A Fortune to Die For (White Oak - Mafia Series Book 1) (5 page)

“I suppose it depends upon their future. If they’re cut down and turned into timber and used to build homes over a flattened version of this land, then I suspect they’ll haunt me for eternity.”

“Oh, God! You’ve lost your mind,” a shrill female voice exclaimed. “No contract she signs will be valid if she’s lost her mind. One of my soap operas went on and on about it last week.”

“I have
not
lost my mind. I was being sarcastic. It’s what I do when my children and grandchildren decide to have an intervention just because I don’t plan to make them multi-millionaires when I die.”

“So you admit you’re doing this just to spite us?” another angry female voice demanded.

“No. I wish to save my trees. They are the last white oak forest in the whole state, which makes it something worth preserving. I’m sorry your personal greed prevents you from seeing the importance of these woods, but the failing is yours, not mine. Now, it’s getting late. As I told you before, the buyer to my land did not commit to an exact date, but clearly no one in their right mind would drive these roads at nighttime. And neither should any of you.”

Meg chuckled at her clever segregation of the hostile relatives from people in their right minds.

“We are not done here!” a man warned.

“I never thought you were,” Helen replied.

“Where’s the lady’s room?” the shrill-voiced woman asked.

“What lady’s room, dear?”

“The bathroom!” the man snapped. “Sara is asking where your bathroom is.”

“Oh. Go out the front door and take a left. It’s two hundred feet down the cliff.”

“Jeffrey!” the shrill voice screeched.

“You don’t have indoor plumbing yet? For the love of God, I should have this place condemned.”

“I have running water in the kitchen sink, but she’s not going to the bathroom there.”

“Jeffrey, we need to leave at once!” the shrill voice yelled, and the screen slammed a second later.

“Nice, mother. You really know how to make your relatives feel welcome.” A second later, the screen door slammed a second time.

Then the fellow returned. “Whose car is out there?”

“I don’t know. Andy dragged it up here. Maybe he wants to give it to me. The boy treats me a hell of a lot better than my real kin does.”

“Probably thinks you’ll leave him a fortune when you die.”

“Oh, I’d never ruin the boy’s life like that. I think too highly of him. Andy will do just fine making his own way. He’s smart and a hard worker. He doesn’t need or want any handouts.”

Meg frowned at Helen’s words. While she’d thus far discovered all her handouts only made matters worse, she had to think Andy was the exception. He had truly earned the five hundred dollars she planned to give him today, and no one could get to college without some help these days.

Still, matters had gone badly with her initial attempts to set her family members on solid financial ground. She thought paying off their credit cards, their car loans, and their mortgages would be an excellent gift to each. But instead of starting from this high ground and working to create their own savings, several of them sold their mortgage-free homes and bought mansions with new and much larger mortgages. Others used the excess cash, plus new home equity loans, to put down payments on boats and high-end car leases.

And then the bills came in, and they all expected her to cover them. Realizing to do so would only send them further out of control, she refused. And so she became the most detested person in the world.

It was then she discovered the Lottery Curse was real and all-consuming.

She heard several cars start up and pull onto the dirt driveway. Did all relatives become extra horrible when someone became rich? She watched through the kitchen window as they drove away.

She glanced at the closet and frowned. Where was Andy? A moment later the back of the closet holding brooms and broom pans opened, and the cheery fellow stepped into the kitchen and closed the closet doors. “All done.” He glanced outside and frowned. “Crap, I need to get your car unhooked.”

She continued to block his escape. “Before you go, Andy, I want to give you a tip.”

“You don’t have to. I was coming up here, anyway.”

“Yes, but from my perspective, you saved my life, given the absolute certainty that even if I had managed to choose all the right roads…”

“Not very likely,” he muttered.

“…then I would have hit the two-foot deep crevice in the road and possibly killed myself. If I somehow managed to live, and my cell phone worked…”

He shook his head.

“…then I would have called a towing company. And maybe they would have agreed to come out.”

Again he shook his head.

“If not, I would have probably tried to walk the rest of the way.”

He grimaced.

“And would probably still be walking through the night unless I was eaten by wolves.”

“Coyotes…we have a big pack of coyotes.”

“Death by coyote then.”

