by C. M. Steele
“Get some rest and I’ll call you tomorrow.”
9
Tim
The week with Grandma had been perfect and I hated to go, but it was about that time. I had to see Vanessa. I told her that I would come back with Vanessa before she returned back to school, so she could meet my future, but things don’t always work out according to plan.
Just as I was about to say goodbye, an ambulance was called because my grandma wasn’t waking. I hid the tears and rode in the ambulance with her, holding her hand the whole way there. I got to the hospital and they took her in. Realistically, she was ninety. There wouldn’t be much they could do if it was that time, but I didn’t get to say goodbye. The rest of the family didn’t show up until over two hours later. We lived ten minutes from the hospital, but they didn’t want to ruin their dinner. Fucking assholes. They didn’t even care. I wondered if they did something to her. I knew all they cared about was their inheritance. Slimy motherfuckers. I found out that my grandfather hadn’t been the one with the family money. It had been mostly my grandmother’s, and that was the reason he didn’t want her to leave him. He and his children spent the majority of the family fortune throughout the years, but my grandmother was a shrewd businesswoman and kept most of her remaining monies a secret. I didn’t know what she had because it wasn’t my business, but I overheard the lousy family talking about her secret money. They were all at risk of losing all they had. I smiled thinking that it would be great if they did.
“What the fuck are you smiling about?”
“Whoa, trailer trash much? My smiles aren’t any of your damn concern, so shut it.” While he was giving me shit, I had a text from Cam asking me if everything was okay and if he could do anything for me. Cameron really was a great guy, and our only issue would be his sister. He cared about her and her well-being. I thought the world of him and I felt guilty for not telling him that I was in love with his sister, but it would still have to wait.
When I called Vanessa to tell her what happened, she was upset for me. I wanted her by my side, but something about my family gave me pause. I wouldn’t put it past them to try and hurt her. She was everything to me, and I knew their petty vindictiveness would rear its ugly head.
“Mom, is in there dying and you’re smiling. I bet you’re waiting to see what you get from her will, aren’t you?”
I stood tall and got in his face. “Don’t ever say something like that to me again. You know nothing and are the one waiting for her to go. I’d love to take her back home with me to live. My grandmother is more important than any kind of money, and you all make me fucking sick. She wasn’t even more important than your dinner. So don’t say shit to me because I’m one step from ending you.” The security came just in case I was going to snap, but I stepped back. It was his final warning. I didn’t like the look he gave me.
As we waited for news, an idea popped in my head and I ran to speak with a doctor. Six hours later and my suspicions were confirmed. “Sir, it seems that you were right. If what you are telling me is true, I suspect that the subtle poisoning would show in her hair and it’s been there for at least six months, but her hair was recently cut so I don’t know how long she’s been poisoned and by whom. I’ve already contacted the authorities and your grandmother has been stabilized. I’m sorry to say this, but at her age, it won’t be long before the damage takes its toll.”
“How long?” I asked, fighting the tears of pain and anger.
“A few days to a week.”
“Thanks for taking the matter seriously, doc. I don’t know if it was one or all of them, but I felt something was off when I arrived.”
“I’ve asked the cops to pull you away for some questioning a little gruffly. Since you haven’t been around and the tests show poisoning over a long time, the police asked to talk to you privately.”
“Thanks. I’ll do what I can, but seems I was unaware of a lot.” Just as we were finishing talking when Nick came up to us with his almighty, I Rule the World persona.”
“What are you doing talking to him? I’m her next of kin, not him.”
“Well, where have you been for the last six hours, Evan?”
“I was trying to sleep. Not all of us are used to sleeping like bums.”
“Just admit that you’re a pussy. I understand, but I don’t give a fuck about you and your superiority complex.” I really wanted to beat him to death at the moment, but I couldn’t do that. There were too many flaws with that plan.
“If you’ll excuse me, I have my rounds to make.” The doctor just walked away ignoring Evan. He was pissed, but I turned around and did the same.
~~~~~
Three days passed, and a world of shit came to the surface. The worst was that my grandma never recovered more than to say “I love you, Tim.” She died in the morning while I sat at her bedside. They gave us some privacy, not letting Evan or the rest of the trash see her. Not that they really asked. He only asked for confirmation. It was never made public that she was poisoned. They had told them it was her organs failing probably from old age, and immediately he jumped to asking for her to be cremated. It wasn’t going to happen, but he didn’t know that. Pompous Nick was going to get his just desserts and more very soon.
I called Vanessa because it was her birthday and I wouldn’t be there. As much as we missed each other, we knew it was for the best. Like the family that they are, they all called and planned to come up for the service to pay respect, but I told them to hold off until I knew what the plan was. I didn’t know what the investigators needed or how this was going to be handled.
“Vanessa. I’m so damn sorry, I missed seeing you for your birthday.”
“Tim, how many times do I have to tell you I understand? Your grandma died. You’re going through a lot of shit, and I wish I could be at your side.”
“I’m missing you like crazy, Vanessa.”
“Soon we’ll be together,” I promised.
