toward the man. “You haven’t explained why you’re here. And why you shot at and tried to poison this dog.”
Jack scratched his beard. “I didn’t poison any dog. I went out hunting the other night. There was a bunch of barking in the forest. It was echoing in the trees and I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. And then I saw a bear. That freaked me out, man! Damn. That thing was huge! I dropped my gun and it went off when I ran away. Now I can’t find it. I put some of my Valium into some hamburger, so the bear might take a nap and I could go look for my gun. That’s what I’m doing. Like I said, it’s my place and I can hunt on it. Well, when I find my gun again.”
Kat looked at him more closely. “So you really knew my aunt?”
Jack looked over at Kat and the expression on his weathered face softened. “Yeah, she was really young when I met her. Man, she was so beautiful. Really long, dark wavy hair.” He glanced at Kat. “She looked kinda like you, actually. I’d just come back from Korea and I was pretty messed up. I ended up coming through here and she was nice to me. I met her at the cafe. It’s not here anymore, but she worked there. Anyway, we got together. Abby was amazing, man. She took me out here to this place and told me how she wanted to build a house. It was good at first. Really good. But she kept inviting her friend’s kid out here and that was a drag. And I figured out she wanted to stay here, like, forever. I couldn’t handle that. I wasn’t ready to deal with that kind of responsibility, man.”
Kat nodded. “I think I heard about that part. You left.”
Jack shrugged. “There was a guy and he told me that I could score some…uh, well, you don’t need to know about that part. But I went to Vegas. And I kept meaning to come back, but I liked the casinos. Then it was the sixties and the seventies. Things were really happening.”
Joel looked at Jack. “You do realize it’s the nineties now, right?”
“Time sorta got away from me, man. Then an old buddy of mine came through Vegas and I heard Abby died. I didn’t even know she was sick. But I knew she never would have sold this place. And look at the trees. They gotta be worth a fortune. Do you know what cedar sells for?”
Kat narrowed her eyes. “Actually, I don’t.”
Jack looked excited. “If you stripped this place, it would be a lot of money. I mean, a lot, man.”
Kat glared at him. “I found some of my aunt’s papers. She had foresters come out and a few years ago they did a little logging to clear out some dead trees. But she wanted to keep the forest healthy. Not sell off the trees. I read the plan the forester did for her.”
Jack shrugged. “She always was an eco-nut. But that’s not my problem. When I get this place, I’m clear-cutting it. And selling it. I talked to a developer the other day. He’s got ideas.”
Now Kat was getting angry. She said through clenched teeth, “That’s not going to happen. I read the will. Abigail was very specific in her wishes. She wanted someone to take care of the animals and the forest. I’m going to do that. I’m not going to clear-cut anything.”
Joel moved toward Jack. “I think you’d better leave. If I see you here again, I’ll call the police.” Linus contributed a low, menacing growl to emphasize the point.
Jack raised his hands up, “Hey man, take it easy. I’m going. But I talked to that lawyer guy. Don’t get your hopes up about staying here.” He started ambling toward the driveway. “And if you find my gun, I want it back. I’m at the Enchanted Moose.”
Kat was freezing. Her body started to tremble in a combination of fury and tangled emotions. She looked up at Joel and said through gritted teeth, “That was more than unpleasant. I don’t believe this.”
“I know. Do you think he really has a case?”
“I have no idea. Maria told me someone had talked to Larry about the will. I guess I know what it was about now.”
With Linus by his side, Joel took her hand and they walked slowly back toward the house, which was silhouetted in the moonlight. Kat looked up at the simple log structure she had grown to love. I’m not going to let him destroy this place.
The next morning, Kat made an appointment to meet with Larry. If she was about to lose the money and the house and all the dogs and cats that lived within it, she wanted to find out sooner rather than later. She was sitting at the table slowly chewing on a piece of toast, pondering her options if the Lumberjack ended up with Chez Stinky. The idea of him razing the forest and tearing down the house made her feel a little sick. The toast tasted like cardboard in her mouth.
Joel walked into the kitchen, bent down, pushed Kat’s hair aside, and kissed her on the neck. “Hi.”
Kat reached up to take his hand before he walked away. “Long time, no see. Last night, after our little chat with the Lumberjack, you distracted me, and I forgot to ask if you could keep an eye on things while I go talk to Larry this morning.”
Joel smiled. “That was an enjoyable distraction. No, I don’t have plans to go anywhere. I’m hoping my computer arrives today. I had it shipped here. I hope that’s okay.”
“Definitely okay. I think after you defend me from weird old men in the yard, you pretty much can have free run of the place. You and Linus are the brave defenders of Chez Stinky.”
