Grave Misgivings (18 page)

“Maddie Graves, I swear,” Christy said. “Every time I think I have you figured out, you turn around and surprise me.”

“And don’t you forget it.”

Maude wasn’t thrilled to see Maddie’s name pop up on her cell phone when it began to ring. “Good grief.”

She was gathered around Beverly’s kitchen table with a handful of friends, and they were halfway through a euchre tournament and barely into a fresh fifth of bourbon. She considered ignoring the call, but she figured Maddie was the type to worry enough to stop whatever she was doing and drive into town to check on her. No one wanted that.

“I’m fine and I’m still alive,” Maude said, rolling her eyes for her friends’ benefit as she answered the phone.

“Good,” Maddie said, and for a moment Maude could practically picture her annoyed face from ten miles away. “I thought you were going to ignore my call there for a second.”

Maude scowled. She loved Maddie more than life itself, but that psychic streak she boasted was downright annoying sometimes. “Would I do that?”

“Yes.” There was no hesitation on Maddie’s part.

“Well, as you can hear with your own ears, I’m fine,” Maude said. “There’s no reason to worry about me.”

“As much as I love you, I’m actually not calling to check up on you,” Maddie said. “I need some help.”

Maude made a face. “Help? From me? I’m actually really busy right now.”

“Doing what?”

“Um … we’re planning a charity drive,” Maude said.

“With bourbon and cards?”

“Stop doing that,” Maude hissed. “You know I don’t like it.”

“Granny, I’m not asking you to go anywhere or stop what you’re doing,” Maddie said. “I need some information from you on Rose and Big Jim Denton.”

Maude stilled, surprised. “Why are you asking questions about them?”

“Well, for starters, I ran into Rose while I was here.”

“But she’s … oh,” Maude said, getting up from the table. “I’ll be right back, ladies. Take a break. No one touch that glass of bourbon. I’m not done with it.”

Maude secluded herself in Beverly’s den, closing the door to cut off errant eavesdroppers, and then sat down. “Okay. I’m alone now. Has she been up there this whole time?”

“Yes,” Maddie said. “Did you know her very well?”

“I knew her, but I wouldn’t say I knew her well,” Maude said. “She was a good woman. She definitely deserved better than the likes of Jim Denton. I don’t understand why she’s still hanging around. She died in her sleep.”

“She was smothered in her sleep,” Maddie corrected.

“She was? Who did it?”

“She doesn’t know,” Maddie said. “Christy and I were talking, and she told me about Big Jim’s history.”

“You mean the fact that he humped anything that moved?”

“Yes … and don’t say ‘humped.’ It grosses me out.”

“Do you think Big Jim killed Rose?” Maude asked, ignoring Maddie’s prudish comment. “I wouldn’t put it past him.”

“He’s on the top of my suspect list, but Christy mentioned something about one particular maid who spent years with Big Jim,” Maddie said. “She said that this maid wanted to marry Big Jim, but Rose was standing in her way.”

“Oh, you’re talking about Rosario,” Maude said. “Yeah, I remember her.”

“Rosario what?”

Maude racked her brain. “I think her last name was Torres. She turned up out of nowhere one day. No one could figure out why a woman like her would end up in a place like Blackstone Bay.”

“Because she was Hispanic?”

“Don’t get all high and mighty,” Maude chided. “It was a different time. Blackstone Bay was all white. Heck, it’s still mostly all white. It wasn’t a racist thing. It was a culture thing.”

“No one knows where Rosario came from?”

“No,” Maude said. “There were rumors about her departure, though. Apparently she just took off in the middle of the night. Some people thought Big Jim killed her because she was pregnant and he didn’t want her to ruin his reputation.”

“What do you believe?”

“Big Jim was an ass,” Maude said. “I don’t know that he had the stones to kill someone, though. He thought he was enough of a big muckity-muck to get away with anything. If Rosario really was pregnant, I think Jim would’ve found a way to take care of the kid and her.”

“What about Rose? Do you think he would’ve killed her? Rose said they had separate bedrooms and they pretty much did whatever they wanted and led separate lives.”

“I think Jim had the best of both worlds,” Maude said. “Rose not only looked the other way where his infidelities were concerned, but she encouraged him to get his rocks off with other women just so she wouldn’t have to touch him.”

“Did you ever meet Rosario?”

“A couple of times,” Maude said. “She was a real ball buster. You would think I would like that in a person, but she had a sneaky quality about her that I just couldn’t stomach.”

“Meaning?”

