A Timely Vision (29 page)

She broke down again, crying for a few minutes. Kevin passed me some tissues, which I handed to Miss Mildred. Finally, she calmed down. “Miss Mildred, right now, we’re trying to keep them from selling your house so you have someplace to come home to.”

“
Them?
Who’s trying to sell my house, Dae?”

“I don’t know a good way to tell you this, but your brother, Silas, is still alive.”

“Silas? I knew that. Who’d have thought he’d come back after all these years? Why didn’t he phone or come over? How is he?”

“He’s sick. He might not live long.” I’d caught a glimpse of something tangible when she mentioned her brother, but it had no form, no focus. “He’s at an assisted living center in Kitty Hawk.”

“He’s the one who wants to sell my house?
Our
house, really, since that’s where we grew up. Daddy left it to me when he died with express commands to let Lizzie or Silas live there later if they needed to. We’ll bring him home. No reason for him to live in a place like that. I’ll tend to him.”

I didn’t remind her that she was in no position to bring anyone home. I tried to keep her focused on what was happening. “It seems Silas has given his grandson power of attorney to take care of his finances. His grandson is selling your house.”

“You mean my house
and
Lizzie’s house.” Her lips grew thin and mutinous. “I was Lizzie’s only heir in her will. That makes double properties for that young hyena to sell. Silas always was a little soft in the head. Does this young devil live in Kitty Hawk too?”

“No. It’s Jerry Richards from the TV station. You know him.”

“I certainly do. And I have a few things that need to be said to him. Dae, help me out of this chair and fetch my clothes. He can’t sell our houses. It’s simply not done.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the woman with the bad green sweater start to her feet. I didn’t want any kind of confrontation to erupt. I knew Miss Mildred liked to have her way. “I’m afraid we can’t do that right now.” I tried to calm her down. “But there’s something we can do to stop the sale.”

Miss Mildred looked at the attendant by the door and seemed to rethink her position. “What can we do, Dae? How can I save Daddy’s property?”

“Do you have a power of attorney document?”

“Of course. Lizzie and I had ours made at the same time by that ne’er-do-well, Bunk Whitley.”

“He never filed anything with the courthouse for either of you. Do you have a copy?”

“That man! He was good to look at, but he was a burden. That’s why I didn’t marry him after my husband died and I let him court Lizzie instead. But I kept a copy of everything. I have a copy of Lizzie’s will too.”

I could feel excitement straining inside me. I glanced at Kevin and smiled. “Where do you keep it?”

She paused and looked at me. “You know, I’m not really sure. It was behind the piano for the longest time. It fell off the top one day, and I couldn’t get that nice man from the church to come and help me move it for several weeks. I’m trying to remember where I put it after that. You know, I left both properties to the town in the event Lizzie and I both died. I thought my house might be a nice park, especially since I left five hundred yards on the beach to the Turtle Rescue League to start a sanctuary.”

That was news. I didn’t expect those properties to be left to Duck. There might be someway we could use that information to stop the sale,
if
we could find the power of attorney. “Think about it, Miss Mildred. We’ve done this plenty of times before. You think about it and I’ll find it.”

She smiled at me and took her hand away to pat my cheek. “You’ve always been such a good girl, Dae. I’ve been very proud to watch you grow up.”

Miss Mildred put her hand back in mine, and we both closed our eyes. I was beginning to get a clear picture of something in the house. It looked like a large jar, the decorative kind, painted in a blue and white Chinese motif. It seemed to be on a shelf, but it was difficult to say which room it was in. I concentrated harder, trying to pinpoint the area.

There was a loud rap at the door, startling everyone in the quiet room. The woman with the bad green sweater jumped up and opened the door. Another attendant, along with Jerry Richards and a man in a dark suit who had to be a lawyer, stood in the doorway.

“I have a legal document that says these people can’t talk to my great aunt,” Jerry said. “Serve it, Mr. Hudson. I want all of you out of here. Don’t try to see her again. It’s not good for her, and you aren’t family.”

