The Family Tree: a psychological thriller Read online

  “She’s in her usual cheery mood,” Aaron said under his breath.

  Lola stopped inches from me and then looked at Aaron. “Excuse me for interrupting.” She cut to me. “I need to speak with you in private.”

  I gritted my teeth. Her arrogance and nicotine breath grated on my last nerve, but since she was Patsy’s sister, I gave her some leeway. “Can it wait five minutes?”

  “It’s about the will.” Lola’s face pinched tighter than her tone. “You really need to come with me.”

  The will. Patsy must have left me something. Why else would Lola need me? Patsy had told me many times how she’d planned to leave everything to Annette and her nephews.

  Aaron patted my shoulder. “Go ahead and do what you need to, but I do have to leave soon.”

  What I needed was to scrub my hands. Instead, I followed Lola across the deck and into the crowded country kitchen. Grief swelled in my chest.

  I looked at everyone and no one, cringing under the prying eyes and sorry faces of people who knew how close I’d been to Patsy. Clear-wrapped platters of deviled eggs and rolled-up meats lined the countertops and dinette table. Nausea rolled through my empty stomach.

  “We’re set up in here, Jolene.” Lola turned into the formal dining room off the kitchen.

  Heavy white drapes covered the windows. The low-lit chandelier kept the room dim. Patsy had reserved dining in this room for special occasions like Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays, and other celebrations. This was my last time at this table. The flat-faced man from the funeral stood and politely nodded. A file sat on the table in front of him. Papers were stapled to light-blue legal stationery. He held out his hand. “Miss Parker, my name is Benjamin Clayborn. I’m the attorney and executor of the last will and testament of Patsy Farr. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  The attorney had addressed me like I was an important member of Patsy’s family. “Thank you.” I sat at the table across from him, anxious to get to the point.

  Lola sat next to me, her eyes laser sharp and ready to burn through flesh.

  Benjamin clicked his pen. Twice. “Now that everyone is here, as per Miss Farr’s request, I will read out her last will and testament.”

  I squirmed in my chair, uneasy under Lola’s glare as the attorney read.

  “In the event of the death of my daughter, Annette Farr, I bequeath my entire estate to Jolene Parker, who has been like a daughter to me.” He paused.

  “What?” I choked on the word and looked at Lola. “Patsy always told me if something happened to Annette, the property was going to her family.”

  “That’s what we all thought,” Lola spat out. “And there’s no way in hell I’m going to let an outsider take what belongs to our family.”

  I grabbed hold of the edge of the cherrywood table. I wasn’t an outsider, but what would she know about my bond with Patsy and Annette? “When did you hear about this?”

  “Yesterday, when I arrived. I went through Patsy’s files and found a copy of the will. I saw Benjamin was the executor, so I called his law firm.”

  “So, you’ve already read the will?”

  “Ohhh, yes.” Lola wagged a finger at me. “And something doesn’t smell right. Patsy only left me token pieces of jewelry and a few worthless family heirlooms.”

  Benjamin cleared his throat. “This change was made soon after Annette was diagnosed with cancer. We have witnesses who can attest that Patsy was of sound mind and body when she made these revisions. She’d gone through lengths to have that verified.”

  Lola pounded a fist on the table. “But why?”

  I looked at the attorney for an answer.

  “Patsy had come to realize Jolene was like her own child,” he said. “She wanted to make sure that, if something happened to her, Jolene and her children would inherit the property—”

  “You!” Lola pointed a finger at me. Fiery red color rose on her neck. “You must have had some kind of magical hold on Patsy for her to make such a stupid ass decision.”

  Scooting my chair back, I put more distance between us. I wasn’t prepared for this battle. “I didn’t know. I swear—”

  The attorney coughed. “Excuse me, ladies. I need to finish reading the will. There are some stipulations.”

  I sat back, but my restless legs wiggled, so I placed my palms flat on each thigh and pressed down. One, two, three, four, five. Stay still.