~~~~
I had to stay at the house for the next two weeks as the cops built their case against my uncle and the rest of the bastards. It was my last day there when I had to go see my grandma’s lawyer.
“Hello, Mr. Robertson.”
“Thank you for coming, Mr. Russell. Please take a seat and we can get started.”
“Is there anyone else coming?” Normally there were many people in the will.
“No, because of the investigation I wanted to hold off. There’s no reason to rush the rest of the family. You have to return back home.”
“Okay, so let’s get this over with. I have a flight to catch.”
“Absolutely. Well, you are the sole beneficiary of all of Mrs. Ellison’s estate. That includes over a hundred million dollars. The home on Beacon Hill passes down to the eldest child of hers at her death per her husband’s will.” I swallowed hard. As much as I didn’t want the money, my grandmother wanted me to have it. I didn’t know if I would still build a company if I don’t have to. That would be something Vanessa and I would have to talk about. “Are you okay, Mr. Russell?”
“Oh, yes I am. I’m just thinking about the future.”
“Well that’s a good thing. It’ll take a few weeks before the money and assets can be turned over to you, but once it’s done you’ll be a millionaire. Well with your family, you probably are a millionaire.”
“Just barely, but that’s been through saving and investing during my time in the service,” I informed him. There wasn’t a dime given to me by my grandfather’s family.
“Is that everything?”
“No, there’s more. Here is a key to a savings deposit box and this is the information for it. Please do stop there before you leave.”
“Thank you. I will,” I promised, taking the letter and key.
I left the office feeling confused. I lost the only family member that loved me and yet I was left with everything she could give me. I had to call Vanessa.
“Hey, baby,” I said the instant she answered.
; “Oh, Tim! I’m so glad you called,” she said in a rush, almost like she was upset.
“Why, baby? What’s wrong?” I was panicking.
“Nothing, I just wanted to hear your voice.”
“Well then, I’ve got a lot to tell you.”
I spent the next half hour breaking down everything that happened. My flight had to be cancelled again, but I didn’t think I would be forced to stay another week. Not if everything worked out according to plan. The moment I opened the security deposit box, I opened a can of worms. Inside the box was a letter from my grandmother to me.
My dear Timothy,
I wrote this letter for the one day that I wouldn’t be in this world anymore. It’s everything you need to know, even though I wish I didn’t have to tell you. Secrets in this book are dangerous and damaging to the family. It’s my diary. I’ve marked pages that you should skip, but there’s so much that you need to know. I did what I had to do. I love you and I hope that you will forgive me for never revealing the truth and for my crimes. Remember to love hard and with all your heart. Never become cold.
After reading the first ten pages in my rental car, I realized what I learned from her before she passed on was nothing. Lies, theft, and murder were in this book. Its intrigue could rival the greatest crime writers. When I got to one part, I couldn’t read anymore. My parents’ death. He killed them. I cried hard. My grandmother enacted her revenge, and I knew why she waited until she died to reveal everything. She could have been prosecuted.
Instead of going back to the estate after picking up the secrets of the past, I checked into a hotel. I didn’t want any of my “family” knowing that I was still in town. There were too many issues that kept me here, but what those asses didn’t know was that their plans for killing my grandma were a waste of time and lives in prison.
It only took the police three days to get arrest warrants for the entire family. All six of my former family were going to be charged with the murder of my grandmother. I couldn’t wait to see the expressions on their faces when they learned the truth.
To get them all in the same place, the police suggested that they gather at the estate to go over the will. Since I was a part of the family, I was in the will and had to be there. I wanted to tell them and the police let me.
“I knew you couldn’t stay away. What trying to get your greedy hands on our family fortune?” I had the full thing being recorded in my pocket. Damn I loved technology.
“Nope. I’m here to laugh at you fools. I know one of you shits, if not all of you, participated in grandma’s death.”
“That’s a bold statement, and you’ve got no proof.”
“That’s a terrible thing to say Uncle.” I called him uncle in spite. “I loved her more than any of you, hell all of you put together.”
“What’s your point, loser?” My snotty ass cousin said.
“Little snobby bitch, one day you’re going to get over yourself. Did you get enough surgeries? You’re twenty-five going on plastic. It’s fucking gross.”
“So, now that I’ve got you all around, there was something you didn’t know. Grandma had six months to live. She had an aggressive cancer. She was going to die anyway, you idiots, I really hope you enjoy prison.” I smirked, loving each look of disbelief and fear that crept on their faces.
“Um, what the hell was that supposed to mean?”
“A duh, Aunt. She was going to die. There was no need to plot her murder with some poison.”
“Oh shit.” One of my cousin’s said in a low whisper.
“That’s bullshit. She would have told us,” Nick denied.
“Well, as she put it, she didn’t want your vulture asses circling her bed.”
“Damn, well she was old and dying from cancer. They’d never know she didn’t die from that.”
“Really, are you all that fucking stupid? Don’t you think they will do a toxicology test on her?” I asked, feigning like I didn’t know the truth already. They all looked around at each other, and the asshole, Nick couldn’t keep his mouth shut.
