“Harry,” Thea said her voice weak, “you can’t believe this.”
Harry looked at his sister, coldly, and replied in an equally cold tone, “But I do, Thea. You see, I know you well enough to believe you could do this. I remember how wild you were as a girl. I remember warning you that your love life would get you into trouble. I warned you about Peter. I didn’t know who it was you had been seeing, but I did know you were running around with more than one man twenty-five years ago.”
“Harry, please,” Thea begged.
“Gil found you two together, beat him senseless, then threw him into the pond,” Harry said in a cold tone that said more eloquently than anything else just how furious he was.
“Harry,” Gil said. “Are you going to take these unsubstantiated photos against my word?”
“Your word? As I recall, the only real evidence of Nancy’s supposed adulteries came from eyewitness accounts of the two people whom I trusted the most, my sister and attorney. The suspicion of murder was something that came about because of you,” Harry said. “Those were lies, too, weren’t they?”
“Harry, please,” Thea said through her tears. “It wasn’t like that.”
“I want you out of my house, tonight,” Harry said angrily. “I ought to turn you both over to the police.”
“On the strength of what? Twenty-five year old photographs?” Gil replied almost amusedly.
But Mary Kate saw the attorney was sweating even more profusely. His coloring wasn’t good.
“I’ll settle for both of you leaving my house and never returning. You know, of course, that you’re no longer corporate counsel, Gilbert. I can no longer trust either of you.”
“Harry,” Thea pleaded, “Please...”
Gil rose from his chair once more. “I don’t have to take this unwarranted abuse. I’m leaving,” he said as he reached for his handkerchief.
Mary Kate watched as Gil clutched his chest and fell to the floor. It took a few seconds before Mary Kate registered this wasn’t a feint. He was having a heart attack.
Finding that Gil had no pulse, Jase said, “Steve, we need the paramedics. Gil has had a heart attack. There’s no pulse.”
While Jase was speaking, Mary Kate tilted Gil’s head back to open the airway, and gave him two breaths. Then she began CPR. Without a word, Jase took over the breathing and monitoring of Gil’s pulse, or rather the lack thereof, as Mary Kate gave chest compressions.
Thea stood there sobbing, babbling. Mary Kate was too busy to give any heed to her aunt’s rambling words. But they were recorded.
After a few minutes, Jase and Mary Kate traded places. He gave Gil chest compressions. She gave the
183
breaths. “Don’t die,” Mary Kate ordered in what became almost a litany. “You have to stand trial. You have
to clear my mother. Don’t die.” But her pleas didn’t help. Gil was never revived. When the paramedics couldn’t revive him, Thea fainted. A dose of smelling salts from Billie’s
generously supplied first aid kit brought her around. Thea excused herself from the room, with the statement she needed to take an aspirin. Mary Kate could understand that. She had a massive headache herself. The shock of the events of the
day was almost too much for all of them. Yet they had to make statements to the police. Thea, when she returned to the living room, made a full disclosure. “With Gil dead,” she had replied listlessly, when asked why she was being so forthcoming after she had
made a long and meticulously detailed statement to the police, “nothing means anything to me.” She yawned
broadly. “I’ll be joining him soon enough.” Harry looked at his sister. “What have you done?” Thea was clearly becoming very sleepy. “Thea, damnit,” Harry demanded, shaking her, “what have you done?” “Be with Gil, soon.” That statement was enough to mobilize the police to take Thea in for an emergency stomach pumping. When Jack had left, Harry looked at Mary Kate. “I’ve got to try to keep a lid on this. I think I can have
Thea committed. Gil is dead. Legal action at this point would be almost useless. Thea is obviously insane.
The best thing to do is to get her help.” “Help?” Jase asked. “You want to get her help?” “Actually, I’d like to throttle her myself,” Harry said with a control that told of his real anger. “But with
Thea declared insane, it will be a simple matter for me to be appointed her guardian. As her guardian, I’ll be easily able to make restitution of the funds which she and Gil stole. And I would rather see her in a safe environment, rather than a prison. In spite of everything, she’s still my sister.”
Mary Kate nodded slightly. “Do what you have to do, Dad. I’ll support whatever you think you have to do.” “I don’t think I will ever forgive Thea for having been responsible for depriving me of so many years of
knowing you,” Harry said. “We can’t change the past, Dad.” “I love you, Mary Katherine Devlin,” Harry said, as he fought back tears. Jase had never seen his stepfather near tears. That shook him badly.
184
“I love you, Dad,” Mary Kate practically whispered as she wrapped her arm around him. Harry smiled at her. “This has been difficult for you. I’m sorry about this.” “Dad,” Mary Kate began. “I’m going to bed,” Harry said. “I’d suggest you both do likewise. Tomorrow...” He corrected ruefully
as he looked up at the kitchen clock, “today, is going to be a very difficult day.”
