Freeing Reese (Tremont Lodge Series Book 3) (8 page)

“Reese, with you, there is never a perfect moment. A guy’s got to be prepared.”

I think about being offended, but Finn is right. And I love that he gets me. Finally, someone loves all of me—no matter what.

When we get to Ted’s office, Georgia is sitting next to Lawson in front of Ted’s empty desk.

“Uh,
hello
,” I say.

“Hi, Reese,” says Georgia. “And Finn.”

Lawson nods at us both. “What’s the matter?” I ask.

“Georgia and I have been talking,” says Lawson.

“I’m not sure that’s all you’ve been doing,” says Finn under his breath though everyone hears him. I shoot him an annoyed look. Georgia grabs Lawson’s hand in an act of solidarity against Finn’s spiteful words.

“So his desk is empty. What’s the point?” I ask.

“You know as well as I do how messy Ted’s office usually is. There’s not a lick of paper on his desk,” he says.

“Okay, so open a drawer. That doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out,” I say.

“You don’t understand,” Lawson says. “There’s not so much as a paperclip. Everything is gone.”

“Maybe he’s getting a new desk,” says Finn.

“This desk was his Grandfather’s,” says Georgia, her usually perfectly styled hair falling in mangled wisps out of the loose bun at her neck, making her look closer to Ted’s age than Lawson’s. “He loves this desk.” She touches it like it’s a piece of prized artwork.

“And that’s not all,” says Lawson. He hands me a piece of paper.

“What’s this?” I ask.

“It’s Ted’s will.”

“Where did you get this?” I ask, taking the paper out of Lawson’s hand.

“Georgia found it.” I raise my eyes skeptically at Georgia, still judging her as the two-timing heartbreaker that’s tearing my new family apart.

“A few months ago Ted gave me the combination to his safe.”

“What safe?” I ask, looking around the room.

“It’s under the bottom drawer of his desk.”

“Do you mean to tell us that whoever cleaned out Ted’s desk had no idea there was a secret safe there?” says Finn.

“That’s exactly what we’re saying,” says Lawson. He puts his arm around Georgia who leans closer toward him.

I open the will and read it aloud.

This is the last will and testament of Ted Oakley made on the 24
th
of December 2014 in the county of Tremont in the state of Michigan. Being of sound mind and not acting under coercion of any other person, I publish this as my last will and testament.

If there are other said wills found dated prior to this will, consider them null and void. I am under the impression that someone may come forward to present another will, but I assure you that this will is the only will to be considered.

I hereby declare that my family consists of my only biological daughter, hereby known as Reese Prentice. Also considered as family is Lawson Oakley, a young man I raised as my son.

I hereby direct that any outstanding debt including, but not limited to funeral and burial expenses, be taken from the surplus fund for Tremont Lodge of which my attorneys at Parrett and Parrett Law firm are aware. They also have a copy of this final will and testament.

I hereby bequeath to Ms. Reese Prentice and Mr. Lawson Oakley an equal share of the holdings of Tremont Lodge in the amount of 34% each with the remaining 32% to be shared by the Tremont Lodge board. In the event that either Reese or Lawson should marry, the spouses are not given any power over Tremont Lodge, though any further heirs will each receive 5 percent of the board’s power in the order of birth. Should there be more than six heirs, then I should be so blessed, and Ms. Reese Prentice and Mr. Lawson Oakley should solve the problem.

I hereby bequeath Ms. Georgia Higgins the pictures of Tremont Lodge that line the hall outside my office as I know they are special to her, and at one time she was also special to me.

Under no circumstances is Helen Lee to receive any of my property, personal or that of the lodge. Her duties at the lodge are to be retired upon my death if they have not already been terminated. Old grudges are hard to bury.

Again, I hereby revoke any prior wills and declare this to be my last will and testament.

December 24, 2014 Mr. Ted Oakley

Witness: Mr. T. Parrett

My hands are shaking when I finish reading the will aloud. “I don’t understand. What does Helen have to do with this?”

“My guess is that she thought she’d inherit some of the lodge upon Ted’s death,” says Lawson.

“For all of her years of silence about what happened with the deaths of our parents,” I finish.

“But do you really think that something that happened so many years ago would come back to hurt the lodge?” asks Finn.

