Mirror of Shadows (2 page)

“That’s where you are wrong, my dear. She was loaded. How do you think your parents could afford this great big house on your father’s income as a mechanic? Or how do you suppose your mother could keep such a house after your father died; only working part-time typing transcripts? Or your college tuition? Where do you think that came from?”

“Well, I thought the tuition was from a trust my father had set up, I guess?” Ella said.

“No, sweetie. All that money came from the trust your grandmother set up with the money your grandfather, Henry, made in his life time. He was very successful on his own, but he would not let your grandmother Rose touch her family money. He found great pride in providing for her himself.

“Now, Henry McKaye made a lot of money as a doctor and he, Rose, and your father lived very comfortably on that and have ever since, but the Grey Trust is far larger. It not only holds a large amount of money but a large manor and most of the surrounding land of Cauldron Lake. In fact, the area around the lake was called Hanging Willow for centuries before our town of Dead Oak Hollow incorporated it into a township.

“The Greys were very prominent up in Redding, but when old man Grey retired from his logging business he brought his family to Hanging Willow and built a huge house right on the lake,” Marlin explained.

“Why haven’t I heard any of this before? Why didn’t Grandma Rose live in her family home?”

“Out of respect for Henry. She loved that man, I’m telling you. Rose had her pick of men when she was young, from what my father told me. She was amazing, intelligent, and beautiful to boot. Like I said, Henry was a very proud man and rightfully so; your grandmother never spent a dime of her family’s money.”

“But why wouldn’t she have given it to my dad?”

“For the same reason. When your parents got married, not too long after Henry died, she gave them this house your mother is living in—fully paid for. ‘A gift from your father,’ Rose had told Ken. Rose also set up a trust for the rest of Henry’s money to pay a monthly stipend to your mother and father for living expenses and house maintenance.

“After your father died, your mother Patricia received both stipends, but we had to amend that when she got messed up in drugs. Your grandmother paid for your mother’s stay in rehab and made your father’s stipend your college savings. The trust also paid your grandmother’s expenses for her little apartment in town.”

“I never knew any of this,” Ella said, flabbergasted.

“Not many do, my dear. Just us old-timers, and due to our respect and love for Rose and Henry, we let her secret lie. Those two were pillars of the community here in Dead Oaks Hollow.

“When the Sullivans went through a tough time and just about lost their house to the bank, Rose and Henry stepped in and paid six months back mortgage and another six to get them on their feet.

“When the old Perry dairy farm burned down, killing most of their cows, Rose and Henry pulled together the community and built them a new barn and bought their first five cows. Even helped with their expenses for the first year.

“Even when my dad died and it looked like I was going to have to give up my dream of going to law school, Henry loaned me the money to go to school and lined up a barrage of young boys in town to help my mom with anything she needed around the house. Rose took some of my mom’s quilts to town, showing off her quilting skills, after which she made a living doing something she loved.”

“I knew Grandma had a huge heart, but I had no idea how big. And Grandpa…she rarely spoke of him.”

“Yes. It just about killed her when Henry died. Theirs was a love you usually only read about in novels. It hurt too much to talk about him, I suppose.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. He read the contents of the will, full of words only a lawyer would understand, and handed her a deed, a map, some keys, and an account book.

“Now, the house is a little run down, but I think it won’t be much to fix it up. I’ll get some bids and send out a handyman right away. We’ll get you all fixed up and moved in ASAP.”

“That’s it? I just move in?”

“Well, you have to sign some papers which I’m having my assistant draw up today and they should be ready for you tomorrow or the next day, but yeah. That’s it. There are no other heirs, no contestants, just some paperwork to be filed and signed.”

“Wow.”

“Rose would be thrilled to have someone living in that house again. It’s fully furnished but I’m sure it could use a good cleaning and probably some paint. I haven’t been out there in years. Might be a little spooky at first being so big and run down, but I’m sure you’ll whip it into shape in no time. I can have someone come out and clean it for you, if you like.”

“Thanks, we’ll see.”

“Good. Then my business here is complete. I’m sure you’re exhausted. Did you even have a chance to pack up your bags at school after graduation?”

“Yes. I didn’t have much. I was already half-packed when I got the call from Mom about Grandma, so I was able to finish. ‘Course, most of it is still in my car.”

“No doubt,” he said as he got up and headed for the door. He turned as he opened the door and said, “By the way, congratulations.”

Ella looked at him queerly.

“For graduating college…you know Rose would have been the loudest one there shouting as you took your diploma, if she could have been there.”

Ella smiled and responded, “Well, there wasn’t going to be a ceremony since I graduated in December instead of June, but you’re right. She would have been the loudest and probably the only one there wearing pink in December.”

Marlin laughed heartily. “She did like the color pink, didn’t she?”

Ella smiled meekly and nodded.

“There is one stipulation to this inheritance though, that I must point out. It states, very specifically, that these items cannot be entrusted, gifted, or willed to your mother.”

“Why?”

“Your mother and your grandmother, well, let’s just say they didn’t get along. After the carousing, the drugs, and what your mother put you through during that time, Rose just couldn’t forgive her. Plus there’s always the addiction; Rose felt if your mother came into a lot of money that there would be no way to stop her from getting back into drugs again. That’s why your grandmother gives her such a minimal stipend. It’s just enough to cover utilities, and groceries along with necessities, but over the years your mother often ran to Rose for money and she didn’t want you to have to deal with that.”

“So what if I refuse to sign the stipulation?”