How had I never noticed the nasty little wrinkles on Jerry’s face? He looked like a large, ugly ferret, already counting the money he’d make from the sale of his great aunts’ properties. I knew I wouldn’t know the difference between a real legal document that forbade me from seeing Miss Mildred and something Jerry had made up. I looked at Kevin to help me out.

He got to his feet and held his hand out to the lawyer in the doorway. “I’m Kevin Brickman, Ms. O’Donnell’s attorney. I’d like to see that document.”

He was so
smooth
, so believable. It was as if he’d been planning for this moment all morning. It reminded me of all the old police detective shows I’d ever watched on TV. Apparently, things like this really did happen.

Mr. Hudson shook Kevin’s hand with deliberation, then took a document from his briefcase. “I believe you’ll find everything in order.”

Kevin glanced at the document and nodded to me. I trusted his judgment—he’d certainly seen more warrants and court orders than I ever had. Since becoming mayor, I’d seen and signed a lot of resolutions and proclamations, but they weren’t the same thing.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to leave, Miss Mildred.” I leaned close to her and kissed her cheek whispering, “Don’t fret. I’ll be back, and I’ll get you out of this place. I promise.”

I thought she might cry again, but she held on to her dignity. “I know you will, child. I’ll wait for you.” Then she turned her pointed gaze to Jerry. “So you’re the young mischief maker who thinks he can sell my house, my
father’s
house, out from under me. You’ve got a lot to learn, young man. Wait until I tell your grandfather.”

Jerry smirked, not at all concerned by her threat. “You take care of yourself, Aunt. I’ll take care of everything else.”

Kevin and I left the room. Jerry and his lawyer stayed behind. I could hear his explicit instructions to both attendants all the way down the hall. I was never to be let in to see Miss Mildred again. I was a troublemaker who only wanted to make her unhappy.

“Did you see anything?” Kevin whispered, close at my side.

“Yes. I think I can find it. I wish I’d had a few more minutes to clarify which room it’s in—Miss Mildred has a lot of bric-a-brac. But I’ll have to search until I find it.”

“I’ll help you. I’m sure we can get all the help you need.”

We went back out to the truck and got inside. I grinned at Kevin as he fastened his seat belt. “That was awesome how you stepped in. You almost had
me
believing you were a lawyer. I bet you used to do things like that all the time.”

He started the truck. “All the time.”

“And you don’t miss that?”

“Not at all. This is almost too much excitement for me.”

“You’re teasing, right? You really wanted to help, didn’t you?”

“As much as you want to paint, which by the way, we’ll have to get to sooner or later. What do you make of the relationship between Bunk Whitley and the two sisters? It sounds like he was courting them both.”

“He was a man about town.” I settled back for the trip home. It was hard not to be anxious about finding the power of attorney, but the truck could only go so fast. As Gramps was fond of saying, we’d get there when we got there. “And don’t make it sound like it’s my fault we haven’t painted.
You
haven’t painted either.”

“But that could change if the rain ever stops. I hope you’re prepared for that.”

“Do you think Bunk killed Johnny, like Max suggested, then skipped town?”

“It wouldn’t surprise me. If so, it turned out to be a good plan. Since it took thirty years for someone to buy the Blue Whale and find Johnny, it seems likely that Bunk, or whoever killed him, will get off without consequences.”

“Or someone else will get the blame.”

“There may still be a way to pin this on Bunk. If they can’t match DNA, they might be able to match fingerprints. It occurs to me that they may be able to get a look at his fingerprints from his military records.”

“But would fingerprints be enough to convince a jury he was responsible for Johnny’s death? Because it seems to me Bunk’s fingerprints would be all over the inn.”

He smiled at me as we approached the bridge to the Outer Banks. “You know, you’re pretty good at this. I’m surprised you didn’t follow in your grandfather’s footsteps.”

“Me, in law enforcement? Can you imagine me shooting someone?”

“Sometimes people go their whole career and never shoot anyone. Did your grandfather ever shoot anyone?”