He stood up and got in my face giving me a menacing glare that if I didn’t know what a big pussy he was I might have been intimidated by. He whispered with a grin, “Now that she’s gone, you can leave and never return. They’ve got nothing. They wouldn’t do a toxicology on a woman dying of cancer. Some things you really need to learn. The bleeding heart is finally out of our lives and we have it all. I enjoyed helping her drink her tea every night, waiting for the sweet poison to take effect.”
I couldn’t take another disgusting word out of his mouth. My hand came up against his jaw sending him across the room and onto the coffee table. Just then the police bust through the doors, arresting every single one of those bitches.
“Thanks for giving me everything we needed, Mr. Russell.” I saved the voice recording and sent it to them in an email and left the house feeling at least like I got revenge for my grandmother. Looking up at the sky, I hoped that her mind was at ease now.
10
Vanessa
The past few months really sucked without Tim. I was lonely every day and it made it hard to eat. The weight kept just falling off me. He and I spoke on the phone regularly, but it didn’t ease the ache. When he didn’t come back for my birthday, I had to be strong. It wasn’t his fault; his life fell apart all around him.
I promised to behave until we could see each other again, but things got crazy a week ago. It was so stressful that Cam was taking time away from his busy schedule to check on me.
He showed up at my dorm in the middle of the day and was waiting for me when I got out of class. I ran into my brother’s arms, really glad he was here.
“So, you’re failing a class?” I didn’t know how he knew that, but I was happy either way.
“Well, hello to you, too,” I said with a smile. He looked at me strangely.
“By the way, I thought college kids gained the freshman fifteen? You look like you lost at least fifteen.”
“I’ve been trying not to gain weight. I swim a lot.”
“Well, don’t keep it up or you’re going to disappear.”
“Haha, not likely,” I laughed then added, “So, what are you doing here?”
“I thought you needed to talk to someone. You’ve struggled, but I’ve never known you to fail, so what’s going on?”
“Do you promise not to tell anyone?”
“Nope.”
“Then I can’t tell you.”
“Why not?” he asked incredulously.
“Because I’m embarrassed and I don’t need everyone to know.” I sure as hell didn’t want Tim to know. He was stressed out as it was with everything going on with his family. This would send him spinning, and I worried that the Marine in him would come out and end the professor.
“Fine, but if it’s about some guy, I might knock him out for making you cry.”
“Cam. It’s about a guy, but not what you think. My professor was being nice and sweet when I started the semester... and” I was so nervous that I paused thinking of how to tell him everything. My brother could be a bit overprotective like a wild beast when he felt like I was in danger.
He looked completely shocked then angry before he cut me off, “You slept with your professor?”
“No, that’s the problem. He’s failing me because I refused,” I admitted, cowering on my bed, knowing damn well Cam was going to go crazy. I wasn’t afraid that he’d hurt me, but he was going to be out for blood. The look in his eyes told me I should have been quiet.
“What!” he roared. Cameron started pacing my dorm room.
“Oh God. Please don’t tell anyone,” I begged, tugging on the sleeve of his suit jacket. He stopped and gave me a subtle shake of his head. I knew that it was a stupid thing to ask of him, but I had to try.
“Don’t tell anyone?! He’s going to pay for that. Do you think you’re the only one?” He ran his hands through his hair, trying to calm down.
“Sweetheart, we can
’t keep this a secret from everyone, but I will just keep it from the papers. The authorities and school officials need to be made aware of the situation. Mom, Dad, and Simon will need to know, but that’s all I want to know. I don’t want to send you through the ringer for it.”
“Thanks, Cam.” I really hoped it didn’t get out.
~~~~~
By the next morning my professor was fired. A deal with the school, the issue would be investigated quietly. I was so grateful that Cameron kept his promise. He was only going to stay another day, then he was going back home. Well, that was until we were sitting in the cafeteria in the Quad. Cameron spotted a female he wanted to know. Of course I teased him, but something about Cameron said this was more than just another date. She was The One. The minute I was back in my dorm, Tim called me.
“Hi babe,” I answered. It had been a whole day since we spoke to each other. Between Cam coming over and Tim traveling back home, there wasn’t much time for us to talk.
“You sound happy to hear from me.” I could hear the smile in his voice. He always sounded thrilled to see me. It made me feel less jealous about the huge distance between us and the fact that he could run into a girl from his past. Right now, all that mattered was that we were getting to know each other better and he was finally away from the misery back in Pennsylvania.
“You know I am, but guess what? Cam is here visiting me, and he just lost himself staring at one of the girls at my school. I don’t know the girl, but I know her friend,” I reported.
“So, he sent you to get information, didn’t he?” The man was bright. That was another bonus.
“Yep. Oh my gosh, Tim. You should have seen his face when he saw her talking to some guy.”
“It was like me at the Christmas party?” he asked, all growly.
“Yes, just like that.” I hoped that Will wouldn’t come between us in the future. If I never saw Will again, I wouldn’t give two shits.
“Then she’s the one,” he said with certainty. It made my girly bits go nuts. He said things that made me think he was in love with me just as madly as I was with him. Even though he hadn’t said it, I felt it. I doubted that he was trying to play me.