“She was just full of herself.”

“Do you think she could’ve killed Rose?”

“I wouldn’t put it past her,” Maude said. “What are you going to do to help Rose?”

“Whatever I can,” Maddie said. “Listen, something else is going on up here.” She told Maude about the past few days at the Denton mansion. When she was done, Maude was flabbergasted.

“Holy wiggle worms,” Maude said. “Do you think Cassidy is dead?”

“I don’t know,” Maddie said. “I … that’s not the feeling I’m getting. Rose is going to see if she can find her. For now, though, we’re waiting.”

“You be careful, Maddie girl,” Maude said. “It sounds like things could go from bad to worse up there before you even realize what’s going on.”

“I’m being careful. We’re coming home tomorrow regardless.”

“What about the … thing … in the house?”

“I think the thing is up here,” Maddie said. “I think it’s a poltergeist. I don’t know why it found me at home, but I’m pretty sure this is where it lives.”

“What does Nick think about all of this?”

“Nick is struggling with it the same way I am,” Maddie said. “It’s a lot to grapple with.”

“It’s definitely a lot to grapple with,” Maude said. “Keep me in the loop if something happens. And, Maddie girl, I love you.”

“I love you, too, Granny.”

“I’m going to stop loving you if you don’t stop calling me that,” Maude grumbled, although she didn’t mean it.

“WELL,
if what Maude says is right, that changes things, doesn’t it?” Christy said, pouring herself a drink and offering one to Maddie.

“I thought you were done drinking for the rest of your life?”

“We both knew that wasn’t going to stick,” Christy said, unruffled. “I need something to soothe my nerves. Do you think Rosario killed Rose and then someone turned around and killed Rosario?”

“I think that someone killed Rose, and Rosario is looking like a better suspect than Big Jim right now,” Maddie said. “We don’t have any proof that Rosario is dead.”

“We don’t have any proof that she’s alive either.”

That was a good point. “I just don’t know,” Maddie said. “I’m hoping to get a chance to talk to Rose again tonight. If we’re lucky, she’ll find Cassidy and then find me.”

“Are you feeling lucky?”

“I’ve been feeling lucky ever since I got back to town,” Maddie said. “Let’s hope it holds.”

“What are you two gossiping about in here?” Marla asked, poking her head into the library and glancing around disdainfully.

“We’re just talking about where Cassidy might be,” Maddie said. That wasn’t a total lie. It wasn’t the complete truth either, though.

“Oh, don’t pretend you care,” Marla said, sauntering the rest of the way into the room and striking a pose next to the couch. “If Cassidy is dead, that makes your life a heck of a lot easier, doesn’t it?”

Anger boiled in the pit of Maddie’s stomach. “How can you even say something like that?”

“Because it’s the truth,” Marla said.

“What’s going on in here?” Nick asked, appearing in the doorway. His gaze bounced between Maddie and Marla nervously. “Marla, why don’t you go and spread your light and joy to everyone else out on the patio?”

“Why don’t you butt out,” Marla suggested, wrinkling her nose. “Maddie and I were just having a little discussion about how her life is going to be so much better now that Cassidy is probably dead.”

“Shut your mouth,” Nick snapped.

Christy reached over and grabbed his arm, shaking her head as she watched Maddie. Maddie didn’t miss the gesture, but she couldn’t spare time to think about it because she was about to explode.

“You’re just so … awful,” Maddie said, glaring at Marla. “You’re not happy unless you’re making everyone else miserable. Why is that?”

“I’m not the one throwing a party because my rival is dead,” Marla shot back.

“Cassidy isn’t my rival,” Maddie said. “Cassidy is a sad woman who had her heart broken. If you think I’m happy about that, you’re wrong. I feel for her. I really do. I never wanted her to get hurt in all of this.”

“That didn’t stop you from stealing her boyfriend, did it?”

“I didn’t steal Nick,” Maddie said, her blue eyes flashing. “I came back to town to build a life for myself. Did I think Nick was going to be part of it? I didn’t know. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping for it, though.

“The thing you don’t seem to understand is that I’ve always loved Nick,” she continued. “He’s always been my whole heart. Before you even start in on your crap about me leaving town, you’re right. I shouldn’t have left. I was dealing with some stuff then and I handled it terribly. I’m not proud of it. If I had it to do all over again, I would do it differently.

“I still didn’t steal Nick from Cassidy,” Maddie said. “If I’d never returned to town, Nick was still going to break up with her. It probably would’ve happened sooner than it did, in fact.”

