Grave Missteps

by Lily Harper Hart

  Angel wrinkled her nose and looked at Patty as she began moving her hands. This time the conversation was much slower and Maddie could tell the girl was reluctant to share her private business.

  “I don’t know how long I was there,” Patty started. “It felt like a long time. It was hard for me to keep track of the days because they all melted together.”

  Maddie nodded encouragingly. “I get that. The thing is, you had to come from somewhere. Tell me about your mother.”

  Angel adamantly shook her head.

  “You have to,” Maddie pressed. “We’re working really hard to figure out where you came from. It hasn’t been easy because Mildred was a private person. I lived fairly close to her for the bulk of my life and I don’t think I talked to her more than ten times.

  “If you want to know the truth, when I was growing up, everyone in the neighborhood said she was a mean lady and they didn’t like her,” she continued. “You were living with her. Is that how you felt?”

  Angel worked her jaw, frustration evident. When she finally began signing it was with a hint of anger.

  “She wasn’t mean,” Patty offered.

  “What was she?” Maddie asked.

  “Afraid,” Patty answered as she watched Angel’s hands.

  Maddie and Patty exchanged a quick look before Maddie pushed forward. “What was she afraid of?”

  “What would happen if people found out I was with her.”

  “But … how did you end up with her?” Maddie couldn’t let it go. “We never saw you outside. I essentially live next door to Mildred even though there’s a lot of distance between the houses. I run a lot, though, and I’m in the woods on a regular basis as long as the weather allows for it. If you were ever outside, I can’t help but think I would’ve seen you.”

  Angel swallowed hard, uncertainty etched on her young face.

  “It’s okay.” Maddie rested her hand on Angel’s shoulder. “I know this is hard for you. No, I really do. You’re in a terrible position here, but you’ve got to trust someone. This isn’t a world you can traverse alone and Patty and I really want to help you.”

  “That’s true,” Patty agreed. “We want to make sure you have the best life you can possibly have.”

  “The thing is, Angel, I spent some time at the library before coming here and I came up empty. I was trying to research Mildred’s family tree,” Maddie offered, changing tactics. “The branches are few and far between. Mildred had a brother that she wasn’t close with. I can’t find any children. Despite that, there’s a rumor that Mildred was pregnant about forty years ago.

  “That would’ve put her right around forty herself when she was pregnant if it’s true,” she continued. “No one ever saw her with a baby. So, the theory is that either something tragic happened or she gave the baby up for adoption.”

  “Oh.” Realization dawned on Patty. “You’re wondering if she gave up the baby and if Angel is somehow related to that baby.”

  Maddie nodded. “It makes sense, at least in a weird sort of way. Maybe Angel is her granddaughter, and Mildred was trying to help out the child she gave up all those years ago. I honestly don’t know if that’s the case but trying to dig up family records has been unbelievably hard.”

  “It’s also possible that Angel isn’t related to Mildred by blood at all,” Patty pointed out. “We took a sample yesterday after you left, but it could take weeks to run a DNA test.”

  “I know.” Maddie was resigned. “We need help figuring things out and I’m afraid you’re the only one who can help us, Angel. You need to trust someone. I really wish it would be us.”

  Angel pursed her lips as she regarded the two women. When she finally began signing, it was with precision.

  “I’ll think about it,” Patty translated, amused despite herself. “I guess that’s our cue to let it go for a little bit.”

  Maddie tried not to be too bitter. “Yeah. I guess so.”

  NICK WASN’T SURPRISED when his brother strode through the door to his office. He’d been expecting a visit since Christy dropped her bomb the previous night. What did surprise him was that John took so long to react.

  “Hello, Daddy,” Nick called out, amusement positively dripping from his tongue.

  John’s expression was one for the record books. It promised retribution with a hint of mayhem. “That is not funny.”

  “You should try looking at things from where I’m sitting,” Nick countered.

  “Do I even want to know what you two are fighting about this time?” Kreskin asked wearily.

  “No,” John automatically answered.

  “Yes.” The gleam in Nick’s eyes was evil. “It seems John and Christy are going to be parents. I believe my brother received the happy news yesterday.”

  “Really?” Kreskin lowered the report he was reading, Mildred’s history all but forgotten. “You’re going to be a father? Congratulations. I thought for sure Nick and Maddie would be the first to jump on the procreation train.”

  “We’re fine waiting for a little bit,” Nick supplied. “We want to get married before we add kids to the mix. It will happen – and probably sooner rather than later – but it doesn’t need to happen right now. John always had to be first to do practically everything when we were kids so I’m not at all surprised about this.”

  “Ha, ha.” John’s expression was more misery than anything else. “How long have you known?”

  Nick sobered. He recognized the slant of his brother’s shoulders and knew that there was more going on here than fear. “I found out when Maddie did. Christy barreled into the diner last night and showed us the test. She seemed … worked up.”

  “Oh, do you think?” John rubbed the back of his neck as he claimed the seat across from Nick’s desk. “She threw that thing at me the minute I walked through the door last night.”

  Nick was philosophical. “Well, it wasn’t very big so it couldn’t have hurt much.”

