Cold Heart (16 page)

20

“How do you think we should handle this, Carter?” Lexi asked.

“Well I would like to talk to the Sherriff,” Carter said.

“But I thought you didn’t think that was a good idea,” Lexi said.

“Well we have more concrete evidence now,” Carter said.

“But if you tell him what I heard,” Lexi protested but Carter cut her off.

“I’m not going to tell him what you overheard. I’m just going to tell him about the calls, the message on your mirror and the intimidating visits from Montgomery. I think those things plus the burning of the barn will make him see his cousin is desperate to acquire this property. I think I will be able to tell if he is interested or if he is just blowing me off.”

“Okay, if that’s all you are telling him,” she said. “Because if he is crooked and we told him about what I heard and he went to Montgomery with it, well it could be really bad.”

“I agree,” said Carter, stifling a yawn. “We will start with this.”

“Carter you need to go home to bed,” Lexi said. “You have got to be so tired.”

“I am, but I don’t want to leave you,” he said.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” she said.

“Well the reason I didn’t want to leave you was not so much that you were in danger,” he said yawning again.

“Are you sure you are alright to drive,” I could make up a bed upstairs in no time,” Lexi said.

Carter smiled a really wicked smile. “I don’t think I could be trusted to stay there,” he said.

“Oh, I see, well then perhaps you best be on your way and we will continue this tomorrow. There are lots of people coming tomorrow, the landscaper and Marjorie and I also have to go and see the lawyer.

“The Lawyer?” Carter asked.

“Yes, I don’t have a will and I have quite a sizable estate now and well I just think I need a will,” she said.

“Don’t tell me you are going to see that little weasel Beatty?” Carter asked.

“Well he is the only one I know and I am sure he is quite capable of doing up a will and if it turns out that he mentions it to Montgomery, fine, at least I will know that he can’t be trusted.”

Carter yawned again. Lexi took both his hands and pulled him to a standing position.

“Go,” she said. “Just promise you will call me when you get home so that I know you got there.”

“Okay,” he said and allowed himself to be guided to the door.

She walked him all the way to his car and pushed him until he slid behind the wheel then she leaned in and gave him a quick peck. He gave her a pout.

“Go and I mean it, call me when you get there,” she said.

He started the engine and she and Tucker when back to the porch. Carter turned the car around and headed down the driveway, he tooted the horn.

Lexi went inside and Tucker followed and she locked the door. She turned off the lights and picked up her cell phone and she and Tucker went upstairs where she locked herself in her room. She got ready for bed and got in bed and waited for Carter to call. It seemed to be taking a really long time and she was a little worried. He had been awfully tired when he left. Then the phone rang.

“Hello,” she said.

“Do you miss me yet?” he asked.

“Yes I do,” she said. “I was beginning to worry.”

“Sorry it took so long, but Randy decided he would go home tonight so I had to wait for him to get his stuff together before I could come to bed,” Carter said.

“Are you in bed now?” she asked.

“I am. Are you in bed?” he asked, with a cheeky voice.

“Yes I am,” she replied.

“Are you wearing anything?” he chuckled.

“Yes I am,” she said.

“You are supposed to say no,” he said.

“Ooh,” she said. “Sorry I guess I’m not very good at this game.”

“It’s okay as I might fall asleep in the middle of it,” Carter said.

“I think we should play another time and you should go to sleep now,” she said, laughing.

“Okay,” Carter said. “Lexi?”

“Yes Carter,” she said.

“I have a really big crush on you,” he said. Then he hung up.

Lexi hung up. She smiled for a really long time and then she fell asleep.

Tucker started barking about two a.m. It was a really big woof and it nearly scared her to death. Her heart was racing and she shushed him several times and when he finally stopped, she strained to listen for any sounds. There was nothing. What had he heard? She crept to the window and looked out. She could see nothing. She didn’t want to leave the room. At least the door was locked.

They were just trying to scare and unnerve her. She just had to hang in there and eventually they would give up. Just the same she wedged a chair under the door knob. She had seen that in the movies. Then she crawled back in bed and encouraged Tucker to get up on the bed beside her. She was really scared and she didn’t even know if there was any reason to be. He had quieted down so she figured whatever he had heard, was gone now.

She managed to go back to sleep and when daylight came she found Tucker was still on the bed and her arm was draped around him. It was not quite the male companionship she had been imagining but it would do.

