by S. Massery
That dream pops.
I don’t have my way. I have an inheritance controlled by my uncle for another four months, no power, no control.
No fucking clue.
She walks toward me, and I focus on her dark eyes. They’re glazed with unshed tears, but she still smiles at me and holds out her hand.
I take it and pull her close.
“Remember my promise,” I say in her ear. “No matter where you go, I’ll find you.”
It used to be a threat, but now…
It’s much more than that.
Norah and Josh give Margo two big hugs when we all walk in, and that seems to shock the hell out of her. She stands frozen for a minute, then relaxes into each of them.
“We’re going downstairs,” Eli tells them, giving his mom a peck on the cheek. “We ordered food.”
She smiles and pats the side of his head. “You all deserve some happiness.”
I agree. Especially Margo, who’s beginning to resemble a ghost with her paleness.
I haven’t released her hand since we left her house. Even in the car, and climbing out, I didn’t let go. Her bag is over my shoulder, and I guide her downstairs. She comes willingly, squeezing my hand softly.
The boys appear a second later with drinks, passing out the sodas. We all flop onto the couch.
“Lydia is the connection,” she blurts out. “I’m sorry, Caleb. But—”
I wave off my words. “I know.”
“Why is she working at that diner?” she demands. “Lenora mentioned something about the will, but—”
I rub my eyes. “Yeah. That.”
Eli grunts. “Story time.”
“It’s not that interesting.”
“Sure it isn’t,” he counters. “Just your mom’s entire motivation may rest on that one day. One moment where her life went…” He whistles, miming something falling and exploding.
I grit my teeth. “Fine.”
And then… Well, I do what I’ve been trying to avoid for a long time. I remember.
Past
Mom held me close. She hadn’t touched me in three days, but today she was a leech. Sucking my energy out of my body.
That’s what I told myself, anyway.
It was the day before the funeral, and all we had been wearing was black. My shirt was starched and scratchy under my suit jacket and pants, and the tie strangled me.
I didn’t understand why we had to get so dressed up to read Dad’s last words. They were just words on a piece of paper.
Uncle David and Aunt Iris came into the room. She ruffled my hair, which Mom immediately finger-combed back into order, and Uncle David knelt in front of me.
“How are you holding up?” he asked.
I shrugged. I just wanted to go home, but home was different now. Colder. Margo was gone, too, and I couldn’t figure out why. Her parents were gone. Mom hadn’t said a word about it, just locked the door to the guest house and… walked away from it.
She’d tucked the key into her pocket, and I wasn’t sure where the Wolfes had hidden their spare. If Mom caught me digging around in the grass, in their planters, she’d yell and cry.
Margo’s house was collecting dust, and my soul was, too.
It was dramatic. Ian would say I was being a sissy, but she had pulled a piece of me out when she left, and I was… abandoned to rot.
“Lydia,” Uncle David greeted her, straightening up.
“Did you come all the way to Rose Hill for this?” She sniffed.
“Wouldn’t miss this for the world.” He winked at me.
I didn’t know what that meant, but Mom yanked me closer to her.
The lawyer walked into the room and paused beside Mom. “Good to see you again, Lydia. I wish it was on better terms.”
She nodded.
“My son is transferring to Emery-Rose next year.” He looked down at me, then got on my level. “Would you do me a favor, Caleb? Keep an eye out for Eli Black. I’m sure he’ll be needing a friend when he goes to a new school.”
I nodded.
“Caleb might not be at Emery-Rose next year,” Lydia informed him.
Mr. Black shrugged. “Perhaps not. I guess we’ll see.”
He crossed to the table and opened his briefcase. There were chairs around the room, but no one was sitting. Relatives I didn’t know very well were scattered around, plus Uncle David and Aunt Iris. Mom at my back.
“No matter what happens,” Uncle David whispered to Mom, “you have a place with us.”
She stiffened. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Careful, dear,” Aunt Iris cooed. “The wolves may come out of the woodwork if you show… weakness.”
Mom glared at her. “How dare—”
Mr. Black started talking, silencing the room. It appeared that no one wanted to miss a word of this. “‘I, Benjamin Asher, am of sound body and mind…’”
I zoned out. It sounded like gibberish, and my attention was on the window. On the way the light reflected through the prism hanging from the window lock, casting a pale rainbow on the floor.
“‘To Lydia Asher,’” Mr. Black read, “‘I leave only the dust beneath my shoes. You…’” He clears his throat. “‘You deserve nothing, not even our son.’”
Gasps filled the room.
I looked up at Mom, whose face was… horrified.
“No,” she whispered. “That bastard.”
“Mom?”
“It’ll be okay, honey,” she said.
Mr. Black cleared his throat. “‘To my son, Caleb Asher, I leave in a trust my shares of Prinze Industries, all monies and investments, and physical properties, to be matured when he turns eighteen years old.’”
My mouth dropped open. “What does that mean?”
“He left you… everything,” one of the relatives said.
“And finally, to my brother, David Asher, I leave the stewardship of Caleb’s inheritance and the board position, to guide and protect until it is transferred to Caleb’s name. This includes potential guardianship of Caleb himself, should David and family remain fit per state standards.”