  “No, but you know how those things work, right? She had to pee on it to run the test. She threw that at my head.”

  Nick fought the mad urge to laugh. “I hadn’t exactly put that together. I’m sorry if it hurt your feelings.”

  “It didn’t hurt my feelings,” John shot back, his anger ratcheting up a notch. “It totally ripped my feelings apart and made me want to run as far away from this town as I can get.”

  “Oh, that’s not an option.” In truth, Nick was expecting this. John’s fight-or-flight response was always on display. He usually chose flight first and fight second. He had no intention of allowing that to happen this time. “I sold you my house upon the condition that you stay in town. You can’t sell or rent it to anyone else. You have no choice but to stay.”

  The look John shot his brother was full of malice. “Are you trying to kill me?”

  “Not last time I checked.”

  “You think this is funny, don’t you?” John’s temper was on full display. “You think it’s funny that I’m going to be a father.”

  “I think it’s great that you’re going to be a father,” Nick clarified. “While Maddie and I plan to wait for a bit, I know I’ll be beyond excited when it comes time to add to our family. I would think you’d feel the same way.”

  John’s expression was withering. “You’ve been dating Maddie for almost a year, living with her for more than six months, planning to marry her since Christmas, and in love with her since kindergarten. Your situation is vastly different from my situation.”

  Nick honestly couldn’t argue with the statement. “True, but love comes in different shapes and forms. I’ve seen you with Christy. I think you love her.”

  John balked. “We’ve only been dating a few months.”

  “More like six months,” Nick corrected.”

  “No.” John was adamant as he fervently shook his head. “We started out by flirting and not dating. Then we did some fighting that also wasn’t associated with dating. We didn’t start dating until the first of the year.�
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  “Oh, that’s crap.” There was no way Nick intended to let his brother wiggle out of this situation via a semantics argument. “You guys might not have termed it dating until after Christmas because you were both acting goofy about the whole Christmas gift thing, but you were together before that. You were also exclusive before that.

  “Quite frankly, Christy is the only woman you’ve been exclusive with for a very long time,” he continued. “It’s been years since you’ve even had a steady girlfriend.”

  “Christy is a good girl,” Kreskin added. “She’s fiery. You’re lucky to have her.”

  “I agree,” Nick said. “You’re very lucky to have her.”

  John made a face. “I didn’t say I wasn’t lucky to have her.”

  “You’re acting like it,” Nick pointed out.

  “No, I’m not. It’s just … .” John broke off, holding his hands palms up as a wave of helplessness washed over him. “I wasn’t expecting this. I don’t know what to do. I thought we would have time with each other just to screw around. You can’t screw around if you’re going to be parents. I’m pretty sure that’s not allowed.”

  “No, you can’t,” Nick agreed. He found himself impressed with the fact that John seemed to have accepted the fact that he was going to be a father with minimal complaint. He wasn’t trying to run from his responsibility – or Christy, for that matter – and that was a big step for a reformed playboy. Still, Nick could practically feel the desperation wafting from his brother. “It’s not the end of the world. It’s simply a new adventure.”

  “But … I don’t know how to do this.” John’s voice cracked. “Christy is just as worked up as me. She blames Maddie, for the record. She said she didn’t even consider it until Maddie suggested it yesterday and that’s why she took the test.”

  Nick was pragmatic. “Maddie might have prodded her to take the test, but she didn’t get Christy pregnant. That’s on you.”

  “Well, Christy is angry. She thinks Maddie did some sort of hoodoo on her or something.”

  “That sounds unlikely.”

  “Well, Christy isn’t always rational under the best of circumstances,” John supplied. “She tends to say whatever comes to her mind and then deals with the consequences after the fact. She’s as freaked out as I am.”

  “That’s actually good,” Kreskin offered. “If you guys freak out now, have a rough few days and whatnot, then you can get over it together and move forward. You’re going to have a lot to do before the baby arrives.”

  “For starters, you need to get Christy to a regular doctor,” Nick pointed out. “She needs vitamins, a due date, and a check-up to make sure things are rolling right along.”

  “I know.” John rolled his eyes. “She set up an appointment this afternoon.”

  “Oh. Is that why you decided to visit?”

  “No. I’m here to see you. I thought you might have some sage advice for how to handle this situation.”

  “Why would I have sage advice?”

  “Because you deal with the unexpected all the time,” John replied. “Your girlfriend sees ghosts and saves random girls from fires. You should be used to this sort of thing.”

  “I’m pretty sure they’re entirely different scenarios,” Nick said dryly. “Still, you need to watch your mouth when you talk about Maddie. There’s a reason she kept her secret for so long.”

  John had the grace to be abashed. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m careful. Everyone here knows.”

  “Everyone here does know,” Kreskin agreed. “You still need to be careful. As for a baby, I think you’ll be a good father. You simply need to get your head out of your behind and get it together.”

  “And how do you suggest I do that?”

  “I would start with heading out so you can go to Christy’s appointment with her,” Kreskin suggested without hesitation. “That’s your baby, too. You should be there from the start.”

  John was taken aback. “Oh, well, I didn’t even consider it.”