She showered and dressed and then the two of them went downstairs and she took Tucker out. She hated that she was so nervous of what she might find. She walked around Wildwood looking at the ground near windows and doors. There didn’t seem to be anything. Today was going to be a busy day so she took Tucker into the kitchen and gave him his breakfast and made some breakfast for herself. She had no sooner finished when the Landscaper was rapping on the front door. He had drawings in hand and she invited him in and they laid them out on the dining room table.

“This looks great Mark,” Lexi said.

“I’m glad you like it,” he said. “Is there anything else you thought of that you would like to include?”

“Yes,” she said. I’d like to have a small riding ring. My friend has rescue horses and I’d like to offer some rides for children I will also need it to be accessible to people with disabilities or illnesses requiring a wheelchair.”

“Well I will look at incorporating that,” he said.

“Great, I really want everything outside to be wheelchair accessible,” she said.

“Okay, we’ll get started,” he said. “You’ll be seeing my crew a lot in the next couple of weeks.”

“I welcome it,” Lexi said and meant it.

The phone rang and she rushed to the office to answer it. It was Marjorie calling to make an appointment to bring those story boards by. They agreed on the end of the week.

Lexi called the lawyers office and asked for an appointment with Mr. Beatty today. The receptionist obliged her by giving her a time later that morning. When she hung up there was a rapping at the door. She hurried to answer and it was the locksmith. Lexi was going to be very happy to have the locks changed. The man started right away. It was going to take him several hours. He wouldn’t be finished before she had to leave to go to the lawyer’s office so it was agreed that he would drop the new keys at Carter’s house. She called him to tell him.

“Hey Lexi how are you?” he asked when she called.

“Okay, been a busy day so far,” she said. “Have a favour to ask.”

“Shoot,” Carter said.

“Can I have the locksmith leave the new keys with you if I’m not back from the lawyer’s office before he leaves?

“Of course,” Carter said. “I’m here dealing with a few things so shouldn’t be a problem.

“Great, I have to go to the lawyer’s office about my will,” Lexi said.

“Ah yes. I still don’t see why the rush” Carter said.

“I just feel it’s the responsible thing to do.” She said.”So what things are you up to today?”

“Well, there is an obituary to write and put in the local newspaper though I’ve already had a couple of calls so the word is getting out.”

“Oh Carter,” she said. “I know how hard that is. It is so final.”

“Well it’s not like I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it,” he said. “I’m making some arrangements to have a little reception here, lining up caterers and such. My mom didn’t want a service. She wasn’t religious, which is surprising given her strict Baptist up-bringing. I want to do something though as there will be so many people that want to pay their respects.

“Of course you do Carter, Lexi said. It’s important to do that. How can I help?”

“Just be here, that would help,” he said. “You’ll also meet a lot of really nice people.”

“And family?” she asked. “Will there be family?”

“I don’t know for sure yet,” he said. “There’s only my Aunt and Uncle who live down in San Rafael. They didn’t visit mom in the home so I don’t really expect them. I called and got their machine, left a message. They kind of disowned her when she left the church even though she lived her whole life doing for others.”

“That’s sad,” she said. “People don’t appreciate family until they don’t have any.”

“That’s true,” he said.

“Gosh, I’ve just looked at my watch and I had better get moving if I’m going to make my appointment. I’ll stop by when I’m done,” she said.

“Please do,” he said.

Lexi hung up and ran upstairs to comb her hair and put some lipstick on before heading to the lawyer’s office. She left the locksmith the directions to Carter’s just in case she wasn’t back in time. She made the short drive to town and was able to find a parking spot right in front. It didn’t seem possible that so much had happened since she had come here to pick up the keys to Wildwood, just a few weeks ago.

When she entered the office, the receptionist remembered her and asked her to have a seat then she stuck her head in Mr. Beatty’s office to tell him Lexi was here. Mr. Beatty came out right away.

“Good morning Miss Thomas, good to see you again,” he said offering her his hand to shake.

She accepted it and replied. “Yes good to see you too.”

“I trust you are settling in to your new home,” he said.

“Uh, yes, there have been a few glitches but things are progressing well. I hope for a spring opening of Wildwood,” she said.

“Well good, now what’s this about a will?” he said.

“Well I have quite a sizeable estate now, between the inheritance from my parents and now my uncle and I just thought it would be the responsible thing to make a will, just in case, you know.” She said.

“And do you have beneficiaries in mind?” he asked.

“Yes, Carter Monroe” she said.