“Ted covered up a potential murder and paid off the coroner to declare my mother’s death an accident. I obviously don’t have contact with any of my mother’s family, but who’s to say there’s not someone out there who will make a claim against the lodge?” I say.

“Or someone from my past, too,” says Lawson. “Plus, in this economy, Tremont Lodge doesn’t need a reputation a story like this could bring.”

“But why would Helen even think she was in the will to begin with?”

“Why do you think she stayed all these years?” says Georgia. “She used to brag about all the changes she’d make when the lodge was hers.”

“I don’t believe that,” I say. “Helen’s been nothing but sweet. She’s been a confidante and a friend. It can’t be true. You have to be wrong.”

“Reese, do you remember the day we found Ted on the floor of his penthouse?” asks Lawson.

“Of course.”

“Didn’t you say that you came to see him at his office first?”

“Yes.”

“And who was sitting at Georgia’s desk?”

I feel the blood draining from my face. “Helen…but she said she was just monitoring things since Georgia left.”

“I was fired, Reese,” says Georgia.

“I know that. I told her that Ted fired you.”

“Ted didn’t fire me.”

“What?”

“Helen fired me. She said it was on Ted’s behalf, of course, that he was too sick to tell me himself, but when I got a text from him in the hospital wondering why I hadn’t visited him, I knew that it was Helen who’d fired me.”

“Do you think…?” I can barely form a complete sentence in my mind.

“When is Ted coming home from the hospital?” Lawson asks.

“Today,” I say. “He texted me a couple of hours ago.”

“Oh my God, no,” says Georgia. “We have to get to him first.”

“He’s not answering his phone,” I say. “Lawson, you and Gloria drive toward the hospital and see if you can flag them down. Finn and I are going up to the penthouse.”

“I’ll text Tinley to find that business card the police gave me and have them meet us at the penthouse. Unless you have the number,” I say.

“I don’t have it. I threw that blasted card away the minute they left my room.”

“Why would Ted cut Helen out of his will, yet let her bring him home from the hospital?” Georgia asks.

“I don’t know. Maybe he thought he could handle this on his own. It’s not the first time he’s tried to avert trouble without anyone finding out. Nothing makes sense. We just need to go,” I say.

“Reese, Finn, careful,” says Lawson. “I mean it.”

I give Lawson a quick hug, and we go our separate ways.

“What do you expect we do when we reach Ted’s suite?” asks Finn.

“I don’t know, Finn! But if it’s true that Helen might be responsible for hurting Ted, then we have to do something!”

We run to the elevator that will take us to the penthouse suite and nearly send a family dressed for the pool sprawling on the lobby floor as we rush by. I punch the access code to the top floor and watch the door open as if in slow motion. At first we don’t make a sound, our ears on high alert. “I don’t think there’s anyone here,” whispers Finn.

“I’m going to check his bedroom. You stay here,” I say.

“Be careful.” Finn kisses me on the check while he mans the elevator.

Ted’s room looks exactly as it did the day we found him lying on the floor, near unconsciousness. The same books, the same coffee mug, the same mess of blankets. He clearly hasn’t been home since.

I hear the elevator ding. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Helen.
I run back down the hall. She is pushing Ted in a wheelchair.

“Reese?” asks Ted.

“Uh, hello. We were hoping to prepare a little welcome home party. It seems you caught us.”

“Oh, yes, yes, a party. How thoughtful of you,” says Helen, a little too sweetly. “But I think what Ted needs is rest. It’s thoughtful of you kids, but maybe come back tomorrow when Ted feels up to company. Don’t you think that’s a good idea?”

I’m not sure if the question is directed at Ted or me, but I answer. “Maybe you’re right, but a short visit will be fine, don’t you think? We can tidy up a bit.” I glance at my phone. Tinley’s message has been delivered.

“Now, Reese, don’t be selfish, honey,” says Helen.

“I really don’t mind if they stay a bit, Helen,” says Ted. “It’s good to talk to people other than those wearing scrubs or lab coats.” He laughs.

“Ha, good point, Ted. Let me roll you to the windows. There’s some great snow out there for skiing today,” I say.

“Like you would know what constitutes good snow for skiing,” says Finn, laughing.

“Did you take Reese skiing yet?” Ted asks.

“I did. She had a rough start but got the hang of it.”

“He’s being too kind,” I say, trying to stall as much as I can. “Can I get you a blanket?” I ask.

