The Ties That Bind (19 page)

Because it hunkers in a valley watered by the San Juan River, Farmington harbors an agricultural and ranching base, but since World War II, natural gas and oil exploration and drilling has helped transform the town into a hub for natural gas extraction. Since the 1960s and 1970s, the area has been transformed into a boomtown, where roughnecks mix with ranchers and Native peoples are often attempting to bridge the huge gulfs between both.

Money from the natural gas industry seemed to have beefed up an economic infrastructure in Farmington, which in turn lured people unaffiliated with agriculture or extraction to the area and they, in turn, drove the push for big-box stores and better educational facilities, like the spiffy San Juan Community College. But poverty still marred the largely rural region in surrounding communities, Indian reservations included. And some of these communities were bitterly divided about selling their land or mineral rights for extractive industries. An ongoing western battle, with no punches pulled.

We parked at 2.45 in front of the small brick office building that housed Lindstrom, Smith, and Bails, Attorneys-at-Law. The wide streets and grid layout of downtown Farmington reminded me of Lubbock. That, plus the 1960s-era square structures that indicated businesses, banks, and an occasional store gave it a broad, Midwestern feel. I shut the engine off and Kara looked out the passenger side at Lindstrom's office.

"Bails. Now there's a good name for a lawyer," she commented.

"I was just thinking that." I took my sunglasses off and put them in their case, which I left in the glove compartment.

Kara got out and stood on the sidewalk, stretching her arms and shoulders. I waited for a couple of cars to pass before I opened my door to join her. We stood in front under the faded awning just as Sage pulled into a parking space along the curb three cars down in her vehicle, River in the front passenger seat.

"Excuse me," a feminine voice said to my right.

I turned. A plump white woman wearing tight faded jeans, sneakers, and a yellow tank stood appraising me. She wore her dark blond hair feathered back from her face in the style Farrah Fawcett immortalized in
Charlie's Angels
.

"Are either of you Sage Crandall?"

This must be Tonya.
"No, but she's right over there," I said, indicating Sage as she got out of her car. "And the gentleman with her is her brother."

"Oh, thanks. I'm Tonya Daniels." She stuck out her right hand, which I took. A firm, brisk handshake.

"K.C. Fontero." I released her hand. "My sister Kara," I added, gesturing with my head toward her. "I'm Sage's partner." I watched her to see what she'd say to that, but my statement got no reaction. She instead looked past us at Sage, who was walking toward us.

"Hi. Tonya Daniels." She offered her hand to Sage, who shook it as I had.

"Sage Crandall." She let go of Tonya's hand so River could take his turn.

"River," he said in his quiet, deep voice. "Good to meet you in person. Sorry about my reaction on the phone when you called." He offered a smile that could melt a skating rink, and it worked on Tonya, because she smiled back in that way straight women do to polite, handsome men.

"That's okay. I know Bill didn't talk much to you and it probably didn't look very good, me calling like that."

He shrugged. "No problem."

"Everybody ready?" Sage interrupted. She took her sunglasses off and propped them on top of her head. She had opted to wear her hair loose today and it fell around her shoulders in a way that often caused me to forget to breathe. I held the glass door open and everyone but Sage filed in. She paused at the threshold. I reached with my free hand and gave hers a little squeeze. She smiled, relieved, and entered.

I expected a cheesy paneled interior with maybe dark green carpet and mismatched furniture but what I got was a pleasant waiting area with big, comfortable chairs in deep plush blue. The interior walls had been stuccoed white and two large paintings of desert landscapes hung on two of them. The floor was tiled, though a large Navajo-style rug lay underneath a heavy wooden coffee table on which someone had stacked a variety of magazines and local interest pamphlets.

"May I help you?" The trim, perky receptionist inquired from her desk, which sat behind a low wall that served as a boundary between lobby and offices.