“Then the property will be sold and the money divided up between the town and several charities. Your mother will still receive her monthly stipend until she dies or the money runs out, but I don’t see that happening. There’s still plenty of money in the trust for several lifetimes. You mother won’t ever go homeless or starve; she’ll just have to ask me for money instead of Rose.”

“I see.”

“If you need anything…money, counsel, help, or just someone to hold your hand, you call me. I know you and your mother aren’t very close, so don’t hesitate to call on me. I promise I won’t charge you,” he said jovially and then hugged her tightly. “Love you, kiddo.”

“Thanks, Marlin. Love you too. Say hi to Meme for me,” she said as she released him.

“Oh shoot. I knew I forgot something. Meme got you a little graduation present that I forgot to bring. I’ll make sure I have it when you sign the papers. Don’t tell her. She’ll be barking at me for a week for forgetting.”

“Right. Thanks again,” she said as she turned and sat back down, looking at the items Marlin had given her. Shaking her head in disbelief at her grandmother’s secret stash, she put all the items back into the manila envelope when her mother appeared at the door.

“There you are. I’m sorry, but the Danvilles are leaving and they would like to say goodbye to you,” Patricia said.

“Right. I’ll be right behind you,” Ella said.

Her mother left looking unconvinced that Ella would be following her. Ella looked at the envelope in her hand once more, sighed sadly, and headed for the front door to say her goodbyes to Mr. and Mrs. Danville and several other guests that were heading out.

Chapter 3

The next morning Ella woke to the smell of brewing coffee. Stumbling while putting her slippers on, she grabbed her robe and found her mother downstairs at the kitchen table with the envelope Marlin had given her and its contents spread out on the table.

“What are you doing?” Ella asked .

“Deciding what to do with our new found riches!” Patricia responded excitedly. “I’d love to have one of those new Audis, like Mr. Olsen has, and oh, I can finally redo this kitchen. Wouldn’t a granite island over there be nice with all new stainless steel appliances and…?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back the cart up a bit. First off, what are you doing going through my stuff, and secondly, where does it say on any of the paperwork that this estate has anything to do with you?”

“Well, I am your mother, after all. Surely this money would have gone to your father which then in turn would have gone to me and then to you. The fact that your father died before your grandmother is irrelevant.”

“Hardly.”

“What are you saying? That you aren’t going to give me anything? I barely make ends meet. I deserve to have nice things too. I deserve to be happy. I deserve this money just as much as you.”

Tears welled in her mother’s eyes.

“According to Marlin, you will still receive money from the McKaye Trust. There’s more than you will ever need to live out your life comfortably. As for this,” Ella said waving her hand over the items on the table, “it’s all from Grandma’s family and she very specifically indicated it was to go to me.”

“How specifically?”

“It states in the will that I can’t give or even will any of it to you or the estate will go to the town and some charities. She was worried you would be tempted to get back into drugs if you had large sums of money at your disposal.”

Patricia’s mouth dropped. “What if I need something? You’re telling me I can’t even ask my daughter for help?”

“You can always go to Marlin, Mom. He’ll be in charge of distributing money to you or helping you if something happens,” Ella explained.

“That nosy old bitch! How dare she!” Patricia raged. “After all I did for her. I was nothing but wonderful to her all these years out of respect for Ken. What a nasty old…”

“Don’t say it again. I won’t have you talk about Grandma that way!” Ella yelled back, surprising herself. She’d never raised her voice to her mother—never—but this was her grandmother being defiled.

“What? Don’t you raise your voice at me, Missy. I’ve given you everything. I gave you a roof over your head, food, and clothes. I gave you love. I sent you to college. I gave you my youth—everything.”

“According to Marlin, Grandma gave me all those things—everything but your youth, and that I did not take; that was taken by time.”

“You ungrateful little brat. Get out of my house. Now!” her mother screamed and pointed towards the front door.

Ella said nothing but gathered up the items on the table and put them in the envelope. She went upstairs to her room and started stuffing things into her duffle bag. She heard stomping towards the entry when she heard her mother bellow, “I mean right now! I can’t stand to look at you!”

Ella was relieved she hadn’t unpacked her car from leaving school. The duffle bag was all she had. She stuck her toothbrush in her mouth, her brush into her robe pocket, and grabbed her shoes and the half-zipped duffle bag and headed for the door. Almost out of places to hold things, she shifted the duffle bag to her shoulder and grabbed her purse and her keys and walked out to the car. The front door slammed so hard and so loud that old lady Bell just about tipped over her walker as she passed on the sidewalk.

Her toothbrush still in her mouth, she waved her key-clad hand at the cute Mrs. Bell and smiled as she unlocked her car door and threw all her items in the car. By the time she got everything in the car, her slippers, hair, and robe were all soaking wet.

She deposited the toothbrush in her duffle bag, pulled out the manila envelope that had been the cause of all the excitement this rainy, gray morning, and looked at the map. She entered the address of Grey Manor into the GPS and then called Marlin Howard from her cell phone.

“Hello? Marlin? Hi, it’s Ella McKaye. Mom kicked me out of the house so I guess I will be moving into the estate today, now, in fact.

“…”

“I’m in front of Mom’s house in my car. I just entered the address into the GPS and I’m heading there now.”

“…”

“I can’t come and sign the papers just now. I’m still in my pajamas and I’m soaking wet,” she said, wiping the fogged up side windows as the heater roared. She turned the fan dial to divert the air to the foggy windshield and watched them slowly clear from bottom to top.

“…”

“
Okay then. I’ll see you at the house this afternoon. Thanks.”