One Summerhill Day (The Summerhill Series Book 1) (11 page)

Chapter Fourteen

Caitlyn threw her suitcase into the back seat of her car. Now that she was in the ER, she was back to working three twelve-hour shifts a week. She had worked yesterday, Monday, and didn’t have to return until Friday because she and Mallory would be working all weekend.

Though it had given her some closure to know how her aunt had died, she wanted to know more—whether there was more to the accident, what had happened with her aunt’s remains, where her possessions had been sent—so she decided to head back to Buffalo on her own to talk to someone in the police department there. Ryan had told her they didn’t know much, but surely they could at least send her in the right direction.

Though she could have asked Ryan to give her the name of the officer he’d spoken to in the Buffalo department, she couldn’t stand the thought of talking with him. Fears and insecurities had flooded her since their break up, and she couldn’t bury the concern that she’d driven him away by being bad in bed. Maybe that was why her husband had cheated on her, too? Thank goodness she had found a job to occupy her time, or the dark thoughts would push her over the edge. Her new life was in a tailspin and she didn’t know how to stop it.

The weather was much warmer than it had been, so she didn’t need to worry about running into another storm. She would stay for a few days, if need be, and settle any issues relating to her aunt’s estate.

Several hours later, after expending much of her patience in the Buffalo Police Department, Caitlyn managed to find the name of the local lawyer, James Watkins, who was handling her aunt’s estate. There were a few sentimental possessions Caitlyn would love to keep, if she could. One of her aunt’s hobbies had been quilting, and it would feel wonderful to have a few of her aunt’s colorful creations in her new home.

When she arrived in the lawyer’s office, she introduced herself to the administrative assistant as the niece of Margie McCabe and explained she was visiting for a couple of days.

The assistant’s eyes widened as she stared at Caitlyn, temporarily at a loss for words.

“Just a moment, please.”

She disappeared from her desk and slipped through a door.

Caitlyn sat down in one of the chairs arranged around the waiting area, hoping the lawyer would understand her need to see him soon.

A few moments later, the door the assistant had disappeared into reopened, and she emerged with James Watkins himself. The lawyer introduced himself and immediately invited her back into his office.

“Hello, Caitlyn,” he said once they had both taken a seat—him behind the desk, her in front of it. “It is lovely to meet you. You say you are the only surviving relative of Margie McCabe?”

“Yes.”

“May I see some ID?”

Caitlyn handed him her driver’s license and her New York nursing license. Since she had gone to school at Niagara University, she had taken the NCLEX exam in New York, then applied for her license in Pennsylvania. Fortunately, she had kept her NYS license active.

“Do you know Bruce Dalton?” he asked as he returned her documents to her.

“Yes, he is my husband. Well, my soon-to-be ex-husband. We are in the process of divorcing.”

“Well, then I think I have the answer to my question. You see, Bruce Dalton showed up here in my office claiming you had been killed in a car accident just off the NYS Thruway. He declared himself heir to Aunt Margie’s fortune.”

Caitlyn scowled. “My ex-husband was here?” She tried to process everything the lawyer had said, but it was too much to process. “He tried to declare me
dead
? And he knew about my aunt’s death?”

Mr. Watkins nodded. “I’m afraid so. He had the letter we mailed to you a couple of months ago.”

“A letter? But I never saw any letter. And you say Bruce had it?” He’d kept the truth from her for that long? She’d thought him callous and cruel, neglectful, but never so conniving…

“Yes. I’m sorry. We assumed you had seen it.”

“No.
I’m
sorry, Mr. Watkins. Apparently, my ex has been keeping many things from me.”

She stared at the floor, then came back to something else he had just divulged. “Aunt Margie had a fortune? That’s a surprise. She lives….er,
lived
quite simply. I stayed with her for two years when I was a teenager.”

“Why, yes. I remember. You see, that’s why Margie rewrote her will, making you her sole beneficiary.”

“Oh, I had no idea. I don’t want him to have my aunt’s money—he doesn’t deserve a penny of it—but that’s not what’s most important to me.” She thought about what she really wanted. “I was wondering if you could tell me where her remains are…and…and her belongings? She crafted a couple of quilted throws that I would love to keep.”

Mr. Watkins smiled. “Yes, I do know where her belongings are, and I am happy to give them to you. Mr. Dalton was not interested in any of her possessions, just her money. I can tell you are her niece. She described you perfectly. What college did you attend?”

“Niagara University. Why is that important?”

“Just putting together the pieces of the puzzle. Margie left a sizeable amount of money to the university for a nursing scholarship. An imposter wouldn’t know why she did it. She was very proud of you.”

Caitlyn swiped the tears out of her eyes. “I had no idea she was gone. Why wasn’t I notified?”