  Benjamin continued reading. “Because I want to keep the property in the hands of the people I love, the transfer of title is subject to Jolene Parker taking up residence. The house may not be rented. The house is only transferable to Jolene’s children and cannot be sold during the lifetime of Jolene Parker. It is my desire that the property will not languish and become abandoned. I do this because I know Jolene will love and care for this property the same as I did. To avoid any financial burden on the beneficiary, I have left funds in a trust account for the sole purpose of paying property taxes for the next twenty years. The house has no mortgage. The title is free and clear. Full transfer of title is to take place upon Jolene Parker’s agreement to these terms, which I trust she will accept.”

  Lola leaned over the table, scowling at Benjamin. She raised her voice. “What if she doesn’t accept?” Then she turned to me, her rigid face an inch from mine. “You need to do the right thing. The property belongs to my family.”

  I leaned back. I didn’t want to take something which wasn’t mine. “I didn’t ask for this. It’s what Patsy wanted. She made that clear.”

  The attorney lifted his eyes to Lola then back to the will. “In the unlikely event that Jolene Parker decides not to accept the estate, then the full title shall be transferred to the Church of All Saints under terms of non-development for fifty years.”

  Lola shook her finger at Benjamin. “I’m telling you Patsy wasn’t in her right mind. I won’t just walk away.”

  Benjamin clicked his pen twice, his expression stiff. “There is a request, a wish Patsy added into the will, which applies to anyone who inherits the property.”

  I blinked five times. It irked me that Benjamin clicked the pen two times instead of five. But I needed to listen to every word.

  “The family tree shall not be cut down,” he read, “but allowed to grow for generations like the tree at Patsy’s grandmother’s house in North Carolina.”

  “That damned tree!” Lola slammed her hand on the table. “Why was she always so obsessed with that fucking tree?”

  I’d asked myself the same question many times over the years.

  Benjamin took off his glasses and looked at me. “Miss Parker. You have forty-eight hours to decide if you will take ownership and residence of the property or donate it to the church.” He slid a copy of the will and his business card to me across the table. “I’ll wait to hear your decision.”

  My head spun. Ownership and residence. Live in this house? Benjamin kept talking, trying to convince Lola the will was ironclad.

  “Excuse me, Benjamin.” I stood and offered a handshake. “I need to go outside and see some people before they leave. I’ll be in touch within forty-eight hours.”

  “Jolene,” Lola said, “we’re not finished talking.”

  I looked at Benjamin. “Do you need me for anything else?”

  He stood and shook my hand. “We’re finished until I hear back from you.”

  “Have a great day, then.” I left through the opening into the kitchen with my head swirling in a tornado of surprise and grief. Patsy had bequeathed me her entire estate.

  “There you are.”

  I heard a familiar woman’s voice, and my feet hesitated on the tiled kitchen floor. My vision slowly came to focus. Melissa, Nancy, and Denise stood at the kitchen counter wearing droopy smiles. I counted in my head. One, two, three, four, five. “Hi, guys.”

  Nancy poured white wine into glasses. “We’ve been looking for you.”

  Denise plucked another glass off the wine rack under the cupboard. “Come have a drink with us.�
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  I rubbed my hands together and shuffled my feet toward the back door. “I’d love to, but I can’t. My kids are here. I-I need to get back outside.”

  Melissa pulled me into the group. “Join us for a minute. I was just letting the gang know that I might have to move to Richmond.”

  “No kidding.” Acting interested drained my energy, but I couldn’t keep cutting people out of my life. “What’s in Richmond?”

  “My Aunt Kelly. My mom’s older sister. She’s had Parkinson’s for a while, but it’s getting worse. She needs someone living at the house with her.” Melissa sighed. “I’m just hoping I don’t have to permanently move away from the beach.”

  Nancy slung an arm over Melissa’s shoulder, slurring her words. “Girrrl, I’m not letting you go. You belong here with us.”

  I’d heard enough. “Look, guys, I need to get back outside to my kids—”

  “Wait just one minute.” Denise snatched her cell phone off the counter. “Before we lose you again, I’m planning a girl’s night out. You need to meet up with us.” Her pink-polished fingertips slid over the phone screen. “Give me your number, and we’ll stay in touch.”