“There’s a bear, too.”

“And bear.”

She pulled out the six bills, kept one, and handed him five. “I’d give you all I have for saving my life and getting my car here, but…”

“No, you should keep your cash. You seem prone to getting yourself into trouble. Everything you said was true. You could have died a whole lot of times if you’d done this on your own.”

She approached him and stuffed the five bills in his pocket. “You earned this tip a hundred times over. Now stop arguing and unhitch my car.”

He smiled. “Okay, but promise you won’t take the way I came up. You’ll never make it.”

“There’s another way in?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t go to La Motte. That’s where you stopped today, not St. Donatus. It’s further east. The safer road goes north to Dubuque. Miss Campbell can tell you how to get there. Those roads are better…or all her relatives wouldn’t have made it here in their fancy cars.”

She gripped Andy’s hand. “It’s been a pleasure to meet you, and I will be in contact if I find a scholarship, so get your grades up.”

He gave her a salute and scurried out, clearly wishing to escape more lectures.

Meg wasn’t sure if some relatives still lurked in the other room, so she sat in an ancient kitchen chair and stared at what was probably once a very grand kitchen…for some woman in the 1800s.

Her musings were interrupted by Andy’s angry voice spoken from outside. “Crap!” She looked out the window as he stormed toward the house.

“Miss Campbell, would you give this money back to your guest,” Andy asked.

Meg, listening at the door, cringed. Most people would be thrilled to find substantial money in their pocket. Just her luck to reward the one who wasn’t.

“No. How much is it?” Helen asked.

“Five hundred. I thought she gave me five dollars, which I wasn’t okay about, but since I saved her life and all by bringing her up here safe and sound, and she was so intent I take it, I didn’t pull it out when she stuffed it in my pocket like you do.”

Helen snorted. “Well,
I’m
not taking it. She’s from the northeast. They have no sense when it comes to tipping. If I try to make her take it back, she’ll probably refuse and stick me with the money. So you’re just gonna have to put it in the bank for college. And let this be a lesson to you. Don’t let people go stuffing bills in your pocket unless you know them.”

“My mom’s going to throw a fit. You know what she’ll think when I tell her how pretty Miss Williams is,” Andy said.

“Who?” Helen asked.

“Miss Williams.”

“Hold on…”

Helen burst into the kitchen and gripped Meg’s face. “Are you who I think you are?”

“Yes. I’ll explain when we’re alone.”

“Yes, you will. And what were you thinking, giving the boy five hundred dollars?”

“I was thinking I wouldn’t have made it here alive without his help. There are evidently coyotes and bears in these woods.”

Her brow furrowed, and she released Meg’s chin. “Damn foolishness.” She stormed back to Andy. “There is nothing I can do about this. Be more careful the next time you save someone’s life and button your pockets. Now get home safely. I don’t like you driving on these roads anywhere close to dusk.”

“I’ll be okay. I’m going to Dubuque and deposit this money before my mom knows about it. Bank’s open ’til five. I can make it easy.”

“Good, that road is clearly better.”

“Miss Williams left this case in my truck. Will you give it to her? Be gentle. I think it has a laptop inside.”

God! What would I have done if he’d driven off with my computer case?
Actually, this boy would have probably driven all the way back when he discovered it. Never had any young man impressed Meg this much. She was definitely getting him a scholarship.

She expected Helen to scold her some more, but the old woman appeared to be talking to someone else. Meg pushed her ear to the door and listened.

“I was very disappointed to see you running with those money grubbers.”

“Father forced me,” a young woman said. “He said he wouldn’t co-sign next year’s student loan if I didn’t lead them to your cabin and attend this meeting. So I did since they’d still have come if I hadn’t. But for the record, I think you’re doing the right thing. None of us will be a bit happier if we’re multi-millionaires. Sara would still complain about everything, and Uncle Jeffrey would still be the biggest runabout in the state.

“I’m sorry I led them up, but things have changed, Grams. It’s not possible for a kid to put themselves through school without taking out loans. And no one will give a kid a loan without someone co-signing for it. So I need my father’s signature and, believe me, he reminds me of my dependency every chance he gets. If you want me to pack up and leave, I’ll understand, but know this—I will always love you.”