“You don’t know that,” Marla said. “Nick could’ve fallen in love with Cassidy.”

“No, he couldn’t have,” Maddie said, her face plaintive. “He was never going to love her. It’s taken me a long time to come to grips with certain things, but I know that Nick loves me. I also know that I love him. We’re meant to be together.

“That doesn’t mean I want Cassidy hurt, and I especially don’t want her dead,” Maddie said. “I’m sick of it, though. I’m sick of all of it. I’m sick of your glares and Cassidy’s pouting. I’m sick of you whispering about me behind my back. I’m especially sick of you keeping Cassidy’s hopes up through lies. Even if Nick and I break up tomorrow, he’s not going back to her.

“Enough is enough, Marla,” Maddie said. “I’m starting to think everyone else is right. This isn’t about Cassidy at all. This is about your crush on Nick. You’ve always wanted him. You convinced yourself I was the reason you couldn’t have him. The truth is, you can’t have him because you’re mean and awful and he would never love someone like that.”

“You’re just so full of yourself,” Marla spat.

“I’m also done playing this game,” Maddie said. “I’m not scared of you. I’m done trying to hide my happiness because it might upset others. I have everything in my life that I’ve ever wanted. I’m going to enjoy it. You might want to try and find some happiness for yourself because I’m not going to let you tear me down ever again. I’m done.”

Marla opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Maddie’s diatribe had clearly taken the wind out of her sails. Instead of saying something hateful, Marla surprised everyone by turning on her heel and flouncing out of the room without a backward glance.

Once it was just the three of them, Christy broke into applause. “That was awesome. Good job, Maddie.”

Maddie glanced up at Nick, worried he was going to be disappointed with her minor fit. The broad grin on his face told her he was feeling something entirely different. “What?” Maddie asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

“You’re my hero, Maddie Graves,” Nick said, swooping closer and pulling her in for a hug. “I love you more than anything in this world.”

“I love you,” Maddie said, burying her face in his neck.

“I’m going to leave you two to your mutual love association,” Christy said, heading for the door. “You have twenty minutes until dinner. You’d probably better make it count.”

“We have our whole lives,” Nick said, rubbing the back of Maddie’s head as he kissed her neck. “We have forever.”

“So, does anyone want to tell us what happened in that library?” Aaron asked, his gaze bouncing between Maddie and a murderous-looking Marla as they settled around the dinner table.

“Nothing,” Marla said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Oh, please,” Christy said. “Maddie laid down the law and finally put Marla in her place. It was glorious.”

“It was nothing of the sort,” Marla said.

“Oh, it was,” Christy countered.

“I’m sorry I missed it,” Lauren said. “What did Maddie say to her?”

“She just told her she’d had it with Marla building herself up by tearing others down and that she was going to ignore her from now on and focus on being happy,” Christy said. “She also told her that she didn’t have a shot with Nick and she could suck it.”

“I didn’t say that,” Maddie said.

“You did say it, just not in that way,” Christy said. “I embellished a little. I was putting my spin on it.”

Nick grinned as he slung an arm around the back of Maddie’s chair. “My girl was pretty hot in there … in more ways than one.”

“And just when I thought I’d beaten my hangover you made me sick to my stomach again,” Brian teased. “Nice job.”

Nick shot him a thumbs-up. “I aim to please.”

Over a dinner of red wine-infused steaks, baby red potatoes, and Caesar salad, everyone did their best to relax and enjoy the night. It was hard with the pall of Cassidy’s disappearance hanging over them.

Max and Aaron started regaling everyone with stories about their childhood, and when one particular story touched on Big Jim Denton, Maddie saw her opening.

“I’ve heard a lot about your grandfather,” she said. “What was it like to grow up with him in the same house?”

“He died when I was fifteen,” Aaron said. “There are a lot of tall tales about Gramps, but I’m not sure how many of them are really true. If you believe my mother, none of them are true. I think she just didn’t want me to act like him, though. If you ask my father, they’re all true. He thinks Gramps was a larger-than-life character straight out of a movie.”

“What do you think?” Christy asked.

“I think that my grandfather was very nice to me,” Aaron said. “I also think he was a terror when it came to the staff and, from what I can tell, he was a righteous dirtbag when it came to women.”

Well, this was almost too easy. “I … um … heard about your grandfather’s reputation when it came to women,” Maddie said. “Do you think that was all true?”

