by Blesy, Marcy
I shake my head yes like I agree with Finn, though. I take a deep breath before I start talking. “I was raised by my grandparents, but I knew somehow I may have had a…a connection with Tremont Lodge.”
“Go on,” says Officer Folet.
“I wanted to take the job cleaning at the lodge because I was hoping to figure out that…that connection.”
“And did you?” asks Officer Folet.
“I did.” He smiles again as if to say, You’re talking to your buddy, Officer Friendly. Tell me all your troubles, honey. “Mr. Oakley is my biological father.” That gets their attention.
Officer Kanicki nearly drops his pen on the floor as he stumbles to regain control again to write down this new bombshell.
“I found out that I was conceived at a summer camp that Mr. Oakley and my mother attended. She was much younger than Mr. Oakley, and it would have been a bit scandalous for the heir to Tremont Lodge to have fathered a child out of wedlock with a teenager, so he…he—well, he ignored me for over twenty years, and I was raised by my mother’s boyfriend who quickly became my father figure when they married, until—”
“Until?” asks Officer Kanicki.
“Until my parents vacationed at the lodge when I was five, and my brother was a baby. There was an accidental shooting which caused my mother to die, and my assumed dad couldn’t handle it or whatever and left us alone in the hotel room until my grandparents could be notified, and they raised us.”
“Are you telling us that the man who raised you as his own, presumably, abandoned two young children in a hotel room and skipped town?” says Officer Kanicki, the gray in his goatee front and center as he leans closer to me.
“That’s what happened,” I say.
“That makes no sense,” he says.
And it doesn’t…if you don’t have the information about my mother allegedly trying to kill herself over my father’s infidelity, and how he tried to protect this secret as well as his own ass which might have been accused of her murder should her death have not been ruled as accidental by the coroner who Ted paid off, but the police have enough of my story. And I know Ted won’t divulge the rest of the story, either, nor Helen or Finn, for that matter.
Officer Kanicki scratches his goatee as if considering whether a firmer tactic will elicit more of the story, but he knows it won’t. “Then, when you came to the lodge this summer, I assume it was some sort of a reunion for the two of you?”
“Yes, in a sense, though really it wasn’t so much a reunion as an introduction. It was the first time I met my biological father.”
“Hmm…well, you must certainly have made quite the impression on your father for him to give you so many important responsibilities in such a short amount of time,” says Officer Folet.
“She did,” says Finn, protectively. “She’s a hard worker.”
“Ms. Prentice, we’ve talked to some of your co-workers. It seems you weren’t quite as successful at all of your responsibilities as Finn would lead us to believe.” I think about Jeremy and Luis and wonder what awful things they said about my ability to micromanage their respective departments…and then I think about Lawson and all that he might have told the police, too.
“It’s true. I am not equipped to single-handedly run all the departments at the lodge. I stepped down from a couple of my posts to focus on special events. It’s better suited to my interests and abilities.”
“Ms. Prentice, do you know that Mr. Oakley recently changed his will?”
“I…I don’t know anything about Ted’s will. Why would I?”
“Well, you and Lawson Oakley stand to inherit a great deal upon Mr. Oakley’s death.”
I suck in my breath and hold it for a few seconds before exhaling. “Do you think I had something to do with poisoning Ted?”
“We are just talking with people close to Mr. Oakley, that’s all,” says Officer Folet, smiling again—an obviously fake smile breaking his good cop façade.
“This is ridiculous,” says Finn. “Reese didn’t have anything to do with what happened to Mr. Oakley.”
“Finn, maybe you can tell us now about your relationship with Ms. Prentice,” says Officer Kanicki.
“Reese and I met this summer, and we’ve developed something special.” He grabs hold of my hand in a sign of solidarity.
“Is it true that the two of you are leaving Tremont Lodge in the spring?” asks Officer Kanicki.
“Yes.”
“And how do you plan on supporting yourself?” asks Officer Kanicki.
“I have a job performing on a cruise ship. I’m a singer.”