“That would be nice,” Ted says.

“Now Mr. Oakley, don’t go giving my job away. No one takes better care of you than Helen.”

“Yes, I suppose that’s true, Helen,” he says, smiling. “Helen, would you mind going into the bathroom and getting me a washcloth with warm water. It might help take away my chill.”

“That’s more like it,” says Helen, as she waddles down the hall and toward the bathroom.

When we hear the water, Ted grabs hold of my shirt and pulls me closer. “Open that drawer over there. Quickly. Hand me the leather bag.”

I don’t ask any questions and have the bag in Ted’s hands before we hear Helen returning. He slips it under the blanket as she places the warm washcloth on his forehead. “All better?” she asks.

“Oh, yes, much. Thank you, Helen.”

“Now kids, I think you best be going. Mr. Oakley is very tired.”

“Actually, I think that Finn and Reese need to stay,” says Ted. The smile leaves his face, and he throws the washcloth to the glass coffee table, soaking the Lake Michigan sailing book sitting on the table.

“Now, Mr. Oakley, you’re being a bit melodramatic. I think the medicine is messing with your mind a bit. It’s to be expected. Let’s get you to bed.”

“No!”

“Excuse me?” Helen says to Ted.

“You are not putting me to bed. You are not touching me. I know what you’ve been doing to me, and it’s going to stop.”

Helen’s face goes as white as a ghost, and I grab hold of Finn’s arm so I don’t fall over. “We know the truth, Helen,” I say, barely a whisper.

“You know?” asks Ted.

“Yes, Georgia used the key to your safe and found your will.”

“Your will is quite safe. I can assure you, Ted. You really need some rest,” says Helen.

“Quit saying I need rest! The next time I rest I may not wake up if you have something to say about it!”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she says. “What is this about?”

“I made a new will, Helen.”

“But…but…you promised me, Ted. You promised me that if I kept your secret, you’d give me part of the lodge as payback. You gave me your word. I have two kids who will be in college in a few years. You can’t change the will. I have it right here. I found it in a stack of papers in your desk just the other day. Why, Georgia had a copy in her desk, too. ” Helen reaches into her oversized Prada knock-off bag and pulls out a stack of papers. You signed this will sixteen years ago.”

“I know I did, Helen, but I never expected to meet my biological daughter and Lawson—you know he’s been like a son to me. The lodge should really stay with family. It’s the way it’s always been. And that includes the financial assets that come with it.”

“But aren’t I family, too, Mr. Oakley? Didn’t I keep your dirty secret? Didn’t I work day in and day out, sacrificing time with my own family to be at your beck and call?”

“You did, Helen, and I was grateful. But you grew threatened by my relationship with Lawson and Reese. You’re a smart woman. You knew I’d add them to my will—and sooner than later with my failing health—so you decided to kill me before I had a chance to change the will.”

“This is ridiculous,” says Helen, stepping toward the elevator.

“No. What’s ridiculous is that I would still have left you some inheritance in the will, Helen, if you hadn’t grown so paranoid as to try to hurt me.”

“You can’t prove any of this.”

“The coffee cup,” I blurt out.

“What?” asks Helen.

“The coffee cup on Ted’s nightstand the day we found him on the floor. It’s still there. I remember because it looked so out of place, like a child had made it.”

“Liam,” Helen says quietly. Then her eyes grow as large as saucers and she runs for the bedroom. I sprint after her and tackle her to the ground before she even gets to the doorway of Ted’s bedroom. Finn is not far behind. Helen is clawing to be free of my grasp, but I’m not letting go.

Ted stands behind Finn. “I’ll break you, Ted. I’ll tell everyone about the murder sixteen years ago. The reputation of your beloved Tremont Lodge will be tarnished forever,” says Helen, inching her way toward the bedroom.

“And who’s going to believe a vindictive employee?”

Helen scrambles out of my reach and pulls something from her back pocket. The shiny blade is long and serrated, and she’s aiming it at me. “Don’t come near me—any of you. Without that cup you have no proof that I poisoned Ted. And you’ll never get your hands on it—or me.” Finn pushes me behind him and out of the closest striking vicinity. Helen grabs hold of the cup, and holding the knife outstretched, she wards us all off. When the elevator bell rings, all of us jump, even Helen, but she seizes the moment as her chance to escape. “That girl! That girl is trying to kill me!” she yells to Officer Kanicki and Officer Folet who are followed by Lawson and Gloria.