“Oh, it was true,” Aaron said. “Even when he was older he was still handsy. Finally, my father had to tell him to stop groping the maids. Dad was terrified we were going to be sued. The way Gramps did things in the seventies and eighties was not the way my dad wanted to do things.”

“What did your mother think?” Lauren asked, helping Maddie without even realizing it.

“Mom wasn’t Gramps’ biggest fan,” Aaron said, smirking. “She had to be nice to him, though. She didn’t have a choice. The big house was his, and if she wanted to live in it, she had to put up with his … proclivities. It killed her, though.

“Mom loves this house,” he continued. “It’s a status symbol to her. While Gramps was in the big room, though, she had to either put up or shut up. When Gramps died, I think she was secretly happy.”

“That’s horrible,” Lauren said.

“Like I said, I loved Gramps,” Aaron replied, nonplussed. “I can see why he pissed people off, though. As a teenager, all the life advice he gave to me seemed like a great idea in theory. You can imagine my surprise when it didn’t pan out in real life.”

Max snorted. “I particularly liked it when you walked up to that woman at the mall and told her that you were rich so she should strip,” he said. “What were you, fourteen?”

Aaron blushed. “Right around there. The woman was thirty. He told me that’s how you get women,” he said. “I took it literally when I probably shouldn’t have.”

Everyone chuckled, the idea of a fourteen-year-old boy hitting on a grown woman entertaining everyone. As amused as she was, Maddie wanted to get more dirt on Big Jim.

“What about your grandmother?” Maddie asked. “How did she put up with your grandfather?”

“I don’t know,” Aaron said. “The truth is, no one ever really talked about her much while I was growing up.”

“That’s sad,” Christy said. “You don’t know anything about her?”

“I know that she didn’t like Gramps very much and she was considered a bad reflection on the family when she decided to get a job as a nurse,” Aaron said. “The interesting thing is, she sounds like one of the only members of my family who was truly a good person.”

“Did your dad ever talk about her?” Nick asked.

“Not a lot,” Aaron said. “I think he respected her, though. He never talked about her in front of Gramps. I got the feeling it was a sore subject. He did mention her a couple of times, and it always felt like he had a lot of regrets where she was concerned.”

“Meaning?”

“Dad admits he was a bratty kid,” Aaron said. “Despite how entitled my mom felt – and that’s exactly the way she wanted to raise me – Dad put his foot down with a lot of her weird ideas.

“She wanted me to go to private school, but Dad said there was nothing wrong with public school, and she wanted to force me to date in … higher class … circles,” he continued. “Dad said the only thing I was going to find there was misery. That really set her off because that’s how they met.

“Anyway, Dad always said that Grandma was right about the way we lived our lives,” Aaron said. “He thought the Denton name was all flash and no substance. He said if Grandma survived longer she might’ve been able to turn our family into something truly great.”

Rose was growing in Maddie’s estimation by the moment. “She sounds like an interesting lady.”

“She does,” Aaron agreed. “I never got to meet her, and I think I probably lost out on that front.”

“Did your mother like her?” Lauren asked.

“My mother never met her,” Aaron said. “I doubt they would’ve liked each other, though. Heck, if Grandma survived longer, Dad probably wouldn’t have married Mom and I wouldn’t even be here.”

“What do you mean by that?” Nick asked, genuinely curious.

“If you believe family gossip, which I take with a grain of salt given my family, Grandma was making noises about taking Dad and moving out of the house when she died,” Aaron said.

“Why?”

“Apparently Gramps was fornicating with one of the downstairs maids.”

Max perked up. “I’ve never heard this story.”

“It was quite the scandal at the time,” Aaron said. “The maid wanted to move into the big bedroom with him and everything.”

“What about your grandmother?” Lauren asked.

“They had separate rooms,” Aaron said. “I believe, once my father was born, they never touched each other again.”

“That must have been hard on your grandfather,” Marla said. “No wonder he went looking for love in other places.”

“I think it was a mutual decision,” Aaron said. “I’m pretty sure my grandmother didn’t even want to marry Gramps. It was one of those business mergers. Her father was rich and my great-grandfather was rich. They put their heads together and married their kids off as a way to get even richer.”

“That’s a little depressing,” Brian said. “If you’re going to get married, I think love should be a necessary prerequisite.”

“Love is overrated,” Marla said. “Most marriages were arranged by parents for centuries. You didn’t hear about those people getting divorced. Marrying for status and money is the only way to go.”

“Oh, with a romantic streak like that I can’t believe you’re not married,” Max deadpanned.