“Surely that gig doesn’t pay a lot, no?” asks Officer Folet.
“It’s enough, more than what I’m making at the lodge.”
“And what about you, Ms. Prentice?” Officer Kanicki has steely gray eyes which match his goatee.
“I don’t have a job yet, but I’m sure my experience at the lodge will lend itself to qualifying me to do something on the ship.”
“So, you were just going to hope you got a job and in the meanwhile, pay weekly rates to cruise as a guest? Sounds kind of costly,” says Officer Kanicki.
Finn shoots me a quick look as if to say, Why haven’t you applied for a job yet? I know he’s disappointed. I promised I’d get a job on the ship, and I meant it, too, when I told him. It’s just that things have been going so well at the lodge lately, and I kind of like it here. Of course, I want to be with Finn. That’s more important to me than anything else, but what if I hate it on the ship? Then what?
“I’m sure it will all work out,” I say.
“Well, just as a precaution, you two stay put at the lodge until we question a few more people. Please give us a call if you can think of anything that might be helpful in this case.” Officer Folet hands me his card. Since when did police officers start carrying business cards?
“Aren’t you even going to ask if anyone upset Ted recently?” I ask.
Officer Kanicki turns around just as his hand turns the knob of my door. “Besides you?” he asks.
“What?” I drop my phone which I’d grabbed off the desk. It echoes off the walls of the tiny room.
“You seem surprised, but from our discussions around the lodge, it is pretty clear that Mr. Oakley was quite disappointed with your performance as of late. Didn’t you recently get put on administrative leave?”
“Who told you that?” I say before I can pull back the venom that is pouring out of me like water overspilling the river banks after a big storm.
“Mr. Oakley told us.”
“I thought Ted didn’t tell you anything about me,” I say.
“No, not Ted Oakley but Lawson Oakley.”
“Lawson isn’t even really an Oakley. Did he tell you that, too?”
I can tell from the look that passes between the two officers that this bit of information is news to them, but they recover fast. “You sound a little bitter about the relationship between your biological father and a young man who isn’t even related to him, if what you say is true, yet is allowed to share the same last name.”
“I’m not bitter.” I bite the inside of my cheek because I’ve already said too much. They don’t need to go asking questions about the death of Lawson’s mother and the role my mother may or may not have played in her fall from the chair lift sixteen years ago. That—and I don’t want them to know how pissed off I am at Lawson for throwing accusations my direction that aren’t deserved.
“We’ll be in touch if we think of anything else,” says Finn, pulling open the door for the officers who leave without another word.
The minute they are gone, I start pulling clothes out of my closet and drawers. “I’m taking a shower,” I say to Finn.
“Hey, wait a second,” he says, pulling me gently by the arm until I am facing him. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to talk to Lawson and give him a piece of my mind for putting me on the radar of the police who obviously think I had something to d
o with poisoning Ted. Then I’m going to the hospital to see Ted before Lawson gets to him and let him know how much he means to me and that I would never—never hurt him.” I pound my fists into Finn’s chest as all of the emotion I’d tried to bury during the interrogation comes rushing to the surface.
Finn grabs hold of my wrists. “Reese, look at me. Look at me!” I can’t stop crying, and I feel like I might pass out because of the labored breaths I am taking between open mouth sobs. His mouth coming down on my mine is the only things that registers with my mind, and I collapse in his arms. He holds me until I stop heaving. “I will take you to the hospital to see Ted. But going to talk to Lawson is senseless. It will only add fuel to the fire. Plus, you don’t even know for sure that he talked about you negatively to the police.”
I pull away from Finn. “Are you serious? Of course he told the police I screwed up at the lodge. They probably told him I was in this so-called will now, and he was pissed. He wanted them to think that I had something to gain from Ted’s death because he was angry he wasn’t in the will, but maybe he is in the will. That’s the crazy part of all of this. Ted doesn’t owe me anything. I never expected money or a job or anything. Lawson has been like a son to him. I’m not angry if Lawson gets an inheritance from Ted. I don’t sabotage him. Why is he sabotaging me?”