“Well lucky Mr. Monroe” he said.

“I have some stipulations,” she said. Lexi went on to explain her ideas on setting up a sanctuary for abused and neglected animals and what would happen depending upon if Wildwood were already up and running, etc. It was complicated and Mr. Beatty took notes as she spoke.

“Well I will get busy with this and have something drafted for you to take a look at in a couple of days,” he said.

“Thanks Mr. Beatty,” she said. “I’d appreciate that.”

Lexi rose to leave. Mr. Beatty got up from the desk and came around to walk her out.

“Just a minute,” he said. “I keep forgetting about this. I remembered it the other day and have been meaning to call. Damn if I didn’t almost forget it again.”

He walked back around to his desk and opened the centre drawer, pulling out an envelope. He walked back around the desk and passed it to her.

“What’s this?” Lexi asked

“Somewhere there is a key to your Uncle’s safety deposit box,” he said.

“Oh,” Lexi said. “I didn’t even think about him having one,”

“I’m sorry I forgot about it the other day. No idea what he had in there, or where he kept the key but you might want to take a look-see. They require some documentation in order to let you get into it, even with the key. You’ll find all the paperwork you need in the envelope.”

She most definitely wanted to take a look.

“Thank you Mr. Beatty,” she said. “What bank?”

“Oh, Wells Fargo, just down the street,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said and turned to leave.

He walked her out and Lexi just stood outside for a few minutes. So, Uncle Max had a safety deposit box. It was exciting to think what might she find in there? But where was the key?

21

Carter had finished organizing what he needed to for his mother’s memorial and was headed out to the stables when his cell phone rang. It was Catherine from the Nursing Home.

“Hi Carter,” she said. “It’s Catherine.

“Hi Catherine,” he replied.

“It was a long journey for you,” she said.

“Yes it was,” Carter said. “Sometimes I wasn’t sure I was going to make it. You were always there to prop me up.”

“That’s my job,” Catherine said.

“You do it well,” Carter said.

“She is at peace now finally,” Catherine said. “Is there anything we can do to help with arrangements?”

“All done, you guys did an amazing job this past year and I will always be grateful.”

“Diana was always a great joy to care for. I wish I’d known her before,” Catherine said.

“You’d have loved her,” Carter said.

“I’ll let you get back to it Carter and I wish you well. Take good care,” she said.

“You too, Catherine,” Carter said. “Bye.”

Lots of people he would never see again. People who had kept him going when he didn’t think he could keep doing it. They might miss him, yeah he thought, for a few minutes and then there would be someone else to take his place, someone else who needed advice, support or a hug once in a while.”

Carter continued on his way out to the stable. He wanted to feed Roxy, his latest rehab project. She still needed lots of small meals. He took her out into the paddock for a little exercise first. The other horses all came running and gathered outside the fence.

“Not your dinner time yet,” he said to them. They were all looking good. Time to let a few of them go to new homes. He would place an ad next week and see who turned up. He wasn’t really interested in making money and would give one away to the right home. He never wanted the horses to experience the abuse they had suffered again.

His pocket was vibrating. He always turned the ringer off when working around the horses. Who knew what might spook an animal especially one who had been abused as some of these had. He pulled it out and pressed answer.

“Hello,” he said.

“It’s me,” Lexi said. “You’ll never guess what I just found out.”

“Okay, so if I’m not guessing then please tell me and put me out of my misery,” he said.

“Uncle Max had a safety deposit box,” she said. “I’m headed over to the bank right now to check it out.”

“Interesting, why didn’t Beatty mention it before?” he asked.

“Mr. Beatty said he just forgot about it,” she said. “I can’t wait to see what’s in it, but I’ll have to find the key.”

“Well don’t get your hopes up. These things can be a real disappointment Lexi,” Carter said.

“I know,” she said. “I’m going over there just to see what I am looking for and what I can do if I can’t find the key. I’m coming by when I’m done. Any sign of the locksmith yet?”

“Nope, but I’ll be here,” Carter said.

“See you soon,” Lexi said and hung up.

Carter walked Roxy around the paddock for a little while and then took her in and fed her. He continued on up to the house and looked up the number for the Sherriff’s office. He asked for Sherriff Montgomery and the receptionist said the Sherriff was out on a call. Carter left a message that he would like to speak to the Sherriff.