Helen sighed heavily. “It’s too late for you to safely drive anywhere.”

“I’ll be okay.”

“Yes, you will, because you’re staying here. I’m not taking any chances. You are the only one in my entire family who’s worth a dime.”

A small chuckle sounded from the young woman. “I almost wet my pants when you told Sara where the outhouse was.”

Helen laughed outright. “It got the mob out of here fast enough. But because I still love you, I’ll let you use the indoor toilet.” A moment later, the door, which Meg had her ear to, banged her head. She stepped back as both women entered.

A dark-haired beauty stared at her. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea you were still here. Andy left, you know.”

Meg rubbed the side of her head. “I’m okay.”

Once convinced Meg was unharmed, the young woman rushed into the closet and disappeared into the darkness.

“What’s in there?” Meg nodded to the closet door as Helen handed her the computer case. For an old woman who had implied she was near death’s door, her arm’s well-defined muscles and fit body declared otherwise.

“I suppose I can give you a tour while I scold you for snooping.”

“I was trying to determine if you still had guests…”

“Reasonable reply, but I’m not buying it.” Helen then disappeared into the closet.

Curious and in need of a bathroom herself, Meg followed. On the other side of the faux closet were stairs leading down to a long, well-lit hallway. The walls were a sunny yellow with happy watercolor paintings framed in old weathered wood. Potted geraniums with iridescent wine-colored flowers sat on small tables placed against the walls. Above each was a sunlight bulb providing light.

Helen and she walked a good distance before reaching a door. The old woman entered first and held the door open.

As Meg stepped into a modern living room, her mouth fell to the floor. Instead of a dreary, old, damp basement, she stared at a forty-foot long glass wall looking out onto the forest sloping down the very tall hill this room was built into. The vision of green trees was periodically broken with sandy ridges. Farther in the distance, more hills appeared on the left and countless small islands perched in the giant Mississippi river.

“Who needs TV when I’ve got this view,” Helen said with pure, unadulterated pride.

“It’s amazing.” Meg laughed. “I can’t believe you’ve kept this a secret from your family.”

Helen frowned at her. “Exactly how much eavesdropping did you do?”

Meg grimaced. “Quite a bit. Not all intentionally. First time, I was leaning on the door to prevent anyone from entering while Andy put up your groceries.”

“And the second time?”

“I saw Andy coming back to the house, and I feared he’d planned to refuse the money he’d truly earned. Honestly, without him, my car would have crashed in a two-foot ravine in the road, and if I’d survived that, I would have attempted to walk to your house in the belief it was closer than going down the mountain.”

“Technically, this is a hill. Iowa has no mountains.”

“Well, it thinks it’s a mountain. You don’t get views like this on a silly hill.”

Helen smiled. “I like you despite your efforts to ruin the only nice young man I know…and your habit of eavesdropping.”

Meg covered her face and laughed at the irony. “Well, for the record, I’ve never eavesdropped before in my life, and if you asked anyone who knows me, they’d tell you I’m the stingiest person in the world.”

Helen waved her to the modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops. She pointed to the stools beneath the counter. “Sit and talk to me while I cook. We are having chicken parmesan.”

Meg set down the case. “Can I cook my chicken separately? I’m lactose intolerant.”

“No, we’ll have chicken cacciatore instead.”

“You don’t have to change your dinner for me.”

“I’m not. I always planned to have cacciatore. I just needed to be sure you were who you were supposed to be. Your hair cut really changes your looks. May I ask why the change? You aren’t wanted by the police, I hope.”

“Part of the Lottery Curse is receiving a great deal of death threats when you ignore people’s requests for money. The FBI felt some were a real danger and recommended I move and change my name so I can start anew.”

“For heaven’s sake! Why on earth did you ever buy a lottery ticket?” By Helen’s tone, buying a ticket ranked up there with licking a frozen flagpole in winter. “It’s not like you needed the money,” the old woman added.

“No. I got cajoled into it by a friend who is a lottery addict. I tried to give her the ticket when I won, but she wouldn’t take it. Said it was bad luck to take someone else’s prize. Once I discovered the Lottery Curse was real, I was glad she didn’t accept it. She’s a nice person and deserves a happy life.”

“Is she still your friend?”

