Treasured Legacies (A Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mystery) (3 page)

“Good morning ladies,” Bradley said, as he entered the
kitchen, still adjusting his tie, on Monday morning. “How is everyone today?”

“I’m not a lady, but I’m just fine, thanks for asking,” Mike
said, gliding over to Bradley.

“I’m good, Daddy,” Clarissa replied with a giggle, as she
crunched on a piece of toast. “I helped Mary, I mean, Mom, make breakfast.”

Standing next to the kitchen counter, putting Clarissa’s
lunch together, Mary stopped what she was doing for a moment. “Clarissa,” she
said, keeping her voice matter-of-fact. “It’s okay for you to call me Mary. I
want you to do what makes you feel comfortable, not what you think you ought to
do.”

Placing her toast on her plate, Clarissa turned and looked
across the kitchen. “You’re not mad?” she asked.

“Mary has never been mad at you, Clarissa,” Bradley said,
sitting down at the table next to his daughter.

Shaking her head, Mary came around the counter and walked
over to the table, sitting down on the other side of the little girl.
 
She met her eyes and shook her head. “I’m not
mad at all,” she said. “What you call me doesn’t matter. I just want to be sure
that we are honest with each other. Honest about our feelings and that we try
to work together as a family.”

“We all have to do that,” Bradley said. “We all need to be
sure we are talking to each other and telling the truth.”

“You don’t hate me?” Clarissa asked Mary.
“For
what I did to you?”

“Hey, Clarissa, Mary doesn’t work that way,” Mike said.
“She’ll tell you the truth.”

Leaning over and placing a soft kiss on the child’s
forehead, Mary said, “No, I love you.
And not because you are
Bradley’s daughter, but because you are you.”

“Really?” she asked, turning to Mike, skepticism evident in
her eyes.

“Angel’s honor,” Mike said, crossing his finger over his
heart.

She turned and looked at Mary. “Really?” she asked again.

Mary nodded. “Yes, really,” she said. “But you don’t have to
take my word on it. Watch me and let me prove it.”

“I think that’s fair,” Bradley added.

Clarissa sat quietly for a moment and then asked, “So does
that mean you’re going to let me do anything I want to do?”

Mike laughed out loud. “Working all the angles, aren’t you?”

Chuckling, Mary placed her hand on Clarissa’s head and
tousled her hair. “Not a chance,” she said. “Loving someone doesn’t mean they
give you everything.”

Sighing, Clarissa nodded. “Yeah, that’s what Mrs. Brennan
says too.”

“Well, if Mrs. Brennan agrees, then I must be doing
something right,” she said.
 
“But I know
we still have a lot of things to work out, so I’m going to call a friend of
mine and see what we should be doing to help us become a better family.”

“Okay,” Clarissa agreed. “That sounds like a good idea.”

“Yes, it does,” Bradley said. “We all need to help,
including me.”

“Good!” Mary replied, standing up quickly.
 
She grabbed the table as a sudden rush of
dizziness hit her.
 
The room started to
tilt and she felt lightheaded.

Bradley jumped to his feet and was immediately at her side.
“Mary?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”

Mike glided over to the other side of her. “Hey, champ, take
it easy.”

Taking a deep breath, she lowered herself slowly back into
the chair. “I just think I stood up too fast,” she said. “I just got a little
dizzy, that’s all.”

“I’m taking you to the hospital,” Bradley said.

“Yeah, because that’s her favorite place in the whole wide
world,” Mike murmured.

Chuckling, Mary shook her head. “No, really, I’m fine,” she
replied. “Because of the medication, I’ve been off of caffeine for a couple of
days; I’m sure that’s it.
 
Just a little
light-leaded, that’s all.”

Bradley was not mollified. “Have you eaten anything?” he
asked, as he poured a glass of milk and placed it before her.

“She hasn’t,” Clarissa chimed in. “She’s been busy doing
other stuff.”

Bradley turned to his daughter. “I think it’s time we do
some stuff for Mary,” he said. “What do you think?”

She smiled. “I think it’s a great idea,” she agreed.

“Okay, Mary, what would you like for breakfast?” Bradley
asked.