  “Don’t say no,” Nancy grinned, the wrinkles around her eyes deepening.

  Melissa gave me pleading, puppy dog eyes. “You’ve been through a lot these past months. We just don’t think you should go through this all alone.”

  Warmth spread down my shoulders. I was grateful for their kindness. They’d tried to get me to meet up with everyone after Annette’s funeral, too. I hadn’t wanted to socialize back then, and I wanted to even less now, but I appreciated the thought. “Sounds great.” I gave her my cell number, knowing I’d never go out.

  Using tunnel vision, I made my getaway outside to the deck, ignoring the stares and murmurs of mourners. My head grew dizzy as I stepped down to the lawn. I paused at the bottom of the stairs, gripping the handrail. It was all too much to wrap my head around.

  Patsy left me this house.

  This inheritance annihilated any doubts I’d had about my place in Patsy’s heart. She’d loved me like a daughter—loved me more than her own blood. She’d left me everything because she’d cared for me. Tears welled in my eyes and I pressed a hand against my chest, covering the gaping hole left by death when it ripped out my heart.

  Lola’s anger was understandable, but I couldn’t let the guilt I felt that Patsy had left her sister so little diminish the huge amount of love she’d had for me.

  I turned my focus to Jennifer picking wildflowers along the tree line. Eric under the gazebo, tossing a baseball in the air and catching it over and over again. Aaron sat at the picnic table under the shady family tree, head down, pecking his finger on his phone. My family. Or what was left of it.

  Aaron caught my gaze and jumped up, observing me with raised brows.

  Keeping him out of my personal life had helped me move on from the divorce, but this news was too big to keep to myself.

  Buck up, girl. My knees wobbled and my hands shook, but with the count of each step I gained a grain of strength. One, two, three, four, five. One, two, three, four, five. I continued counting in perfect sequence, warding off any bad luck.

  Chapter Four

  I sat on the picnic table bench next to Aaron, bouncing my leg as I watched him absorb the news.

  He shook his head, momentarily speechless. “Patsy left you this house?”

  I glanced at the twins, distracted by a plate of cupcakes being passed around by Mrs. Nichols. Then I turned back to Aaron. “The land. Everything.”

  “I figured Lola wanted to see you because Patsy had left you a keepsake in the will. But this?” He waved his hand across the expanse of the house and land. “What about the mortgage? You can’t—”

  “There is none. Patsy owned the property free and clear. Just paid property taxes.”

  “That can’t be cheap.”

  “Will be for me. She’d set up a trust specifically to pay taxes for the next twenty years.”

  “The fuck? You’ve just inherited a property worth over a million dollars, and you don’t have to worry about paying taxes?” Aaron rose and turned in a slow circle, his eyes surveying the property. “This is huge. You could sell and make a fortune.”

  I shook my head. “Can’t. The will stipulates I have to live in the house and keep this land in my family. I have to pass it down to Jennifer and Eric.”

  “What? Why can’t you sell?”

  “Patsy didn’t want that. She wanted me to live here with my children. Carry on her legacy.”

  “Legacy?” Aaron laughed. “Sorry, but you’re nothing like Patsy.”

  I was only half-offended. No one could replace Patsy and her joie de vivre. The annual Fourth of July parties. The endless backyard summer barbeques with neighbors and friends. Spontaneous bonfires and oyster roasts on cool Autumn nights. I didn’t have the passion for hosting year-round parties. I preferred to keep my circle close and closed. Not because I was antisocial, but because I never knew when a trigger might set me off. If the wrong thought popped into my head, I’d need a safe place to satisfy my urge to count or tap or scrub. To cleanse my hands. I needed privacy.

  “Patsy was one of a kind,” I said. “But as far as actually inheriting this house, I’m not calling the moving company just yet. Lola is making noise about contesting the will even though the attorney said the will is ironclad.”

  “Lola?” Aaron smirked. “That stretched piece of leather doesn’t have a leg to stand on. You’ll get the property.”