“Quit tormenting yourself. I’m going back to my room to shower. I’ll swing by in an hour.” Finn kisses me on the cheek and leaves me pondering what the hell is going on in my life.
Chapter 12:
Thirty minutes later there is another knock on my door. “Come in, Finn,” I yell and pick up my mascara wand. He clearly judges an hour’s time in his own Finn way.
“That’s the kind of greeting I get!”
It’s not Finn. I drop my wand and stare into the angry, beautiful, terribly missed face of Tinley. “Tinley!” I grab her tightly and squeeze, hardly believing that she is back at the lodge.
“Good gosh, Reese. You’re going to suck the life out of me, but it is kind of nice to know you missed me after all. I kind of expected you and Finn to meet Murphy and me at the airport, though.”
“Oh my gosh, Tinley! I completely forgot you were even coming.”
“Well, now I’m feeling like crap again. Geesh!”
“No, you don’t understand. So much has been going on the last few days—you have no idea.” And for the next half hour I fill her in on my life at the lodge from my administrative leave to finding Ted unresponsive in his room to being almost accused of poisoning him. And when Finn arrives, with Murphy, a half hour later, my hope in humanity has been restored.
When the four of us reach the hospital, we ask the information desk for Ted’s room number, but when we get off the elevator, there is a police officer sitting outside of Ted’s room. Just great. We see her, but she doesn’t see us as she’s talking to a nurse. We duck into a family waiting room across from the elevator. “How do we see Ted if we can’t get past the police officer?” I ask.
“Leave that to us,” says Tinley. Just pay attention, and as soon as you see a chance, slip into the room.”
Before Finn walks out of the room with Tinley, I grab Finn’s face and pull it down to mine. “I love you—so much. I don’t know what you see in me that you keep walking this crazy road with me. But I’m glad you’re not scared off by crazy.”
“Crazy? Nah, you’re not crazy. Maybe a little cuckoo, but not crazy.”
“Oh, Reese is crazy,” says Tinley, grinning. “And I’m glad she is because normal is so boring.” Tinley grabs hold of Finn’s hand and pulls him out into the hall. Murphy closes the blinds, so I’ll have a protected view of the antics that are no doubt about to begin.
“What are they doing?” I ask Murphy.
“Here. Put this on.” Murphy takes off his University of California sweatshirt and hands it to me.
“Why?”
“Just do it. And tuck you hair into the back.”
I do what he says. Murphy studies me with a skeptical look on his face, and pulls a few layers of hair out until it looks like my natural hair length is a bob. “How do you know what to do?” I ask.
“Let’s just say that I’ve had plenty of practice sneaking around with Tinley.”
“Her parents still aren’t accepting of your engagement?”
“That’s the understatement of the century, but let’s focus on you right now.” He hands me a pair of large glasses. If I had poor vision, this nerdy chic vibe is totally the look I’d go for.
“Thanks, Murphy.” I peek out the slats of the blinds. Finn carries two cups of coffee down the hall with Tinley following close behind. The police officer looks up as they pass right on by. They get three or four doors away. Finn hands a coffee to Tinley who bobbles the drink and pours it all over her very expensive Fendi winter jacket. I’d seen the label when I’d hugged her. That is true love right there. There appears to be a very heated argument between the two of them. Sure enough, the police officer gets up from her post to address the loves of my life.
“Okay, it’s go time. Come with me.” Murphy grabs hold of my hand and pulls me briskly down the hall toward Ted’s room. We slip into the room as Tinley is screaming at Finn about hot coffee, and the police officer is trying to pull her off of him. I can’t help but smile.
“I kind of have to stay, too,” whispers Murphy, “or you might be busted when I walk out of the room.”
I nod my head in agreement while Murphy slinks to the corner of the room. Ted is awake, watching Sports Center. That’s a good sign. He smiles when he sees me. Another good sign. “Hello.” What a brilliant opening. Ugh.