He supposed he should try to write a few words to say about his mom for the memorial. It would be expected. He was a little reluctant to open himself up to all the emotions he knew would come flooding to the surface when he tried to put pen to paper. He decided to go and make a sandwich before he started and he managed to make that whole production last at least a half hour. Then he sat down to eat it and made that last another half hour. Finally he couldn’t think of any other stall tactics so he went and sat at the old oak desk in the living room and pulled out some paper and a pen.

He wrote her name at the top of the page in capital letters
. DIANA LYNN MONROE
He looked at that for a few minutes. Then he wrote her birthday and the date of her death. Again he did the math. She was only sixty-three, not nearly long enough to live, especially for someone with so much giving still left in her.

That was the sum total of his mother’s life really. It had been all about giving. He wrote that down. She had given to her neighbours, never letting anyone go hungry if they had fallen on hard times. She worked at the homeless shelter once a week and more after she retired from her job at the doctor’s office. She collected clothes for the needy and over the years she had collected more than a few stray dogs and cats which is where Carter supposed he got that instinct. She’d even collected a few stray kids as well, taking in foster kids, some of whom Carter had spoken with today, just to let them know that the end had finally come. They’d be there tomorrow, just as surely as she’d been there for them. It had been a testament to her giving that her last words, her last thoughts had been instructions about taking bread to someone who needed it.

That thought brought the tears that he knew needed to come. Carter let them. It was better now than tomorrow when there would be so many others that would need to be comforted. He sat for a little while longer and he was just about to get up when he saw the Sherriff’s car driving into the yard. He wiped his tears away with his sleeve and went out on the porch.

“Afternoon, Sherriff,” he said.

“Afternoon Carter,” the Sherriff said. “I was planning to come by tomorrow and offer my condolences on the loss of your mother and then Patsy radioed me and said you were looking to talk to me, so I decided to come by now. She was a hell of a woman, Diana was and she didn’t deserve what life threw at her after all the good she did.”

“I know. Life has a way of reminding us just how unfair it can be sometimes,” Carter said.

“So, you wanted to talk to me.”

“Lexi Thomas,” Carter said. “Your cousin has been threatening her and I am worried. She doesn’t want to sell her property to him and she has made that clear to him but he just doesn’t let up.”

“Threatening is a harsh word Carter. Just what has he been doing?” the Sherriff asked.

“Well, for starters, I think it was his hired help that burned down the barn when Lexi moved in. They’ve left threatening messages on the mirror in her bathroom, made crank calls to her in the middle of the night,” Carter said. “And before you say anything, no we have no proof because they are clever sons of bitches and they know how to intimidate.”

“Well those are some big accusations you’re slinging Carter,” the Sherriff said. “Just why do you think my cousin wants the Thomas land so bad?”

“I don’t know exactly, but I think it has something to do with water.”

“Really? Well last I looked, there were no lakes or streams or rivers or anything running through that land,” the Sherriff said.

“Yeah and I’ve been giving that a lot of thought. What about artesian water? It’s a big deal in this area and maybe there is a whole lot of it under that land.”

“Interesting,” the Sherriff said. “And how would my cousin know about this artesian water if Max didn’t know?” he said.

“That’s just it, we don’t know if Max knew about the water or not. I just know that Montgomery was bugging the hell out of Max to sell and Max wasn’t selling,” Carter said.

“You aren’t suggesting that they killed Max?”

“It has crossed my mind. If he knew that Lexi was the one going to inherit he probably thought she’d just sell the property. Who would think this young woman was going to come up here from the city and take over where Max left off so many years ago,” Carter said.

“A valid point,” the Sherriff said. “A man would need to be pretty desperate to cross that line though.”

“Look, I did what I could. I followed her loser ex-boyfriend in San Francisco just to make sure it wasn’t him making the calls trying to scare her into coming back. I’m pretty sure he’s moved on to his next patsy. I can’t look into Montgomery or his winery business, but you can. Maybe your cousin has financial problems or water problems. I don’t know but you can at least do some snooping, can’t you? Carter said.

“I’ll look into it,” the Sherriff said.

He got in the police cruiser and drove off down the driveway. Carter wasn’t sure whether this had been a good idea or not. He couldn’t really read the man, though he hadn’t defended his cousin so maybe, just maybe, he could be impartial which of course was what one would expect him to be. Carter went back to the desk in the living room and the piece of paper that demanded his attention. He wrote a few more lines and then he was satisfied. The woman sounded like a God damn saint. Well she was, he thought. He missed her, had been missing her for a long time.