Uncle David turned to Mom and me. “Well, that was… worth the trip, dare I say?”
Mom pushed me behind her. “You had a hand in this,” she snarled. “All because—”
“You got into bed with the wrong person,” he finished. His attention moved to me. “I’ll be seeing you soon, I suspect.”
I glared at him, and it just made him laugh.
It was the last thing I heard out of Uncle David’s mouth as he walked away.
“Josh,” Mom said, shoving through relatives until we were up to the deck. “He can’t be serious. When were these changes made?”
He shuffled some papers. “July 5, 2008.”
She gasped. “He knew.”
“About your affair? I suppose he did.” He produced a sealed envelope and passed it to her. “He left this for you. And one for you, Caleb.”
I took the envelope he handed me carefully. “Can I read it?”
“Whenever you want.” Mr. Black raised his head. “Give us the room, please.”
People grumbled behind me, but I paid them no mind. Dad had always taught me that lesser people will always make more noise—it’s action that mattered.
I took a step away from Mom, who was… well, I wasn’t sure if she was crying, exactly, but she was definitely in shock.
I half listened to their conversation. “David and Iris aren’t fit parents,” she said. “But his will made it sound like Caleb…”
“He can’t take away your parental rights,” Mr. Black said.
“But I have nothing, is that right? Just a savings account in my name that I can…”
I pulled out the letter and unfolded it.
Dear son,
I am writing this in the event of my death. You could be reading this when you’re twelve or twenty-two, I don’t know. And for that, I apologize in advance. Things between your mother and I are getting
more tense, and I’m not sure to what ends she would go.
Be strong. Everything is left to you. If you’re not yet eighteen, your Uncle David will take care of everything, including you. He’s a good man with a short temper—kind of like your old man—but I trust him to do right by you.
You’re holding up the Asher name on your shoulders, and that is no easy task. Your fate in life is uncertain. To sell the shares, move away, become your own person with a healthy bank account? Continue as I was?
Choose happiness, whatever you do.
I love you, and I’m sorry.
Dad
My memory of him did have dark spots—when his anger boiled over. But overall, he was good. He taught me important lessons without being too harsh, took me to the park when work allowed. He worked for the family.
His whole life was dedicated to building up our name.
And one night ruined it. Dragged it through the mud.
I ran my finger across his signature, folded the letter, and shoved it in my pocket.
When I turned around, Mom was still clutching her unopened one, arguing with the lawyer.
“We’re going back to the house,” she informed him. “It’s Caleb’s.”
“It’s David’s to control,” he corrected, shrugging. “I can’t stop you either way.”
She came to me, holding out her hand.
I took it.
“Goodbye, Josh,” she said. “Let’s hope we never…”
He just watched us. And when I craned around one last time, he winked.
Present
I relay the story as best I can. I don’t tell them the contents of the letter—I did have the thing memorized for a while, when I would read it under my sheets with a flashlight—but the gist of everything.
“Your mom was having an affair?” Margo asked. “With who?”
I shake my head. “It didn’t occur to me to question her.”
Eli groans. “And your dad wrote you a tragic fucking letter. Of course.”
“It was comforting at the time.”
We lapse into silence.
Then Margo says, “Norah did say Josh being Dad’s lawyer was a conflict of interest. But she had said him and your dad weren’t on good terms. Why did he use Josh for his will?”
Eli leans toward her. “She talked about that?”
“I asked,” she says, sheepish.
“She’s never bothered to answer any of my questions about it. I transferred to Emery-Rose soon after you had left, and Caleb sought me out—evidently because of Dad,” he adds with a smile. “But they both clammed up whenever I asked about…”
“Our dads were friends,” Margo says.
Surprise ripples around the room. Through me. I had never got that impression from our fathers’ interactions.
“Norah said it was the three of them, and mine left… came back with Mom, engaged or whatever. And they had a falling out.”
“That isn’t what we should be focusing on,” Theo interjects. “Unless Tobias is the one she was having an affair with…”
I snort. “Seriously?”
“How else would you get someone to risk their entire career?”
“Money,” Liam says. “So much fucking money. Enough money to swim in. Not that you gits would understand, since you already have that. But for someone like Tobias? Who started at the bottom? Yeah.”
“So, Caleb’s dad suspected his death because Lydia was having an affair? That doesn’t make sense.” Eli scowls. “Jesus. This is making my head spin.”
“Who would’ve known? Besides the parties involved who might lie?” Margo asks.
“Well, there was your parents and mine,” I list, “and whoever Mom was sleeping with. I guess your dad would be the most impartial.”
“Besides the whole murder thing,” Eli says.
“He didn’t do it.” Margo glares at him. “And you know what? For the first time in this crazy mess—I actually believe it. Your mom had more motive than he did. Did the police even look into her?”
“I don’t know.”
She groans, but she leans into me. I hold her close. My chest fills with something light, because we’re actually doing this together. A place I didn’t think either of us would get to.
“You should talk to him,” Eli suggests.
She straightens. “The last time I talked to him, I—”
“We’ll go with you. In two cars.”