“Linus did do some serious growling. I was impressed.”
“I think we may have underestimated the Big Guy. He’s quite the studly dog when he sets his mind to it.”
Later, Kat drove over to the Law Office of Lawrence Lowell. She found Larry sitting at his desk, looking almost exactly as he had the first day she arrived in Alpine Grove. A lot had happened in a very short time.
With a big smile, Larry stood up and extended his hand. “Hello Kat. It’s good to see you. Please sit down.”
Kat shook his hand and was struck again by how different he looked when he smiled. Larry was obviously in a remarkably good mood. “Thanks Larry. You seem happy.”
“I am. Your friend Maria is just wonderful. I think I’m in love!”
Kat smiled. Did Maria know about the lawyer’s feelings? “That’s really sweet. I thin
k Maria is wonderful, too. She’s been my friend for a long time now.”
“She’s coming up to visit this weekend, and I can’t wait!”
“That’s great, Larry. I hope I get to see her, too. But right now I’d like to talk about Abigail’s will. The Lumberjack was passed out in my yard last night. He said my aunt never divorced him, so he should inherit everything. Is that true?”
“Ah yes, the Lumberjack. Jack Palmer. I was hoping to have this resolved, so you wouldn’t have to worry about it. I’m sorry, but it hasn’t worked out that way.”
“So you’re saying he has a case?”
“Possibly. I did some research and found the initial divorce paperwork your aunt filed, but no evidence that it was ever finalized. According to law, in the case of abandonment where the spouse is missing, you must attempt to locate the person. You might search through telephone books and contact family members. That type of thing. It was many years ago, but I did find the paperwork that details Abigail’s attempts to find him.”
“That’s good, right?”
“Yes. But the other issue is that the spouse filing the divorce must notify the spouse that he or she is being divorced.”
“How could Abigail do that if she didn’t know where the Lumberjack was?”
“She would have to provide service by publication. It requires that you publish a notice of the divorce proceedings on a regular basis for a specific period of time in newspapers that circulate in the areas where you suspect the spouse may currently reside.”
“I don’t know if she knew, but from what he said, it sounds like he was in Las Vegas. He said he lost track of time. I’m not sure he remembers much of the sixties or seventies.”
“That’s a challenge. Much of this type of archival information is on microfilm and it takes quite a while to search through it.”
“Will finding that invalidate his claim?”
“Possibly. I have no evidence of the service by publication, so we have no reason to believe she wanted to go through with the divorce. Maybe she changed her mind. Or maybe she just didn’t do it. There is no final paperwork. But it may have been lost in the fire of 1958. If we find evidence that the service by publication happened, that would signify that the divorce went through, even though the documentation has been lost.”
Kat sighed. “There was a fire?”
“Yes, many Alpine Grove records were lost. Those destroyed records have caused a lot of problems. The courts around here have been liberal about accepting service by publication as evidence when nobody can find an actual divorce decree.”
“Great. That figures. But I still don’t understand. She had a will.”
“Mr. Palmer’s argument is that because she was sick, Abigail was not in her right mind when she created the will. He will argue that the decedent did not have the proper mental capacity to create the will and trust documents. If the court decides that is the case, the documents could be declared invalid. As a spouse, he would have more inheritance rights. Her familial connection to you is less direct than a spousal connection. As a spouse, he would own half of the property and would gain the other half upon her demise.”
“So you’re saying if Abigail never divorced him, it’s his.”
“It’s possible. I suggest you retain an attorney. Because I was your aunt’s lawyer, it could be construed as a conflict of interest if you hire me. But I can give you a few names of people to call.”
Kat bent her head and covered her face with her hands. “I can’t afford that. I’m not even sure I can afford the house. It may disintegrate before anyone can inherit it.”
“Please do not construe anything I’ve said as legal advice. I’m simply explaining the terms of the will and the possible ramifications of it being contested. There is one more thing.”
Kat raised her head and looked into Larry’s brown eyes. “What? There’s more?”
“You might want to talk to Louise.”
Kat groaned. “Why? She hates me. I mean she really hates me. It’s bordering on bizarre.”
“Just do it. She has lived in Alpine Grove for her entire life. You may find she has… information. But again, I’m not giving you legal advice.”
“Okay, Larry. I’ll give it a shot. I suppose she couldn’t possibly hate me more than she already does.”
Larry smiled brightly again. “If you talk to Maria, please tell her I’m looking forward to this weekend!”
Kat stood up and shook his hand again. “I’ll do that.”
Kat went home and related the legal details from her meeting to Joel. After listening to Kat’s long monologue, Joel sat in silence.