“What the hell is going on?” asks Lawson.

Helen repeats herself. “Reese Prentice just tried to kill me!” she shouts, running onto the elevator She looks deranged, nothing like the sweet, loving woman who took me under her wing when I started cleaning at the lodge. What is happening?

“It’s not true! She’s lying! Officers, do something!” I shout.

“It’s me she tried to poison, and she’s taking the evidence!” yells Ted.

Finn jumps onto the elevator before the doors close, and I feel my heart leave my chest as the door closes behind them. “You’ve got to do something! She has a knife. She’s crazy.”

Officer Folet takes charge for once and gives orders to Officer Kanicki who is looking very confused. “Are there stairs?” Officer Folet asks.

“Yes, there’s a private set of stairs down the hall that opens onto the main floor. It’s locked from the lobby side, but you can get out,” says Lawson.

“Kanicki, you find those stairs. I’ll take the next elevator down in case she decides to ride back up. Mr. Oakley, I assume you have some sort of evidence to prove your case because Ms. Prentice and Lawson here were looking pretty guilty.”

“I have proof,” he says faintly, dropping to the couch. “And not just that coffee cup.”

“Don’t just stand there! Go get Helen before she hurts Finn!” I yell.

Officer Kanicki and Lawson run down the private stairway. I call Luis to warn him of the impending danger, and to do everything within his power to block Helen from leaving the lodge.

Just then the elevator dings. At first I think the elevator is empty, but then I see Finn lying on the ground, slumped against the back of the compartment. “Oh my God!” I rush to his side. “Finn, you’re bleeding! Georgia, get me a towel!” Officer Folet pushes
hold
on the elevator door. When Georgia returns seconds later, she throws me a very nice stack of expensive bath towels. I can’t rip them. They’re too thick. Instead I blot at the wound on his arm, trying to stop the bleeding. Then I take a roll of tape from Ted and wrap it tightly around the towel. I hear Officer Folet calling for back-up and paramedics.

“Where did you learn to do first-aid?” asks Finn, weakly.

“You never listen. Typical male. I was a Girl Scout, silly boy. Now don’t talk. Just rest.” Georgia hands me a pillow for Finn’s head. “Help is on the way.”

“I think we need to get Finn off the elevator so the paramedics can get their supplies up here,” says Georgia.

“You’re right.” Officer Folet, Georgia, and I get Finn upright enough to move toward the couch.” We pause for only a second, and Ted reads our minds.

“It’s okay,” he says. “White really is an impractical color for a couch. It’s time I do some updating now that I’m not dying after all.” No one laughs, and we settle Finn back onto the couch.

I drop to my knees next to Finn’s head. “It’s okay, baby. The paramedics will be here soon. But I’m…I’m…” The tears start to fall, staining Ted’s perfect couch.

“But what, Reese?” he asks, weakly twirling a strand of my hair around his finger.

“I’m still mad at you for jumping on that elevator. You could have been killed.”

“Well, I thought I could take an overweight old lady.” He does his best attempt at making a muscle.

“But, even so, it’s not quite a fair fight when your opponent is driven by adrenaline and crazed out of her mind.”

“And is wielding a knife,” says Georgia.

“Yes, Georgia, thanks for the reminder,” I say.

I grab hold of Finn’s hand and turn to look at Georgia. “Georgia, why are you here?”

“What do you mean?”

“I thought that when Ted found out—and then when Lawson knew you’d danced with another man—that…”

“That I’d leave the lodge for good?”

“Well, yes.”

“It’s hard to explain love, Reese. I love Ted.” She smiles at him, and he smiles in return. “But I’m
in
love
with Lawson, and no amount of trying to test the waters with others could change my heart.”

“And that’s okay with you, Ted?” I can’t help but ask.

“Reese, when you find out you don’t have a debilitating disease after all and that you’re not dying, your perspective on life changes. I’m just happy to be alive, and love isn’t love if it’s not forgiving.”

I ponder his statement as the elevator opens and the paramedics wheel out the stretcher for Finn. “I’m going with you,” I say.

“Are you family?” the female paramedic asks.

“Yes,” says Finn. “She’s my fiancé.” He winks at me. At least this time I won’t need a disguise to get into the hospital.