“I actually sent you two letters. You never saw either one?”

“No, I never saw any letter.”

“Well, your husband has one in his possession, so my guess is that he kept both of them from you. He was very frustrated when I didn’t write him a check the instant he showed up here, but he didn’t have a death certificate for you, and something struck me as suspicious. By the way, I hope this doesn’t upset you, but your aunt specifically requested that Bruce Dalton not be given any of these funds. I will send verification of that to your lawyer. Besides, these things take much longer than most people think… He’s still here in town, hoping to wear me down. Now I don’t have to worry about that because you are here.”

Caitlyn stared at him in disbelief. “Bruce is here? In Buffalo?”

“Yes, I saw him last week. He came in twice. Is he in some kind of financial trouble? Knowing your family, I didn’t expect you’d be in desperate need of money.”

“No, I’m not. But my lawyer froze our joint accounts after we separated. The prenuptial agreement he signed said he would get nothing if he were caught with another woman. And that’s exactly what happened, so now I guess he’s scrambling for money. But I’d heard that he was happy with the proposed settlement, that he’d already signed the divorce papers.”

“Did he receive any funds or assets in the settlement?”

“Yes, the house and a sizable payment. He isn’t working presently, so I wanted to leave him with enough money to support himself until he got back on his feet.”

“He hasn’t been working?” The lawyer asked, his hands folded in his lap.

“No, not for the past year.” Caitlyn scratched her head. Somehow the situation sounded even worse when she said it out loud.

“Has he looked for a job?”

“No, not recently. He says there’s nothing out there.”

Mr. Watkins nodded, his lips set in a grim line. “You know where I’m going with this, don’t you? As Margie’s lawyer, I feel compelled to tell you this could be a dangerous situation for you. You have no other siblings, correct?”

She just shook her head, but his suggestion terrified her. Bruce had used her and played her for a fool, yes, but was he capable of doing her real harm? He had kept the letter about her aunt hidden from her for so long, though…and he’d tried to rob her aunt’s estate out from under her.

She wanted to call Ryan. Damn him.

“Mrs. Dalton, I’ve given you a lot to process. I have your aunt’s belongings in storage. Can we set up an appointment for tomorrow or the next day? I’ll make sure your aunt’s belongings are here and give you a copy of the will. I’d be happy to go over it with you, though it’s pretty clear cut. Other than the nursing scholarship, the rest of her sizable estate goes to you. I hope you’re planning to stay in town for a little while.”

“Yes, but I have to return home on Thursday. I can arrange for another trip here, if necessary.”

“Where are you living? Still in Philadelphia?”

“No, I’m living in Summerhill, my father’s favorite vacation spot.”

“Oh, wonderful. Living in New York State will help speed the process up. Does your ex-husband know where you are?”

“No, and please don’t tell him.”

Caitlyn made an appointment for the next day with the lawyer’s assistant, then walked outside as if in a trance, still attempting to piece everything together.

The cold nip in the air encouraged her to get into the warmth of her car. As she opened her door to get in, she could swear she saw Bruce’s car out of the corner of her eye, just leaving a parking spot across the street. Another question flashed through her mind, one that had been waiting there, lurking in the darkness, throughout her visit with the lawyer: How had he known about her accident in Summerhill?

Chapter Fifteen

Ryan and Jake sat in the station house at the end of their shift, both finishing up paperwork. A few other officers were joking around, which was common at the end of a shift. Jake’s phone rang. The call came in through the station’s private line, and he could see the captain on the phone in his office, so it had to be from him.

He couldn’t hear the captain, but he listened to Jake’s end.

“Yeah.”

Silence.

“What? I can’t do that.” Jake glanced at Ryan, then turned his back to him.

Silence.

“Yeah. But you know…”

Silence.

“Yes, Sir.” Jake got his pencil out and started writing, his back still to Ryan.

Silence.

More silence.

“What’s the name again and what kind of car?”

Silence.

“What street in Buffalo?”

Damn it, if that had something to do with Cait, Jake had better let him in on it. Mallory had texted him to let him know Cait had gone to Buffalo to see what else she could learn about her aunt’s death.

He pulled his phone out to reread their conversation for clues.

Mallory:
Caitlyn’s gone to Buffalo.

Ryan:
Why?

Mallory:
To find out about her aunt.

Ryan:
When’d she leave?

Mallory:
I don’t know. If you weren’t such an asshole, you would know.

Ryan:
Mal…

Mallory:
I think early this morning.

Ryan:
Why the hell didn’t you tell me earlier?

Mallory:
Cause you’re a shithead.

Ryan:
She could be in danger.

Mallory:
Why? Her aunt died in an accident.

Ryan:
Because her husband’s scum.