  “You really should.” Nick’s tone was gentle. “I know this has thrown you for a loop, but it really is going to be okay. Go with Christy, show her you support her, and everything else will fall into place.”

  “I … do you really think so?” John looked so hopeful it shook Nick to his very soul.

  “I definitely think so.” Nick bobbed his head. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll be here if you need help. Maddie will be here as soon as Christy calms down. It really will be okay.”

  “I hope so.” John scrubbed the back of his neck. “This is a big deal.”

  “It is,” Nick agreed. “You need to focus on Christy today, though. She needs you.”

  “I will.”

  “Good.” Nick meant it. “After that, you’d better call Mom. If she hears she’s going to be a grandmother through the Blackstone Bay gossip train she is not going to be happy.”

  John turned white and swallowed hard. “I didn’t even think about that.”

  “Live in fear.”

  “Yeah. I think that’s going to be my motto for the next nine months.”

  Nick’s smile was chipper. “Oh, don’t worry about that. Things will get better. I promise.”

  John could only hope his brother was right.

  12

  Twelve

  Angel’s idea of “thinking about it” meant she actually intended to put a great deal of thought into her decision. That essentially meant she had no intention of reacting immediately.

  Since Maddie wanted to give her the appropriate space, she stayed at the children’s home for another hour before taking off and leaving Angel to her deep thoughts. Once back in Blackstone Bay, Maddie was at a loss. She couldn’t return to Mildred’s house for a ghost hunt unless she had backup. She knew George was out of town for the evening and Maude wasn’t very good backup. That left Christy, and she had her own problems.

  Instead of searching for the ghost, Maddie opted to do the one thing no one else wanted to do. It wasn’t especially dangerous – at least physically – but Maddie knew she would never list it as a high point of her day. Still, it had to be done. Since Maddie had an opening in her schedule, she decided she would be the one take on the odious task.

  She did her best not to appear amused as she parked in front of Harriet Proctor’s house. Most of the toilet paper from two nights before had been removed, but a few errant strands located on the highest branches remained. For some reason, seeing toilet paper in the old oak tree tickled Maddie’s funny bone and it took everything she had to refrain from laughing as she knocked on Harriet’s front door.

  To her utter astonishment (and disappointment), Marla was the one who opened the door. The two women narrowed their eyes at the same time, taking a moment to size one another up, and when Marla squared her shoulders and pushed out her chest Maddie knew that it was going to be an absolutely excruciating visit.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Maddie worked overtime to appear pleasant. “I was hoping to see your grandmother.”

  “And why would she want to see you?”

  That was a fair question, Maddie internally conceded. Odds were that Harriet wouldn’t want to see her. That didn’t mean the visit wasn’t important. Maddie decided on the spot that lying wasn’t an option. Marla was annoying but intelligent. She would see through any attempt Maddie made at subterfuge. No, it was smarter to simply tell the truth from the start. “I need to talk to her about Mildred.”

  Instead of immediately responding, Marla blinked her eyes in rapid succession. “What are you talking about?” She looked confused enough that Maddie realized she was legitimately out of the loop.

  “Your grandmother was tight with Mildred for a time,” Maddie volunteered. “They were buddies. Er, well, the closest thing Mildred had to a buddy as far as I can tell. I need to ask her some questions.”

  “Grandma and Mildred were friends?” Marla didn’t look convinced as she folded her arms over her chest. “I don
’t think that’s true. I would know if they’d spent time together. Everyone has been talking about the girl you found for the past two days. I’m sure it would’ve come up.”

  “I would like to believe that’s true,” Maddie hedged. “The thing is, people remember a very specific time when Harriet and Mildred were hanging out together. I need to ask your grandmother about it.”

  When Marla didn’t immediately give her an answer, Maddie pushed harder. “If I’m wrong about them being friends, she’ll never let me hear the end of it. You can even be a witness to her dressing me down.”

  Marla brightened considerably. “Good point. Come on.” She gestured for Maddie to follow her inside, not slowing until she reached a pretty sunroom at the back of the small ranch house. “Grandmother, you have a visitor.”

  Maddie didn’t immediately see Harriet, but the moving shadow from a nearby rocking chair drew her attention. Maddie pasted a tight smile on her face when she saw the hateful look on Harriet’s face, hoping against hope that Harriet’s dislike for Maude wouldn’t come back to bite the entire family now. “Hello, Mrs. Proctor.”

  “Oh, it’s you.” Harriet’s voice practically dripped with disdain. “I should’ve expected you. Are you here to beg for me to drop the charges against Maude? If so, it’s not going to happen. She’s going to prison this time.”

  Maddie was understandably confused. “Why is Granny going to prison?”

  “You saw my front lawn. That was her. I have proof and she’s going to prison.”

  Maddie didn’t believe that for a second. Even if Maude was caught vandalizing Harriet’s lawn the worst she would get was community service. No judge would throw an elderly woman in the slammer for wasting toilet paper. “Well, I’ll be sad not to see her on a regular basis, but since I can visit her in prison it’s not a total loss.”

  Harriet narrowed her eyes to dangerous slits. “You’re a little too upbeat for my liking, girl.”