Whoever said wealth has its privileges wasn’t far wrong. The whole incident was hushed up. Gil’s fatal heart attack was reported in the newspaper. Thea was reported as having been admitted to the hospital suffering from shock. But nothing of the criminal nature of either of their offenses was mentioned. Nothing of the scandal of Thea having attempted to kill herself was made publicly known. Harry arranged to have Thea taken to the private mental hospital he had mentioned. A court order was entered to make Harry Thea’s guardian.
“Is everyone going to be allowed to continue to believe the worst about my mother?”
“I made sure that Alice and Miss Emily were told. We’re the only ones whom that bit of news concerns,” Harry said compassionately. His lips twisted in a parody of a smile. “But the news will spread. Emily Chase talks.”
Jase was sitting in the gazebo looking at the pond. Mary Kate walked up to stand beside him. “Deep thoughts?” Jase turned around to look at his fiancee. He smiled broadly. “Not particularly. Want to join me?” “In shallow thoughts?” “How about in no thoughts?” he asked with a smile as he reached out and drew her closer to him. They sat out on the patio before breakfast, Harry, Jase, and Mary Kate. “I just don’t believe it, Dad. Mom never had that kind of money. If she had, we would have lived much
better than we did,” Mary Kate stated. Harry only shook his head. “I’ve accounted for everything except the $400,000 that Thea said they paid
in blackmail. Of course, with Thea’s shrewd investing, the growth of the money has been substantial.” “I’m telling you, Dad, Mom never had more than $500 in her accounts at any one time.” Harry sighed. “I’ve seen the blackmail letters, Mary Kate. Thea kept a file of them.” “Were they signed? Were they in Mother’s hand?” “No. They were typed, and each one was accompanied by a copy of the photo,” Harry told her. “How could that be? The negatives were upstairs with the pictures,” Mary Kate countered. Harry just looked at her for a long moment. “You’re right, my dear. It doesn’t make sense.” “Aunt Thea couldn’t have taken the pictures. She was in them.” Billie brought out a heavily laden tray with their breakfast.
185
the table with a thud. “Where’s the money you extorted from Thea and Gil, Billie?” Harry demanded. The housekeeper shook her head sadly and sighed. “Invested in the stock market. I’ve done quite well,
actually.”
Harry nodded tightly. “Clear out your things and leave here today. You won’t have a reference from me. Your pension is forfeit, you’ve alread
y taken far more than your lump sum. I’m really tempted to turn you over to the authorities. Extortion carries serious prison time.”
Billie blanched. “Harry, I’ll make restitution of the $400,000.” Harry frowned. “You made them think it was Mother who was blackmailing them,” Mary Kate charged. “You pushed
them to desperation, you made them seek to end my mother’s life!” Billie swallowed hard. “I’m not responsible for their actions,” she denied in a less than strong voice. “They killed my mother because they thought she was the one blackmailing them,” Mary Kate accused. Billie’s face crumpled. Mary Kate rose from the table. “Goodbye, Billie. I hope you can live with yourself.” Jase followed her. “Mary Kate,” he called. “I want her punished. But she’s going free, isn’t she?” “Billie will have to live with what she’s done.” Mary Kate sighed. “I don’t know if that’s enough, Jase.” “It’s going to have to be whatever Harry decides.” “It’s over. At least, it’s over.” Jase smiled at her. “Come on, Mary Kate, we’ve got things to do.”
The wedding breakfast was in full swing. Mary Kate smiled broadly at her husband as they danced to
the regal strains of a Strauss waltz played by the chamber group. “Well, Mrs. Wilton, are you happy?” “Very... Did you see Melissa and Rafe?” “Missy and Rafe?” Jase echoed. “I think your best friend and your sister are going to be an item. Although, I wouldn’t rule out Keith
quite yet. He’s been giving them both glances that tell me he’s anything but happy about how close that pair seem.”
“Missy is walking a dangerous line. Someone ought to talk to her.” Mary Kate smiled. “That broad streak of defensiveness was the first thing I noticed about you. I
remember thinking how nice it would be to have someone care for me the way you cared for your family.” Jase lightly kissed his bride. “That was nice.” “I love you, Mary Katherine Devlin Wilton.” “You’ve never said that before.” “I must have.” “No. Not once...” “You had to have known.” “I suspected. I hoped. But I didn’t know... Not for sure.” “Then why did you marry me?” She smiled softly at him. “Because I love you, silly.” “So, now, I’m silly am I?” He teased. “Jase, why do I think the next sixty years or so are going to be very interesting?” He simply gathered her into his arms and kissed her soundly.
THE END
Karen Woods Page 24