“Crystal is staying the night with Tuck,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Essie’s son doesn’t want him at large in the building for fear he may rape his mother again.”
Tanner shook his head. “Rape? That’s a pretty serious charge.”
“It’s a ridiculous charge.” She waved Tanner toward the hall. “Hurry along. I’m sure Crystal will be glad to see you. But, please, be back at my desk by midnight so we can leave the building together. If I arm the system and leave without you, you won’t be able to get out—unless, of course, you want to roust Patricia from her bed to assist you.”
Tanner grinned. “I’ll be quick. I dislike dealing with Flintlock at the best of times, and I have a feeling she had a bad evening.”
“I think what morning brings may be far worse. Essie’s nobody to mess with.”
Tanner lengthened his stride to cover the distance to Tuck’s apartment quickly. When he knocked on the door, Crystal asked, “Who is it?”
“Tanner.”
She opened the portal and stepped into his arms. “Oh, Tanner. Tuck is so upset, and even though I’m certain this will iron itself out, so am I.”
Tanner hugged her close. Then he drew away to go to the living room. Tuck sat in his recliner with a can of beer in his hand. Tension had drawn his wrinkled cheeks taut over his cheekbones. Tanner suspected the old man was worried about being put in jail, but he had undoubtedly weathered worse storms.
“Crying in your beer, Tuck?” He hoped to inject some levity into the situation. “That’s not like you.”
“I’d never dilute good beer with tears,” he said. “I’m just ruminatin’ on the fact that Essie’s son wants to send me up for rape. My attorney says he’s got my back, and he’ll be here early to argue on my behalf.”
Tanner grabbed a kitchen chair and dragged it across the carpet to sit in front of his friend. “Essie’s son doesn’t have a leg to stand on. This will all come out in the wash. You did nothing wrong. Having consensual sex with a woman isn’t a crime.”
“He’s sayin’ Essie has dementia.”
Tanner laughed. “He’ll have a devil of a time proving that. Have you ever once seen Essie confused or muddled?”
“No, can’t say that I have. But it could take time for her to be evaluated by professionals. In the meanwhile, I could land in jail.”
“I don’t think it’ll come to that. I know it must have been an unnerving evening, though.”
Tuck harrumphed. “Unnervin’ don’t say it by half. Without warnin’, Garth stormed into her bedroom, jerked the covers off us, and started threatenin’ to kill me. Next thing I knew, Flintlock and two female aides was in there, with both me and Essie sittin’ there on the bed, as naked as two plucked birds on a spit.”
Tanner tried to imagine the indignity of that and couldn’t. Tuck and Essie deserved to be treated with more respect. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was nearly midnight. “Well, Tuck, if I mean to get out of here as Marsha leaves, I need to hustle.” He pushed to his feet and turned to Crystal. “I can stay the night at your place and take care of the animals.”
“I hate to ask that,” she told him. “But Rip is outside, and I know coyotes frequent the woods close to the house. With no people around, they might challenge the fence. Rip is a fighter, but he wouldn’t stand a chance against a whole pack.”
She grabbed her purse and gave Tanner the house key. “Remember to get dog biscuits out of the tree. Otherwise you’ll be stranded just inside the gate and have to call me for help.”
Tanner leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Get a good rest. Keep me updated on what happens in the morning.” He waved at his friend. “Good night, Tuck. See you tomorrow evening.”
Tanner made the short drive to the farmhouse in record time. In his truck’s headlights, he saw Rip racing in circles inside the front gate. As he cut the engine, he heard the dog’s barks, shrill with excitement. Though he wore civilian clothes and doubted he would need them, he walked to the oak tree to take several biscuits from the plastic bag. As he fumbled in the dark, he felt a slip of paper brush against his knuckles, and a smile touched his mouth. He drew his cell phone from its case, switched it to a flashlight app, and read the note Crystal had written.
I love you, Tanner. That’s really difficult for me to confess, but it’s true. Knowing you and coming to love you has given me the courage to take chances I never dreamed I might. I’m excited about our future. Much love, Crystal.
Smiling, Tanner put the note in his shirt pocket and grabbed a large handful of dog treats. He loved Crystal, too, and was glad she felt ready to roll the dice. She had so much to offer, and it would have been such a waste if she never took a chance on love. Though he was weary after such a long day, he now felt revitalized. He’d meant what he told her about believing their relationship was destined to be, and no matter what happened, he’d never regret taking this particular gamble with his heart.
* * *
At first light the next morning, Crystal got a text from Tanner. Rip’s collar was still working to keep him in the yard, and Tanner had put out food and fresh water for him. No Name was inside the house and also fine. Tanner ended the text with “Oh, and by the way, did I mention that I love you? Keep in touch. Tell Tuck I’m cheering for him.”
* * *
Crystal held the phone over her heart for a moment. It felt surreal to read in a message that a man loved her. But it also felt absolutely right.
She heard Tuck taking a shower. She went to the kitchen and rummaged through his cupboards to find the coffee. When Tuck wandered out a few minutes later, she greeted him with a filled mug. He sniffed the rising steam. “The real thing. With a cast, I didn’t make any, and I plumb forgot I had beans. The stuff in the dining hall is awful. I could make stronger coffee if I shoved a bean up a duck’s ass and ran downstream to dip a cup of water.”