Sweet and sour chicken
,
Mary thought and then said, “Toast with strawberry preserves.”

“I can make that,” Clarissa exclaimed, hopping out of her
chair and dashing to the toaster.

Bradley sat down next to Mary. “Okay, tell me how you really
feel,” he said softly.

“Kind of silly,” Mary admitted. “But, fine, really. I just
need to take things a little slower right now.”

“Yes, your body needs time to adjust,” he replied.

“Adjust?” she repeated. Did he know about the baby?

“Yes, you need to adjust to being back on your feet after
being in bed all weekend.”

Nodding slowly, she exhaled softly. “Yes, you’re right,” she
agreed. “That’s probably it.”

“Can I get you a Diet Pepsi?” he asked.

Shaking her head sadly, she said, “No, since I’ve been off
caffeine all weekend and I survived, this is probably a good time to start
cutting back. But I’d love some herb tea.”

“You’ve got it,” he said.

Mary turned and watched Bradley and Clarissa hurry around the
kitchen, making breakfast for her and a lump formed in her throat.
 

“So, what is it you’re not telling us?” Mike whispered.

She smiled up at him and shook her head. “I’m good,” she
replied.

He looked at her, and then looked across the room. Bradley
was instructing Clarissa on how to put only a little butter on the toast, while
he helped remove the thick coating she had already put on it. “You’re all going
to make it,” he said softly.

She smiled up at him, absently placed her hand on her
stomach and nodded.
This is going to work
,
she decided adamantly.
We are going to
make a great family.

After assuring Bradley that she could drive her car, Mary
finally arrived at her office a little after nine o’clock and Rosie was already
waiting for her at the front door.

“Well, you’re here bright and early,” Mary said, as she
stepped out of her car, pulling her purse and computer bag along with her. “How
was your Sunday?”

“Stanley and I had a nice quiet Sunday, just being lazy,”
she replied, as she studied Mary’s face. “But more importantly, how are you
feeling?”

Trying to smile convincingly, she nodded. “I’m good.
Much better.
 
Thanks
so much for all you did on Saturday.”

“All I did was to nearly get you and Clarissa killed because
I didn’t watch her,” Rosie said, her eyes downcast. “I can’t tell you how sorry
I—”

“Rosie, it wasn’t your fault,” Mary insisted as she put her
arm around her friend. “Clarissa wasn’t honest with you.
 
You thought she was safe and secure with
Katie. You would have never left her otherwise.”

“But—” she began.

“No buts,” Mary replied. “It simply was not your fault.
Okay?”

Rosie nodded. “Okay,” she exhaled softly.

Unlocking the door to her office, she held it open for Rosie
and then put her things on the desk. “Have a seat,” she offered. “I’m just
going to start my computer.”

She pulled her laptop out of the bag and attached it to the
docking station on her desk.
 
She powered
on the laptop and then sat down in her chair and turned to Rosie. “So, what’s
up?” she asked.

“Actually, I’m here with a business proposal,” she said and
lifting one eyebrow added, “A paying business proposal.”

“Well, this is a great way to start a Monday morning,” Mary
replied with a smile. “What can I do for you?”

Searching through her purse for a moment, Rosie finally
pulled out an index card and handed it to Mary.
 
“This is a listing of mine,” she said.
“A lovely old
home out in the country.
 
The
house is large and well-maintained and the acreage around it is breathtaking,
but we’ve been trying to sell it for over a year and there are no bites.”

Mary looked at the address. It was on a quiet road between
Freeport and Lena, a nice area.
 
“Is it
overpriced?” she asked.

Shaking her head, Rosie scooted forward in her seat and
lowered her voice. “It’s haunted.”

“Actively haunted, like ghosts showing up during an Open
House?” Mary asked.

“No, nothing like that,” Rosie said. “Just an uncomfortable
feeling when you enter the house. Everyone who’s taken a tour loves the
outside, but once they are inside, they want to hurry out.
 
No one knows why.
 
Or at least, they aren’t willing to say why.”

“Did anyone die in the house?” Mary asked.