She raised her eyebrows. “Well?”
“That was a lot of information. I’m thinking.”
“Think louder.”
He shrugged. “It sounds like with no proof that Abigail really divorced the Lumberjack, you’re screwed.”
“Thanks. I got that.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Larry said you should talk to Louise. Maybe she knows something that could help?”
Kat rolled her eyes. “Right. That’s gonna be a fun conversation.”
He got up from the table. “Sorry, that’s all I have right now.” He reached to take her hand. “I’ve got to work on setting up my computer. Are you okay?”
Kat squeezed his hand, then slumped in her chair and flopped her arms on the table. “Yeah. I guess so. I’ll see if I can meet Louise somewhere with no pet hair. It would be nice to have a conversation with her when she’s not sneezing or yelling at me, for once.”
Joel laughed. “Good luck.”
Kat called Louise, and after an uncomfortable conversation, they agreed to meet at the Alpine Grove diner. Kat went downstairs to tell Joel she was heading out.
He was hunched over a computer manual. Looking up, he said, “You’re off the phone. Good.”
“I’m meeting Louise at the diner.”
“Great. I’m getting my computer modem hooked up, so I can get on the Internet. I need to do some research. And check my email.”
“Okay. Happy nerding.”
“Takes one to know one.”
Kat stood up straighter. “I beg your pardon. I am not a nerd. I just associate with them.”
He grinned. “So it seems.”
As she got into her Toyota, Kat tried to think about what she could say to Louise that could possibly change anything. “Hi, Louise. As it turns out, I probably don’t own the house after all, so your wish that I never see one cent of Abigail’s money will come true.” Okay, that probably wasn’t a good opener. Kat was just going to have to wing it.
At the diner, Kat slid into a booth and ordered a cup of coffee. She looked up at the old pictures of Alpine Grove that were scattered across the knotty-pine-paneled walls. She thought about what it must have been like for her aunt to live here for forty years and the changes she must have seen.
Kat’s historical daydreams were interrupted by Louise, who bustled into the diner and slid into the booth across from Kat. “Hello,” she said primly as she settled into her seat.
“Thank you for meeting me. Larry Lowell suggested that we talk about what’s going on with the house and Abigail’s inheritance. I know you don’t like me much, but perhaps we can put that aside for the moment.”
Louise touched her blue curls with her hand. “You may be a fine person. I simply do not think you are a good steward of Abigail’s estate. That is all. Abigail loved her animals and wanted them taken care of properly. I want her wishes to be honored.”
“Actually, it’s possible her wishes won’t be honored at all if she didn’t actually divorce Jack Palmer.”
“Who is Jack Palmer?”
“The Lumberjack.”
Louise waved a hand at Kat and exclaimed, “Oh, that awful person. Good heavens yes, she was rid of him years ago.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure! A
bigail had some rather choice words to say about that man. She absolutely detested him, particularly after he walked out on her. He left her with a half-built house. It took years for her to scrimp and save to finish it off.”
“He’s here. And he wants the house. Not to mention the trees. I found him passed out in the yard last night.”
Louise looked across the table more closely at Kat. “What? He’s alive? And here in Alpine Grove?”
“Yes. Quite alive, although I’m not sure how many brain cells he has left. Apparently he’s staying at the Enchanted Moose. He heard Abigail died and came up here. Now he wants the place. He said he knew she wouldn’t have ever sold it.”
“No. She never would have.”
“Oh, and by the way, just to be clear, I did not poison my dog. The Lumberjack did it. He thought he was poisoning a bear. It was an odd story.”
Louise looked slightly mollified. “I see. That makes me feel a bit better. After the dogs running wild everywhere and the cat in the wall, Lord knows what you could have done.”
Kat looked down and shook her head. “I guess I don’t really have anything else to say. I just wanted you to know what was going on. And that I have tried. Really tried. I truly do want to take over the house and care for the animals. I love them, and it will break my heart to leave them. I had plans to fix up the place and start a business.”
Louise shook her finger at Kat. “I know that horrible man was not married to Abigail. I just know it.”
“But we have no proof. There is no record of any final divorce paperwork at all. Larry said it might have burnt up in a fire, though. But I’ve gone through just about all of Abigail’s things, and I haven’t found anything.”
“Where has that man been all these years?”
“Apparently, he’s been living in Las Vegas. He says his plan is to take over the property, cut down all the trees, and sell it to a developer.”
Louise looked horrified. “That’s dreadful.”
“I agree. If you can remember anything that might help, let me know. Since the Lumberjack just talked to Larry about filing papers, I think I can still live there for a while and continue taking care of the animals if it’s okay with you.”
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