Mallory:
and…

Ryan:
He could be in trouble, which would put her in trouble.

Mallory:
Did you tell her?

Ryan:
No

Mallory:
Why not, stupid?

Ryan:
Because

Mallory:
Ryan?

Ryan:
Because it wasn’t my place

Mallory:
SHE DESERVES TO KNOW, FOOL.

Ryan:
Never mind. If you hear from her let me know.

Mallory:
Fine. Why did you shit on her?

Ryan:
I didn’t

Mallory:
Yes, you did. And at work besides. And at a new job.

At that point, Ryan had ended the text conversation to take a call.

The truth was, he realized that what he’d done wasn’t forgivable. He should never have talked to her about something like that at her job, but if he’d gone to her house to talk with her, he would have grabbed her in his arms and done the very opposite of break up with her. She was too much of a temptation. Closing his eyes, he could still hear those little moans she made right before she came. Damn, what he wouldn’t give to hear those sweet sounds again.

Jake hung the phone up and scowled at him. Shit. Sweat broke out on his forehead. There better not be anything going on with Cait.

“What are you working on?” Ryan asked.

“Nothing.” But he knew his brother well enough to recognize his expression for guilt. Jake avoided his gaze and looked down at his keyboard.

“If it’s nothing, why do you look so guilty?”

“Do you mind? I have work to do.” Jake gave him his back again.

Ryan stood up and peeked over his shoulder at his pad. “Caitlyn’s in Buffalo, I heard you say Buffalo, so I know this is about her.”

“I can’t tell you anything,” Jake snapped. “Now sit down and don’t bother me.”

Dead silence rang out as the other officers around them stared at the two Ramsays.

“Uh-oh. Another argument between the loving brothers,” one of them said.

“You mean kissing cousins, don’t you?” Everyone laughed but Ryan and Jake.

Ryan moved around Jake’s desk so that he was facing him, and bent over to glare at his brother. “Jake, I want to know. Tell me.”

“Then you shouldn’t have broken up with her.”

A bark echoed through the room. “Both Ramsays. In my office. Now.”

Ryan turned to see the captain glaring at both of them. Shit. He stalked into the office and stood there with his hands in his pockets, Jake right behind him.

The captain closed the door behind them. “Sit down, both of you.”

They both sat, tension filling the air in the small room.

“I’ve received a request from a citizen of this town, Caitlyn McCabe. She is concerned her life might be in danger, and she’s asked for her Police Department’s assistance. The only reason I assigned it to Jake is because I know a bit about your background with this particular person, Ryan, but if you’d like to be involved, I have no problem with that. Now, can I count on you two to take care of it? Or do I have to assign the case to someone else?”

Jake said, “I got no problem. Case accepted.”

Ryan muttered, “Fine.”

“I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but you need to keep your problems out of the office. Understood?”

“Understood.” Jake said.

Ryan mumbled a meek, “Understood.”

“Good, now get your asses to work and I don’t want to see you in here again. Stop wasting my time.”

Their peers all snickered as they left the office and made the walk of shame to their desks.

“Problem, officers?” The captain barked.

“No.”

“Nope.”

“Not with me.”

“Good. Now does anybody work around here, or do you all just sit around and suck down coffee?”

The office quieted as the sound of clicking keyboards filled the room.

“Fill me in,” Ryan said as he sat in his chair and turned to face Jake.

Jake sighed. “Apparently Cait called Dad.”

“Dad?” Ryan barked.

Jake glared at him, then gave a pointed look to their captain’s office.

Ryan forced himself to calm down. “Okay, so she called dad.”

“Right, she called dad because she thinks her husband is up to something. He’s in Buffalo and she thinks he’s following her. Dad called the captain for her. She didn’t want to call you.”

“Anything else?” Damn, he was pissed she hadn’t called him, but he forced himself to keep his focus on his brother.

“Just that she saw her aunt’s lawyer. Apparently her husband had already stopped in to see the guy. He tried to declare her dead, saying she was killed in an accident on the NYS Thruway.”

“How did he know about that? Shit.” He ran a hand through his hair.

“What? What are you thinking?”

“How would her husband know she was in the accident? Unless…”

“Unless what?” Jake’s brow furrowed as he waited for Ryan’s answer.

“Did you ever get the name of the guy who was in the rental car that hit her from behind?”

“Oh, shit.” Jake pushed his chair back and punched his keyboard again. He was quiet for a moment, then he said, “Yes, it’s in the report with the license plate of the car.” Jake’s fingers stopped moving as he stared at the screen.

“What?”

“John Smith. And the kid who rented it to him forgot to copy his license.”

“Fake name and he bought the kid off.”
Shit
. Cait could be in real trouble.