“Come here, Reese.” His voice is weak, but he’s not shaking. In fact, he looks great. He points to a chair next to the bed.
I sit down and pull it closer to him. “How are you?” I ask. “I’ve been…worried.”
“Thank you. That is kind. The funny thing is, I feel better than I have in months.”
“I guess that is odd considering—uh, that, you know, someone tried to—”
“Poison me,” Ted says.
“Kind of surreal, don’t you think?” I say.
“Yes. That’s exactly how I think of it, too.” An awkward pause fills the space between us. “Reese, look at me.” I lean forward, taking in the tired eyes and worry wrinkles that cover his forehead. “I know you had nothing to do with this. Never—never once—did I think you would harm me.”
“I’m relieved to hear that, but tell it to the police officer guarding your door or the two cops that interrogated Finn and me.”
“How did you get past Officer Cutie?” His twinkling eyes warm my heart.
“Let’s just say I had some accomplices,” I say.
He waves at Murphy who is trying very hard to blend into the room. “I take it your partner in crime is visiting,” he says.
“Oh, yes. I forgot you know Tinley’s father,” I say.
“That is true, but you might think I’m unaware of all of the shenanigans that happened up on the mountain last summer, but I’m not as out-of-touch as you might think. I do believe that young man over there nearly burnt down my forest proposing to that girl.”
I laugh as I watch Murphy wiggling closer to the door. “S…sorry about that, Sir.”
Ted laughs, too. “Well, it all turned out now, didn’t it?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I assume she said yes.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“True love is hard to find. You hold on tight and do whatever you have to do to keep the romance alive, even when you’re tired…or sick. Do whatever you have to do to keep her happy.”
“Yes, Sir. Thanks for the advice,” says Murphy.
“That goes for you, too. Finn’s been a loyal employee for many years. I hope he’s making you happy, yes?”
“Yes, Ted. He makes me very happy.”
“Good. Then I won’t hold it against you when you leave in the spring to follow him on his next journey. Just please stay
in touch.” He grabs my hand. “And you are always welcome back at the lodge, doing whatever makes you happy. I know I put you on administrative leave, but it was really just to appease the blasted City Council of Tremont City who got their panties in a bunch after the falling out at the Christmas ball.”
“Oh, I guess that makes sense.” For the first time since I’ve been here, Ted’s eyes glass over with wetness.
“Was that the first time you knew—”
“About Georgia?” he asks. “I had suspicions, but I didn’t know Lawson was involved.” He looks past me and out the hospital window.
“Ted, for what it’s worth, I don’t believe that Lawson would have done anything to harm you, either.”
“I know that, Reese. I should have spent my life being your father, but I was a coward, and I can never apologize enough for that, but with Lawson I tried to be the parent he needed. Perhaps he’s a little entitled and selfish, but he means well…most of the time.”
“Truthfully, he can be a pain in the ass.” Ted grins. “But he loves you like a father.”
“I know that.”
“Reese, I hear a cart in the hall. I think it might be dinner,” says Murphy.
“I don’t want anything, Murphy,” I say.
“Reese?”
“Oh, yeah, crap! How do I get out of here?”
“Can’t you just walk out of the room?” asks Ted.
“No way. I don’t want those cops getting any more crazy ideas that I might somehow be involved in your poisoning.”
“Come on, Reese! The bathroom!” Murphy pulls me into the bathroom just as a volunteer rolls the dinner cart in for Ted. I put my ear to the door.
“Thank you so much,” says Ted. “The meatloaf looks great, but I was wondering if I might be able to get someone to take me for a short walk. I am getting a bit antsy.”
“I don’t know, Mr. Oakley. You really should eat your dinner while it’s warm.
“Miss, I’m sure you don’t understand since you’re such a beautiful, young woman with—no doubt—an active social life, but perhaps you can put yourself in my shoes, uh, slippers, and imagine what’s it like to be cooped up in the same space for hours and not feel like you want to take this fork and jab your own eyes out with it.”