“Not really. She said the money changed me into someone she didn’t know…or wanted to know.”

Helen turned and looked at her. “Was she right?”

“Yeah. I’ve become distrustful, cynical, and quick to see the bad in people. Take Andy, for instance. He tried so hard not to drive faster than I felt was safe. So I thought he was vying for a better tip.” She snorted and shook her head. “He tried his hardest to refuse his tip.”

“He’s a good boy.”

“Yeah, and five years ago I would have seen him for the fabulous young man he is right off, but over the last four years, I’ve been played so many times.”

“I can well imagine. How about your family?”

“Oh, they detest me.”

“How much did you give them?” Helen asked in a weary tone.

As Meg explained her idea to put them on financial ground, the old woman shook her head. “You cannot dig other people out of their financial ruin any more than you can save an addict by sending him to rehab against his will. People have to save themselves. You should have offered to get them good financial counseling so they could do the heavy lifting.”

“You’re right. And my mistake cost me my family.”

Helen turned and stared at her. “Did they know you were a millionaire before you won the lottery?”

Meg frowned. The old woman had asked the question in a tone indicating she already knew the answer was no. How could she know? Her body tensed. Something wasn’t right here.

Before she could ask, Helen answered her unspoken question. “I had you investigated before I contacted you. You weren’t just some random billionaire who happened to like trees. I probably know more about you than you do since I know what other people think about you.”

Meg groaned at the thought.

“Before your Lottery Curse, you were respected, trusted, and well liked.”

Her words caused Meg’s eyes to sprout tears like fountains. No stranger needed to see her open and ugly wounds. Escaping to the living room, she stared out onto the pristine, healthy forest below. “This must be really gorgeous when the sun rises in the morning.”

A new younger voice replied. “Takes my breath away.”

“Tess, Meg. Meg, Tess,” Helen called out.

Meg dried her eyes on her shirtsleeve, turned, and smiled at the girl as she held out her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Are you going to hike Grams’s woods? The trails are well marked. I have a map if you want one.”

Helen spoke from the kitchen. “Let’s all three go for a hike tomorrow morning. Walking in the woods is good for the heart…in more ways than one.” She then smiled at Tess. “You couldn’t have been in the bathroom all this time.”

Tess laughed. “Busted. I was catching up with my friends on Facebook.”

“If you don’t mind, I could make use of the bathroom,” Meg said.

Tess gripped her hand. “I’ll show you.”

The young woman stopped at the bathroom door. “Grams is a wonderful person, but she loves to scold. Whatever she said to upset you, she regrets it. She just doesn’t know how to undo the pain.”

“She wasn’t scolding. She just brought up something good in my past, and I don’t think I’ve ever faced its loss before, so it hit me hard.”

Tess nodded. “She has a knack for seeing right through our pretenses and calling a spade a spade. I think it’s why my father refuses to visit or speak to her. He prefers to be idolized by his trophy wife and his sycophant, feral sons.” Tess sighed. “Sorry, I’m keeping you from Mother Nature’s call. I’ll go chat Grams’s ear off instead.”

After answering Mother Nature, she washed her face with cold water until she regained her composure.

Helen and Tess sat at the counter eating when Meg returned.

“There’s our missing lamb.” Helen took a plate from a warming bin and slid it next to the lonely silverware and napkin on the counter.

Meg climbed upon the stool. “Thanks. Sorry for taking so long.”

The old woman huffed softly. “I’m sorry I upset you. It wasn’t my intention.”

“I know.” Worried her tears would make another appearance, Meg glanced at Tess. “So what’s your favorite trail in these woods?”

Tess wasn’t sure, and between her and Helen, they discussed over twenty trails as possible contenders. The debate outlasted dinner and continued as they moved to the living room and watched night settle on the forest. The only lights were over fifty miles away on the other side of the river, plus the occasional boat light on the Mississippi.

“This is so beautiful,” Meg said, amazed at her emotional recovery.

Helen sighed and pushed herself up. “It is, and it will impress you further tomorrow morning. So I’m sending us all to bed so we can enjoy the sunrise, have a good breakfast, and get on the trails before the heat sets in.”

Meg was more than happy to agree. Better than facing more hard truths from Helen just yet.