Rosie nodded slowly. “Yes, although the owners didn’t talk
about it, I did some research,” she explained. “The husband of the woman who is
selling died in a farming accident. He was suffocated in a grain silo.
 
I think he’s haunting the house.”

“Well, that would make sense,” Mary said. “Perhaps he
doesn’t know he’s dead.”

“That’s what I thought too,” Rosie agreed with a smile. “I
thought you could just come out to the house and have a conversation with him
and then he could move on.”

Sitting back in her chair, Mary folded her arms over her
chest. “You know it’s not always that easy,” she said. “What does your client
think about having
me
check things out?”

Avoiding Mary’s eyes, Rosie chewed her lower lip nervously.
“Well, about that,” she began.

“You didn’t tell her,” Mary supplied.

“No, I didn’t,” she confessed. “But she’s not your
client.
 
The brokerage is your
client.
 
If we can sell this place, we’re
going to earn a tidy commission.”

“But if she finds out—” Mary began.

“Our contract states that we can call in a specialist if we
feel it will help us sell the properties,” she interrupted.
“At
our expense, of course.
 
So, why
would she care?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Mary said with a smile. “Perhaps there
are skeletons in their closets.”

Rosie smiled back. “Then we should be sure you have a look
at all of the closets too,” she replied. “When can you go?”

Mary chuckled, of course she was going and Rosie knew it. “I
have a couple of calls to make. They might take a while,” she said. “Can I call
you when I’m done?”

“That would be perfect,” Rosie
said,
standing and smiling down at Mary. “You make your calls and then we’ll take a
nice drive in the country.”

“That sounds lovely,” Mary said. “I’ll call you as soon as
I’m free.”

“District 43, Gracie
Williams speaking.
What can I do for
you?” the familiar voice answered.

Mary smiled just thinking of her
friend. “Hi, Gracie, this is Mary O’Reilly,” she said.

“You mean Mary Alden, don’t you?”
Gracie asked. “Unless that man of yours has done something stupid and you are
already kicking his butt out of the house.”

“Oh, no, nothing
like
that,” she said with a laugh. “We decided that I should keep using my maiden
name for my business and I guess I don’t have a lot of practice saying Mary
Alden yet.”

“Yeah, it might be a little complicated
in your business to have the same name as the Chief of Police,” she replied.
“So what can I do for you?”

“I need some professional advice,” Mary
admitted.

“You still seeing ghosts?” Gracie
asked.

“Yes,” Mary answered.

“Honey, I can’t help you there,” she
said. “We both know you got something going on there beyond my professional
ability to figure out.”

“No, it’s not that,” Mary said. “It’s
Clarissa.”

“Clarissa, Bradley’s
daughter?”
Gracie asked.

“Yes, she’s been acting out a little
lately,” Mary said. “And I’m not sure what to do.”

“When you say acting out, what exactly
do you mean?” Gracie asked.

“Do you have a few minutes?” Mary
asked.

“Excuse me for a moment, sweetie,”
Gracie replied.

Mary could hear some movement, like
Gracie was getting out of her chair and then heard footsteps across a wood
floor. Then she heard Gracie’s voice in the distance. “Claire, I need you to
hold my calls and visitors for the next hour.
 
And reschedule that ten o’clock meeting,” she said. “I’ve got an
important phone conference.”

A moment later, Gracie was back. “Okay,
sugar, why don’t you just tell Gracie all about it.”

Forty-five minutes later Mary was reaching for another
tissue, wiping her eyes and finishing her explanation to Gracie. She took a
deep, shuddering breath and said, “And that’s about it. So, what have I done wrong?”

“Well, sugar, the only thing you’ve done wrong is blame
yourself,” Gracie replied. “That little girl has gone through an awful lot of
hurt in her young life.
 
She has had no
stability, no safety, and no structure for a very long time. And she was kind
of used to running the show. She took care of everyone else, that’s what made
her feel important.
 
That’s what she
thought her value was.
 
Now you walk in,
take care of her and Bradley, and she’s feeling insecure.
 
She doesn’t know where she fits and she
doesn’t want to get used to loving you in case you both change your mind and up
and die on her.”