Crystal forced a smile. She’d heard that one a gazillion times. “Pete Ramsey said he would be here by eight. Just in case you don’t remember, he doesn’t want you to speak with anyone until he’s present.”
“I remember. I ain’t senile yet.”
“I didn’t mean to imply that you are, Tuck.”
Crystal sat on the sofa and crossed her legs. Last night she’d slept there in an old T-shirt of Tuck’s, preserving her black outfit so she would look presentable today. For her morning ablutions, she’d used the half bath off the living room, making do with the brush and what little makeup she carried in her purse. She was so frightened for Tuck that she searched frantically for something else to think about.
“Does Essie really have a team of lawyers?”
“She says she does. I think she’s richer than we can imagine.”
Crystal puzzled over that. “Do you think her son wants control of her assets?”
“That’s her story, and after what I witnessed last night, I don’t doubt it for a second. He’ll be lucky if she don’t cut him out of her will.”
“Garth Childers doesn’t strike me as the type of man who’d trouble himself unless a veritable fortune was at stake.”
Tuck sighed. “Well, all I care about is one thing, honey: that he leaves Essie enough to enjoy her little comforts and be happy.”
* * *
Pete knocked on Tuck’s door at five before eight. Crystal went to invite him in. Tall and lean, he had the look of a Ramsey with his dark brown hair and blue eyes. Members of his family had lived in Mystic Creek since the town had been founded. This morning he’d dressed professionally in a brown suit over an ocher shirt. His warm grin displayed even, white teeth. After shaking Crystal’s hand, he slipped by her to find his client. Crystal joined the two men in the small living area.
“Basically, Tuck, let me do the talking,” Pete was saying. “If you’re asked a question and I give you a nod, you can answer, but be as brief as possible, keeping your responses
limited to yes or no whenever you can.”
“Okay.”
“So, in your own words, tell me exactly what happened between you and Essie last night.”
“She made me supper in her apartment. We visited. Had two snifters of brandy. Afterward we went to bed.” Tuck’s eyes went glittery. “If you want details about that, you ain’t gettin’ ’em.”
Pete smiled. “I’m fine without details. So, whose idea was it to go to her bedroom?”
Tuck studied the attorney as if he were a species of bug he’d never seen. “Son, I know nothin’ about your sex life, but if you’ve been with gals who expect a long discussion before makin’ love, you need to chat with me over a couple of cold ones some afternoon.”
Pete threw back his head and laughed. “I walked right into that one, I guess. What I should have asked was, did both of you want to have sex?”
“Yep. Well, Essie never said that in so many words, but she was sendin’ out all the right signals.”
Pete nodded. Then he rested his elbows on his spread knees and folded his hands. “Was last night the first time you’d been intimate?”
“No. We’ve been together that way for a spell. Mostly we meet at night. A couple of times in the mornin’.”
“So her willingness to engage with you in sexual congress had been established prior to last night.” Pete braced his hands on his knees to push up. “That’s all I need to know. I’m ready to go a few rounds with Mr. Childers’ attorney.”
* * *
Thirty minutes later, Crystal stood beside Tuck against the left wall of Patricia’s office. The small enclosure was so packed with bodies that the scents of perfume, men’s cologne, and perspiration made her feel light-headed. From various locations, cell phone notifications chimed, the different tones reminding her of a child’s xylophone. She wondered why on earth Patricia hadn’t set up a meeting area in the dining hall, where everyone could have sat down. But, no, everyone but the administrator had to stand. Maybe, Crystal mused, this was the only way Patricia knew to showcase her position of authority.
Barney Sterling had taken center stage in front of Patricia’s desk. Garth, looking dark and foreboding, stood along the opposite wall beside an older man in a tailored gray suit who looked as if he’d traveled cross-country on a red-eye flight. He had the edgy look of a combatant who faced a showdown he feared he couldn’t win. He held a black satchel in one hand and a sheaf of notes in the other. Forehead creased in a frown, he kept glancing down at a bulleted list as if to refresh his memory.
This morning Essie stood apart from her son in the back corner of the room. She was flanked on each side by individuals Crystal assumed were attorneys, two fortysomething men who wore slacks and dress shirts, and two thirtysomething women, a blonde and a brunette. Both ladies had opted to travel casually dressed, wearing silk blouses and designer jeans.
Garth’s legal counsel looked more professional in his pricey suit, but Essie’s companions emanated a subtle air of confidence. All of them had parked identical briefcases at their feet, each made of hand-tooled leather.
Garth’s attorney didn’t wait for Barney to speak. Instead of showing deference to the lawman, he began the meeting by saying, “I’m George Staff, attorney at law, and I represent Garth Childers. Let me start this off by informing all of you that I called Adult Protective Services this morning, and on behalf of my client, I’ve filed for emergency custody of his mother, Essie Maxwell Childers, so she can be removed from this facility immediately and placed where she will receive more supervision.”