Her attention flips to my face. “What do you think?”
“I…” Fuck, I don’t know. Am I ready to see her dad again? To get answers? To judge for myself if he’s lying or not? “Yeah, we should.”
Liam pulls out his phone. “Visiting hours tomorrow are in the afternoon.”
I run my hand over my face. “I’ve skipped so much damn school. What’s another day?”
“I’ll be at the school in the morning,” Margo says quietly. “To determine when I’m coming back.”
“We only have two weeks left until Christmas break,” Liam points out. “They should just let you work from home.”
“That’s a rich kid treatment,” she mumbles.
“If that’s the sorry excuse they give you, they’ll have to deal with Lenora. And then me.” I crack a smile. “She’s fierce when she needs to be.”
Margo laughs.
It brings the whole mood up a few degrees.
“Food’s here!” Mrs. Black calls from the top of the stairs. “How much did you guys order? My god.”
“We’re growing boys, Mom,” Eli hollers back. We all stand. To us, he says, “At least we figured some things out, yeah? A game plan.”
“Visit Margo’s dad,” I repeat. “That’s… not much of a plan.”
“Worst comes to worst, you know where to find your mom.” Liam shrugs. “And apparently, she’s with Margo’s mom. Isn’t that a bit fishy? Shouldn’t those two hate each other?”
“Mom looked semi-decent,” Margo says. “Which… was surprising. Like she wasn’t using anymore, you know? I haven’t seen her clean…”
“She might be clean, but… let’s not count on that, okay?” I lead them upstairs.
I think back to meeting my mother outside the diner only a few weeks ago. I asked her where Amberly was, and I’m pretty sure she lied right to my face.
Shame, Rose Hill isn’t good for that woman.
I curse to myself. We weren’t in Rose Hill. Lucky’s Diner sat proudly just over the town line, in Beacon Hill, which made Mom’s answer not quite a lie. She knew. Margo’s mom was probably inside the diner as we spoke, making me the biggest fool on the face of the planet.
“I’m curious if you saw your life going in this direction from the beginning,” I said. “I’m mostly curious about why you let your brother-in-law run the show?”
“Your father wants it that way.”
Wants, like he was still around.
But then again, his memory was a pungent one, and the will left no wiggle room.
Could my mother have had something to do with it? She seemed more surprised than anything that the will had been changed. But if it was something that was done because she cheated on him, he wouldn’t tell her.
Money is a good motive, Liam said it himself.
Norah is opening containers across the kitchen island when we get up there. The guys move around me, grabbing silverware and plates.
Margo looks up at me, touching my cheek. “You okay?”
“I just realized…” I glance over at Eli’s mom. “Mrs. Black, did you know Mom before she married Dad?”
She frowns. “That’s an out-of-the-blue question, Caleb.”
I wait.
“We both went to Emery-Rose, although she was a year older. I didn’t really interact with her until we both started dating.” She glances away. “It’s disgraceful how far she’s fallen.”
Margo flinches.
“They had a falling out, right? Mr. Black and my dad.” I don’t wait for her response. “Yet he was the one who read the
will.”
She nods slowly. “He did. It was Josh’s firm that held Ben’s will, and neither of them saw the sense in changing it once things got… complicated.”
“Complicated is an understatement,” Eli whispers.
“So for a while, you were friends. Or friendly.”
“Somewhat. She was a hard person to get to know. And then—” She stops abruptly. “Excuse me, I think I hear my phone.”
She leaves in a rush, and the five of us are left in silence.
“Why do I get the feeling she’s hiding something?” Margo asks.
Eli shakes his head. “Hopefully your dad will be able to fill in some cracks.”
She swallows. “Right. Tomorrow.”
Tomorrow, I will finally see the man who murdered my father. Look him in the eyes. My stomach ties itself up in knots. But honestly? I’ll do it for Margo.
27
Margo
Lenora and Robert pick me up shortly after Josh and Norah leave for work.
I slide into the backseat and pull off my hat, grimacing. “When did it get to be winter?”
Overnight, we got at least six inches of snow, and I’m not prepared. I look at the seat beside me and smile. There’s a pair of fur-lined boots with a little Christmas bow on it.
“An early present,” Lenora says, winking at me in the rearview mirror. “Don’t worry, it’s fake fur.”
“Thank you so much.” I tug off my shoes and slip on the new boots. They’re a warm, perfect fit, and I sigh.
“Someone’s happy.” Robert frowns. “How many winters have you gone through without properly insulated boots?”
The ones I always wear are more hiking-slash-everyday boots, leather, and definitely not warm. “Um… A girl I was living with had grown out of hers and gave them to me. I was twelve? They were a bit big, so they lasted two seasons.” I smile to myself. “I gave them away when I outgrew them.”
They’re quiet. Contemplating how different our lives must’ve been, I’m sure.
“How are you feeling?” Lenora asks.
“Better.”
Except my wrists. I woke up this morning dripping blood down my hands. It seems like once I opened up a little wound, I now constantly pick at it. I covered the damage with a bandage and a long-sleeve shirt, but I doubt I’ll be able to hide it for long.