To celebrate the release of my new book, I'm posting something about it every day. Here's the scene that upended Lizzy and Madeline's life and radically changed their relationship. From Episode One, The Funeral.
Wind-driven
leaves, twigs, and small, forgotten debris skipped across the parking lot. The
breeze ruffled the hem of Madeline’s skirt and tickled up her legs. Lyle’s
office was in the same professional building as her father’s, less than a mile
from her own. Her father had tried to get her to lease office space in the same
plaza, but for reasons she hadn’t stopped to question, she’d balked.
Dad
could pave her way through law school, but he couldn’t get her in his plaza.
Still, first as a kid and then as an intern, she’d spent so many hours at the
Rancho Allegro Business Park, it almost felt like home.
Madeline
pulled open the door to Mayer and Watson, LLP, and greeted the receptionist. To
her surprise, she found Lizzy in the waiting room, sitting in a wingback chair
and reading a Martha Stewart magazine.
Lizzy
glanced up, her eyes widening. The magazine in her hands slipped to her lap.
Lizzy recaptured her composure, stood, and gathered Madeline into a hug. After
pulling away, she said, “Imagine! Seeing you twice in a week! It’s like finding
a lucky penny not once, but twice.”
Madeline’s
smile felt tight. She didn’t like Lizzy any more than Lizzy liked her. The
difference between them was that Madeline was candid and Lizzy didn’t know how
to be honest, even with herself. She’d been pretending to be a character in a
cheesy movie even before there ever was a Hallmark Channel. Lizzy was soft,
squishy, and smelled of something sweet. Vanilla, maybe? Madeline pulled away
as soon as she could and tugged her blazer back into place.
“What
are we doing here?” Lizzy reclaimed her seat.
“I
guess we’ll find out.” Madeline settled into a chair not quite next to her
former sister-in-law.
She
took in Lizzy out of the corner of her eye. Lumpy sweater. Stretched- out jeans. Navy blue sneakers
dotted with tiny strawberries. Not-quite-white socks. As if Lizzy felt
Madeline’s gaze, she smoothed down her sweater and crossed her ankles.
The
phone buzzed, and the receptionist answered. “Mrs. Clark? You can both go in.”
Madeline
buttoned her blazer, stood, and strode for the door. Lizzy trailed after her
like a kid sister.
Madeline
didn’t have any siblings. She’d been thrilled when Chad had first introduced
her to Lizzy. But the thrill had been short-lived. As soon as Lizzy had opened
her mouth, she’d made it painfully obvious they were as different as poodles and
kittens.
Not
that Lizzy was unattractive. Thirty plus years ago, she’d been a beauty. She
still was—if you didn’t mind lumpy sweaters, misshapen jeans, and sneakers
dotted with strawberries.
Lyle
held the door open for them to pass through. Floor-to-ceiling windows
overlooked the back bay. A flock of geese in a V formation winged by. What
would it be like to be so free?
After
shaking hands with both women, Lyle motioned to the leather chairs facing his
desk. Lyle also took a seat. “You’re probably wondering why I’ve asked you both
here today.”
Beside
Madeline, Lizzy crossed her legs and laced her fingers together in her lap.
Tension rolled off her. Madeline could almost smell her former sister-in-law’s
hot flash. When no one else spoke, Madeline said, “I assume this has to do with
Brian’s estate.”
Lyle
pulled a pair of glasses out of his breast pocket and slipped them on. “Yes.”
“How—why—”
Lizzy stammered, then cleared her throat. “What does this have to do with me?”
Lyle
ignored Lizzy and fingered the papers on his desk. “It may surprise you to
learn Brian hadn’t changed his will since the divorce. This was something we’d
talked about many times. He informed me that should anything ever happen to
him, he would wish his entire estate bequeathed to you, Madeline.”
“But
our children—” Madeline began.
“Brian
knew your children would eventually receive their inheritance when you pass. He
thought that they could better handle the wealth when they were more mature.”
Lyle looked at Madeline fondly. “He had great faith in you. Much more than he
had in himself.”
Madeline
skated Lizzy another glance. Lizzy stared out the window beyond Lyle, her lips
pressed together, shoulders rigid.
“The
thing is,” Lyle cleared his throat, “shortly before his death, Brian made a
rather speculative purchase—using not only all of his estate, but also yours,
Mrs. Clark.”
Madeline
and Lizzy exchanged glances.
“What?”
Lizzy acted as if Lyle had just surprised her with a pop quiz and pressed her
hand against her breast. “We’re both Mrs. Clark.”
As
if he didn’t know.
Lyle
donned a look that managed to appear both patient and condescending. “And he
used both estates, yours—Elizabeth—and his own.”
Now
he had Lizzy’s full attention. Her mouth formed a perfect O. After a stunned
beat of silence, she rasped, “He spent all of my money?”
“Yes.
On a warehouse in Running Springs.”
“Running
Springs?” Lizzy echoed. “In the San Bernardino Mountains?”
“You’re
familiar with the area?” Lyle steepled his fingers and rested back in his
chair.
“Somewhat,”
Lizzy said. “Running Springs, not so much. My daughter lives in Lake Arrowhead.
My grandparents had a cabin there.”