  I’d seen that sparkle in his eyes before. Dollar signs. Like the rest of his investment-minded family. No doubt, Aaron saw this inheritance as an opportunity. I couldn’t blame him, but I wanted to get back to our discussion. “We’ll wait and see what happens.” I sighed. “Let’s get back to our conversation about me having more time with the twins.”

  He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Why not? As long as you keep taking your medication, then I see no reason for you not to get shared custody back. I’ll even recommend it to the court.”

  My muscles relaxed. The efforts at proving my stability and hiding my compulsions were paying off. “I appreciate all the support you’ve been giving me lately.”

  “At the end of the day, I want what’s best for both you and the kids. They’ll be better off if they can spend more time with their mother.”

  Filled with gratitude, I smiled. Regardless of our ups and downs, we both wanted the best for the other. “Thanks, Aaron.”

  He nodded. “And if you move into this house, all the better. Besides getting out of that cramped townhouse, the kids can finally get a dog.”

  A dog? Sure, the kids had begged for a dog plenty of times. Eric asked for a puppy every birthday. But Aaron was allergic to dog hair, so no matter how much they pleaded, he couldn’t let them have a pet. After the separation, I’d promised the kids, once I found a house with a yard, we’d get a dog from the rescue shelter. I hadn’t gotten around to that yet. “Yeah. A dog. Kids would like that.”

  “If it all goes well, and you’re up to it, you can have the kids for a week over the Summer.”

  “A full week?” My tone went up a notch. “Are you serious?”

  “As a trial. We can see how it goes for you.”

  “I’d really love that. So would the kids.”

  Jennifer and Eric ran toward us with cupcakes and cookies in hand. I had to pull it together for their sake. They needed to see I was better now—no longer jumpy, edgy, talking to myself or scrubbing my hands. And Aaron knew I wasn’t drinking anymore. At least not around him or the twins.

  Aaron rested his hand on my shoulder and exhaled through his nose. “Sorry about this, but we need to leave in twenty minutes. The kids have a birthday party this afternoon.”

  I nodded, but my insides hurt. I didn’t like not being a daily part of my children’s lives. Pasting on my best smile, I clapped my hands together and looked at the children. “Let’s take a walk, guys
. I want to hear about your plans for summer.”

  The three of us walked the grounds as the twins chattered about summer camp and piano lessons. Then, Old Man Baker caught my attention. He was in his wheelchair under the family tree. He lifted an arm and pointed a crooked finger at the trunk. His lips moved like he was speaking, but I was too far away to hear any words.

  A chill brushed against my neck. My mind flashed back to the day Annette and I had come home from the nursery with the tree. Old Man Baker’s voice played in my head. You girls plantin’ a tree in this heat?

  I picked at the sensation of grime under my fingernails as Noah circled the tree, running his fingers over the rough bark and talking to his father. What was he saying?

  Jennifer’s voice broke in. “When do we get to see you again, Mommy?”

  I snapped back to the moment and wiped my sweaty hands on my dress. I was reading too much into what Noah and his father were discussing. My children were at my side, and I wouldn’t waste time feeding paranoid thoughts. I stroked Jennifer’s hair. “Soon, baby. Your father and I are working something out.”

  I led the children for a walk around the tree-lined perimeter of the property. A squirrel scampered across the lawn and ran up the trunk of a loblolly pine.

  Eric pointed to a red-breasted robin with a worm in its mouth. “Mom, look.” He tugged on my dress sleeve. “Do you think it’s going to chew it up and regurgitate it to her babies?”

  I chuckled. Eric shared my love of nature. It was my curiosity and joy for nature which inspired my work as a primary school life sciences teacher. I liked showing children how connected we all were to the Earth. “It’s quite possible.”

  Jennifer dragged her feet along the plush lawn. I took her hand. “What’s on your mind, sweetie?”

  She sighed. “Daddy told us India is moving into the house with us this Summer.”

  My neck straightened. Now it made sense. Aaron was ready for me to have the children because he wanted more private time with his girlfriend. I didn’t blame him for moving on. “Oh? How are you feeling about that?”