“Yes. I remember him talking about it when I was in high school. It was very traumatic for him. But I guess you’re right. As far as I know, that’s the only time.” I looked at his profile as he concentrated on the bridge. “How about you? Ever shoot anyone?”

I saw the change in his face right away. It was a terrible sight. He didn’t look at me. His eyes didn’t move from the road, but I could feel the regret coming from him. “Too many times.” His voice was bleak and hollow. “I knew it was time to leave when it began to keep me up at night. You can’t do that job and worry about it.”

The clouds and rain had moved away from the sound, making it easier to see where we were going. Hoping to dispel the tension my question had caused, I rambled on without stop, telling funny stories about the bridge and the Outer Banks. By the time we got to the island, that awful feeling was gone. I knew I would never bring up that subject again. Kevin was entitled to the secrets in his past.

I called Gramps when we got to Southern Shores and told him about our plan to search Miss Mildred’s house. He agreed to meet us there and bring Mary Lou with him. “Don’t tell her what I said about the turtle sanctuary, will you? I don’t want to go through that with her yet. If we can’t find the will, there’s nothing there for the turtles anyway.”

“I won’t mention it. But she’s not obsessed with the turtles, Dae. She’s only interested in their welfare,” Gramps explained.

“All right. I’ll take your word for that, but let’s not push it right now, huh?”

He agreed, and Kevin maneuvered through the heavy traffic that always comes out after the rain. Not that there’s much room to maneuver. It’s a two-lane road, and traffic usually moves slowly, thanks to the many summer tourists who generally don’t know where they’re going.

“What is it with Mary Lou and those turtles?” Kevin asked as we got behind a pink convertible full of middle-aged women in bathing suits and hats.

“I don’t know. I guess everybody needs a hobby. Mary Lou makes quilts in the winter, but once it gets warm, she’s all about the turtles. She’s been cited a couple of times for running kids off from the turtle area. A turtle sanctuary would be good for her and the community.”

We finally reached the turnoff for Miss Mildred’s house. I thought about her plan to donate the land to the town. I supposed the town council would probably decide to sell at least part of the land so we could use the cash to finish the park and a few other projects. But the town might be able to use Miss Mildred’s house, which would be adjacent to the turtle sanctuary, for something else.

But not yet
. I pulled my thoughts back from where they were going. Miss Mildred was coming home. Someday her land might belong to the town, but not yet.

The lazy red roses nodded in the sun beside her drive as we pulled in behind Gramps’s golf cart. We were barely out of the truck before Gramps and Mary Lou walked out of the house. I could tell from their faces that something was wrong.

“Someone broke in,” Gramps said. “It’s a mess in there, Dae. I don’t know if we can find anything. I need to call Chief Michaels.”

He took out his cell phone, but I stopped him. “Don’t call him yet. Let me take a look around and at least try to find the power of attorney papers. Once the police take over, I won’t have a chance.”

He frowned. “I know you and the chief are having some issues. But he’s been my friend all of my life. I don’t believe he’s done anything wrong, and I think he’d help you if he knew what was going on.”

“
Please.
Just a few minutes. Then you can call him. You know if anybody can find this document, it’s me.”

He agreed, and the three of us went into the house. Mary Lou had left us to it, going down to the beachfront to scope out the best place for a turtle sanctuary sign.

Gramps was right. The house was completely torn apart. Someone had been here looking for something, probably the same thing we were looking for. “I’ll bet Jerry Richards heard what we were saying and called ahead.” I carefully picked my way through ripped upholstery and shattered china.

“What a mess,” Kevin said. “This is definitely a search, not a random break-in. Whoever came through here destroyed things they could have pawned or sold. No one would do that unless they had something specific in mind.”

“I hope we can find the power of attorney in all this,” Gramps said. “What kind of container did you say you saw it in, Dae?”

I lifted an empty, broken blue and white Chinese vase from the floor. It had been on a shelf near the piano. As soon as I’d spotted it, I knew it was where Miss Mildred had stored the documents she’d retrieved from behind the piano. “It was here. I think Jerry beat us to it.”