“And
now, you are a joint owner of a warehouse,” Lyle pronounced as if he was
bestowing great news. “Both your names are on the deed.”
“A
warehouse? I don’t want a warehouse!” Lizzy blinked rapidly, looking like she
teetered on the verge of tears.
Madeline
had never seen her former sister-in-law lose her temper—would she do so now?
“I’d
be happy to find a broker to list it for you,” Lyle said, “but given the
current state of affairs and market, I’m sure it would sell at a loss.”
“Why
would Brian buy a warehouse?” Madeline scooted to the edge of her seat.
Lyle
raised his hands in a defeated gesture.
Something
clicked in Madeline’s memory. Lizzy must have come to the same conclusion,
because she asked, “Is this warehouse the same one where they found Brian’s
body?”
“Yes,”
Lyle said. “But you know that, according to the autopsy report, Brian died of a
heart attack.”
Brian,
Chad, and their father had all suffered with heart disease and a yen for rich
food and red meat—a deadly combination.
Lizzy
blinked some more. “Still, rather coincidental, don’t you think?”
Madeline
caught her lower lip in her teeth. She’d never considered Lizzy the suspicious
kind. She was as naïve as a lamb, if not going to be slaughtered—because the
woman did always land on her feet, usually while balancing a platter of cookies
in her hands—then, at the very least, sheared.
“Do
you have the deed?” Madeline asked.
“Of
course,” Lyle murmured.
“I’d
like to see it,” Madeline said.
Lyle
pushed a packet of papers across his desk. Madeline gathered them up and
flipped through them.
“I
know this must come as a shock to both of you.” Lyle slipped off his glasses
and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“What’s
in this warehouse?” Lizzy peered over Madeline’s shoulder.
“It’s
empty.” Lyle laced his fingers together and rested his hands on his belly.
“It’s been abandoned for several years.”
“So,
there’s no lease, or anything?” Lizzy bit her lip in concern.
“Do
you know what he had planned to do with it?” Madeline looked up from the deed.
“No
idea,” Lyle said. “I’m just as surprised as you are. This is really
uncharacteristic of the Brian we knew…and loved.”
“All
of my money? Gone?” Lizzy said, almost as if talking to herself, trying to
convince herself of this new reality. She sank back in her chair.
Lyle
held up a finger and pointed at the ceiling. “It’s not gone. It’s just been
invested in a warehouse.”
“That
you say would be imprudent to sell.” Lizzy’s voice turned hard and cold—two
adjectives Madeline would never have attributed to her former sister-in-law.
“Can we lease it out?”
“For
what?” Madeline considered Lizzy, her cheeks flaming red, her blue eyes
sparkling like ice shards.
“How
would I know?” Lizzy stood. “You’re the one with the deed!”
Madeline
handed it to her. “Would you like to read it?”
Lizzy
made a grunting noise, rolled her eyes, and gazed out the window while she
gathered her thoughts. “I want to take a picture of it.”
“Of
the warehouse?” Madeline asked.
“The
deed.” Lizzy’s tone had the word duh attached to it.
“Be
my guest.” Madeline handed it over.
Lizzy
pulled her phone from her purse, placed the deed on Lyle’s desk, and busied
herself taking pictures of each page.
“What
are you going to do with that?” Madeline asked.
“I
don’t know. Something.” Lizzy pocketed her phone.
“Whatever
you do, you’ll need my cooperation,” Madeline told her.
“What
do you suggest we do?” Lizzy sounded snarky and emphasized the pronoun.
Interesting. Madeline had never seen this side of Lizzy before.
“Go
and look at it?” Madeline suggested.
“I
can go tomorrow.”
“I’m
in court all day tomorrow,” Madeline said, “but there’s really no need for both
of us to go.”
“There’s
no need for either of you to go if you’d rather not,” Lyle interjected. “I can
contact a broker who can provide not only pictures but also a video tour. That
is, after all, a typical part of the listing.”
“Will
you email me a link?” Madeline asked.
“And
me as well.” Lizzy’s tone had lost its combative edge, but Madeline could tell
she was about to explode.
After
the meeting, Lizzy marched beside Madeline, her anger clear with every
strawberry-sneaker-stomp. Once they reached the parking lot, Lizzy rounded on
Madeline. “What do you know about this?”
Madeline
paused beside her Audi. A few spaces over, she spotted Lizzy’s ancient Honda.
She still drove that thing? It should have been put out of its misery years
ago.
“Madeline!”
Lizzy barked.
Madeline
wanted to laugh at her former sister-in-law’s outrage. “Nothing. I promise you.
This is as much of a surprise to me as it is to you.”
“What
are you going to do about it?” Lizzy demanded.
“Don’t
you mean, what are we going to do about it?” Madeline countered.
“I
know nothing about warehouses,” Lizzy said.
“And
you think I do?” The wind kicked up and lifted the edge of Madeline’s skirt.
She fought her frustration. “I’ll have my assistant call a local broker.”
Lizzy
closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I’m behaving badly. I know
this isn’t your fault. It’s just...”
Madeline
waited for Lizzy to finish.
“Never
mind,” Lizzy mumbled, and headed for her rattletrap. “Let me know what the
broker says and how I can help,” she tossed over her shoulder.
Madeline
felt as if someone had passed her a ball in a game she could never win.
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