One of Essie’s flank men, the older and more robust of the two males, stepped forward to shake hands with Garth’s lawyer. His graying brown hair was buzz-cut, and his eyes, a silvery blue, looked as sharp as a well-honed chisel. “Stan Mercer,” he said. “My team and I represent Ms. Childers. You should be informed that she took legal action years ago to protect herself from attempts by her children to gain control of her assets and/or to have her deemed legally incompetent. In order for her trustees to make decisions regarding her care or her business interests, she must be evaluated by three court-appointed medical professionals and deemed by them to be mentally impaired. She was evaluated two months ago, found to be of sound mind and body, and shouldn’t need to address the issue again for another ten months unless something unforeseen occurs that seems to have affected her mental acuity.”
“Bullshit!” Garth cried.
Garth’s attorney placed a hand on his arm. “Please, Mr. Childers, allow me to handle this. That’s why you hired me.”
“Well, a fine job you’re doing so far!” Garth said with a sneer. “She’s my mother! I have every right to step in and make decisions regarding her welfare when it’s obvious she’s incapable of doing so herself. The very fact that she’s chosen to reside in this remote one-horse town proves that.”
Essie interrupted. “I live here in order to limit the frequency of your visits, Garth. They’re always unpleasant and they upset me.”
“If you’re upset because your son is trying to protect you, it’s only another sign of how muddled your thinking is.”
“I don’t need protection, Garth. I have trusted and well-qualified professionals on board to watch out for me now. Since I am of sound mind and choose to remain at this facility, I will do so. My legal team assures me that there’s absolutely nothing you can do about that.”
“This is utterly absurd.” He swung his hand toward her lawyers. “These people are here for one reason and only one reason: the money.”
“They work hard for every dollar they make. You should try it.” Essie released a weary sigh. “You stepped over the line last night, and I’m finished with you. As of this morning, I revised my will. It’s already signed, witnessed, notarized, and electronically filed. When I die, neither you nor your sister will get a dime.”
“You can’t do that!” Garth cried. “We’re your children, your legal heirs.”
“It’s already done,” Essie replied, her voice calm and without much inflection. “I’ve been extremely generous, and both of you have lived well as a result. All you had to do was bide your time. Instead you’ve been trying to take over ever since your father died.”
“We were only trying to protect the company. Dad was the mastermind, not you. We were afraid you’d make stupid investments and lose everything. We have a vested interest in the holdings our father acquired!”
Essie bent her head. When she looked back up at her son, her expression had gone stony. “If you’d ever bothered to review the archived ledgers, you would know that I went into the marriage with as many businesses and as much money as your father did. You’d also know that my investments, a fair half of them made prior to the nuptials, have maintained a large percentage of annual profit while many of your father’s took sharp downturns prior to liquidation. He made his fortune following trends. I made mine by investing in commodities that might go through cyclical downturns but were predicted to maintain their worth. I take nothing away from your father by saying that. He knew when to buy and when to sell. He was a brilliant man. Your mistake, and Rebecca’s as well, was to underestimate and underappreciate my business savvy.”
Garth turned his palms toward the ceiling in a pleading way. “Mother, I meant no slight to you. Rebecca and I both admire you and—”
Essie cut him off. “I no longer care what you think of me. You can try to get my revised will overturned, but I strongly advise against it. You’ll spend your last penny trying to wage a battle you can’t win.” She smiled stiffly and lifted her shoulders. “But, of course, you won’t listen to me. You never have. So give it your best shot.”
Garth paled under his tropical tan. “I only wanted to surprise you when I arrived unannounced last night.” His voice had turned wheedling.
“And you succeeded. You unlocked the door of my apartment with a key I didn’t give you.” She glanced at
Patricia. “You entered my residence without warning or permission and proceeded to invade my personal privacy in the worst possible way. You humiliated and embarrassed me. Then you made vile accusations against Tucker Malloy, a man for whom I have the utmost respect, and you called in law enforcement, trying to get him arrested—not because you believed he’d done anything wrong, but to further your own cause. Your behavior was despicable.”
“Don’t start a war you can’t finish, Mother. Cutting us out of your will is a mistake. Rebecca and I at least deserve our father’s half of the assets, and we’ll hire the best attorneys in the country to fight you.”
“You can’t, Garth. I’ve already retained them. That’s all it takes, you know, a retainer, and they’re sewn up.”
A vein in Garth’s temple began to pulsate. “Half of everything you have was left to you by our father. No court in the land will disregard our birthright. We’ve waited over twenty years to get what’s coming to us.”
“Correction. Over the last twenty years, I’ve doubled what assets we had when your father died.” Essie ran a sad, assessing gaze over her son. “I owe you and Rebecca nothing. Neither of you has done an honest day’s work in your life. Let me suggest to you that the most successful gold diggers are the ones with blisters on their hands from using a shovel. I am requesting that you leave now, and let this matter rest. If you persist, I’m prepared to file criminal charges against you.”
“For what?” Garth looked like a startled goldfish.
“Would you like a list?”
Garth shot a burning glare at Tuck. “You’ll take his side against your own flesh and blood?”
“In a heartbeat. He’s a wonderful man, my friend, and my lover. I look forward to residing here and enjoying his company for however many years I can.”
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