“We’re not going to die,” Mary said.

“Why not, everyone else has?” Gracie countered. “Look at it
from her point of view.
 
Even the bad man
died. Anyone who ever wanted her has gone away, why should she trust you and
Bradley?”

Mary exhaled slowly. “Okay, I never thought of it that way,”
she said.

“Course you haven’t,” Gracie said with a laugh. “That’s my
job.
 
I don’t talk to ghosts and you
don’t figure out what’s inside people’s heads, okay?”

“Okay,” Mary replied, feeling a little better. “So, what do
we do?”

“You get this little girl some help,” Gracie said. “Is there
a child psychologist you know and trust?”

“I heard of one woman,” Mary said, thinking aloud. “Karen
Springler.
 
She’s supposed to be great
with kids, really warm and fuzzy.”

“Sounds like the perfect person for the job,” Gracie said.
“But, if for some reason Clarissa doesn’t like
her,
don’t be afraid to find someone she clicks with.”

“Should I be attending the sessions too?” Mary asked.

“Well, I’m going to let Dr. Springler run her program the
way she likes,” Gracie said. “But usually there will be sessions for the whole
family and then sessions just for Clarissa.”

“Thank you, Gracie,” Mary said. “I feel so much better.”

“Sure you do, honey,” Gracie replied. “Now, why don’t you
tell me the other thing that’s on your mind?”

Surprised, Mary stuttered for a moment.
“There’s…there’s…nothing, really.”

“U-huh, you never were a good liar, Mary O’Reilly,” Gracie
said. “I can tell your lying clear from Chicago.”

“I think I’m pregnant,” Mary whispered into the phone,
glancing at the door to be sure no one was close by.

“Well, halleluiah,” Gracie said. “That’s wonderful.”

“Well, it could be,” Mary said.

“Honey, it’s a damn near miracle if you’re pregnant,” Gracie
said. “And I know you’ve wanted a baby of your own. So, what’s the problem?”

 
Mary felt the tears
welling in her eyes and grabbed for another tissue. “It’s Bradley,” she said.

“What? I can’t believe he doesn’t want a baby,” Gracie
exclaimed.

“No. I mean I don’t know,” she said. “I haven’t told him.”

“What?” Gracie roared. “You haven’t told him?
 
Why the hell not?”

“Well, you know, with Clarissa and work and all that’s going
on…” Mary began.

“Oh, no, you are not going to tell me that you think it’s
your job to protect your husband,” Gracie said. “Honey, when are you going to
remember it’s not your job to always sacrifice yourself for others?
 
Sometimes the people that love you want to be
able to sacrifice for you.”

“But—” Mary started.

“No,” Gracie interrupted. “No, there are no buts here. You
call that man, as soon as we hang up this phone. You call him and you get him
down to your office and you tell him. You understand?”

“I’m—” Mary said.

“Do you understand?” Gracie interrupted once again.

“But what if he’s not happy about it?” Mary
said,
her voice breaking.

“Then he’s an idiot. And your man is not an idiot.”

“No, he’s not,” Mary agreed.

“And just because it’s in your body, doesn’t mean it’s not
his baby too,” she added. “Why keep him from the joy?”

“Shouldn’t I wait until I’ve gone to the doctor, just to be
sure?”

“Are you sure?” Gracie asked her.

“Well, I’m…”

“Are you sure?” Gracie repeated.
“In your
heart.”

Mary nodded. “Yes, I’m sure,” she said, her smile widening
as tears slipped from her eyes. “I’m sure.”

“If that baby’s a girl, you know her name has to be Gracie,”
Gracie added with a chuckle. “And if it’s a boy, Grayson will be just fine.”

“I’ll remember that,” Mary said with a watery laugh. “Thank
you Gracie.”

“Don’t thank me,” she said. “Just call that husband of
yours. Goodbye Mary Alden.”

“Goodbye Gracie,” Mary said, and she hung up the phone.

A moment later she picked it up again and pressed a speed
dial number. “Hi Dorothy,
it’s
Mary,” she said. “Could
I speak with Bradley?”