“Go back to the maid,” Christy said. “You dropped that story. How come she didn’t marry your grandfather after your grandmother’s death? If my grandmother is to be believed, she was pregnant.”

“Oh, wow, is that true?” Lauren asked.

“That’s another one of those family rumors that’s survived over the years,” Aaron said. “I never got up the guts to ask my father if it was true but once, when my mother had a few too many gimlets, I asked her.

“She said that the woman purposely got pregnant to trap my grandfather and when he refused to acknowledge the baby and marry her she cut her losses and left,” he said.

“That’s quite the story,” Nick said. “Do you think it’s true?”

Aaron shrugged. “There’s a lot of stuff in my family that’s shrouded in secrecy,” he said. “I do think it’s funny that my mother fought so hard to get into the big room, and then six months after getting it she decided to split her time between here and Florida.”

“Why is that such a big deal?” Maddie asked.

“Because of the ghost,” Aaron said, chuckling harshly.

Maddie stilled, her heart flopping as she risked a glance at Nick. He looked interested, too.

“What ghost?”

“My mother is convinced that this place is haunted,” Aaron said. “She swears up and down that she’s seen plates hit walls without anyone being there to throw them, and she says she’s heard people screaming in the night even though no one is there.”

“Have you ever seen a ghost?” Maddie asked.

“Nope. There have been times when I could swear I was being watched, though,” Aaron said. “Don’t laugh, Max. I told you this when I was a kid.”

“And I laughed back then, too,” Max said. “I lived here for several years and I never saw – or heard – anything like that.”

“I didn’t say my mother wasn’t crocked,” Aaron said. “I just think she likes attention. She’s kind of like Marla that way.”

Marla scowled. “You suck.”

Nick rubbed the back of Maddie’s neck thoughtfully. “Aaron, are there any other passageways in the house beside the ones we found on the second floor?”

“Not that I know of,” Aaron said. “To be fair, though, I wasn’t supposed to know that one existed. My mother was convinced I’d get into trouble if I could hide in there on a regular basis.”

“Why do they exist at all?”

“I have no idea,” Aaron said. “My guess is that my grandfather wanted a way to come and go from various beds and he wanted to be able to do it without anyone knowing what he was up to.”

“The passageway we found doesn’t go to the basement, though,” Nick pointed out.

“Huh,” Aaron mused, rubbing his chin. “I never really thought about that. You know, the room you and Maddie are staying in was my grandmother’s room. Maybe, before she moved out of his room, Gramps had someone else in that room. I really have no idea.”

“We’re staying in your grandmother’s room?” Maddie asked, surprised.

“Yeah. Why? Is that a problem?”

“No,” Maddie said, shaking her head. “I was just curious.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a hint of movement at the far end of the room. At first, she thought it was a member of the kitchen staff, but when she focused her full attention on the area next to the drink cart, she saw Rose floating there. The woman’s face was hard to read, but Maddie couldn’t help but wonder if she’d garnered a modicum of respect for the grandson she’d never met thanks to the turn in the conversation.

“I’m going to get a drink,” Maddie said. “Do  you want something, Nicky?”

“I can get it,” Nick said. “I … .”

“I’ve got it,” Maddie said forcefully, clasping his hand for emphasis.

Nick scanned her face for a hint. “Okay.”

Maddie started moving toward the cart, and in an effort to distract everyone else from what she was doing, Nick opted to keep the conversation going. “Do you think your grandmother knew your grandfather was cheating on her?”

“Gramps never went out of his way to hide it,” Aaron said.

Maddie tuned the rest of the conversation out as she closed in on Rose. She was careful to keep her back to prying ears and her voice low. “Did you find Cassidy?”

“He grew into a better man than he probably should have,” Rose said, ignoring Maddie’s question and focusing on Aaron. “His father sounds like he grew to be a better man than I expected, too.”

Maddie didn’t reply.

“For some reason, knowing that makes me feel better,” Rose said. “I don’t know why.”

“Because it means your legacy lived on in this house long after you died,” Maddie whispered. “Did you find Cassidy?”

“Who is that other boy?” Rose asked. “The one sitting next to Aaron. Why do I feel like I should know him?”

“He lived here when he was a child. His mother was a maid.”

Rose studied Max for a few moments, her face conflicted. “I … oh, no.”

“What?” Maddie asked, alarmed.

“I’d recognize those eyes anywhere.”

Maddie didn’t get a chance to ask the next question on her lips because at that exact moment the power blinked out and plunged the house into darkness.