"Yes. I'm Sage Crandall and this is my brother River. We and Tonya Daniels--" she motioned toward Tonya--"are here to see Ward Lindstrom about my father's will."

"Of course. He's expecting you. One moment." She picked up her phone and pressed a couple of numbers. I continued to check out Lindstrom's digs. Classy, but not pretentious. "He'll be right up. Can I get you anything to drink? Coffee? We have water and soft drinks in the refrigerator." She pointed at an apartment-sized fridge in the waiting area.

Kara opened it and took out a Diet Coke. "Thanks," she said.

"They got regular in there?" River moved over toward Kara and she handed him a bottle of the requested substance.

"You want to split one?" I looked at Sage, who had crossed her arms in a gesture I knew meant she was stressed.

"Sure," she said.

"Tonya?" I looked at her.

"Diet."

Kara extracted two more bottles of Diet Coke and carried them in one hand, holding on to their necks. She brought them over. I took one and Tonya the other.

"Hi," said a male voice with a soft Texas drawl.

We all looked at the newcomer, who stood in front of the receptionist's desk. White guy, about five-ten, maybe in his forties. He looked like he took care of himself, given the fit of his black pleated trousers and the off-white shirt tucked into them. He had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows though he still wore a tie. Mostly muted maroon, it featured abstract designs in blues, creams, and black. He wore his sandy hair trimmed above his ears and though he was balding on top, he didn't affect any kind of comb-over. He regarded us with frank blue eyes.

"I'm Ward. Thanks for coming. I've got us set up in the conference room, which has a little more room. Come on back." He motioned for us to follow him and I noticed he wore plain black dress shoes rather than wingtips, which seemed a lawyer stereotype that often proved true. He led us down a tiled hall to a room on the right. A big rectangular table occupied the center. At the end farthest from the door a couple of manila folders sat on the table and bookshelves lined the wall behind it. Several basic no-nonsense conferencing chairs were positioned around the table. Sage, River, and Tonya introduced themselves to Ward while Kara and I hung back. Once those names were established I stepped forward.

"K.C. Fontero."

He shook my hand. "Oh, yes. I spoke with you last week. Ms. Crandall's partner. Welcome." He smiled. I gave him big props for that reaction.

"Kara Fontero." She shook his hand as well.

"Ah. I see a family resemblance," he said in a droll tone, looking from her to me. "Glad you could come. Please, have a seat."

We all did so, setting our beverages in front of us. Ward took the head of the table, where the manila folders lay while Tonya sat to his immediate right and Sage to his immediate left. River sat on Sage's left, then me, then Kara. Which left Tonya all alone on her side, but she didn't seem to mind. She sat with her hands in her lap, watching Ward.

"All right. Thanks for coming," Ward said by way of introduction to the reading of the will. "I know it's a longish drive and I appreciate everyone's willingness to meet."

From his tone, I guessed will-readings weren't always lovefests. He removed a piece of paper from the top folder, then took a stack from the bottom folder.

"I made copies." He handed one to Tonya and then a few to Sage, who passed them on down. Kara set the remaining two copies aside.

"First, you'll notice that Bill did name me as his personal representative in executing his estate. We'll cover a few points thoroughly as we go through. Please feel free to ask questions as they come up." He paused and glanced around the table then continued. "As you'll see, Bill left instructions for his body and he does have money set aside for that. Ms. Crandall, you and your brother can request that the funeral home your father specified release his body for transport and cremation unless there is some other extenuating reason that the Medical Examiner in Albuquerque provides to delay that. When you do notify the funeral home--specified here--please inform me so that I may inform Ms. Daniels, since she is named as the person who will handle cremation. Is all this amenable?"

Sage nodded. River did, as well, though he kept his eyes on his copy of Bill's will.

"As you can see," Ward said, "Bill did not specify a funeral or memorial service. That's a decision that you and Ms. Daniels need to make, if you're so inclined. The money he left should more than cover a small service of some kind." He glanced first at Tonya then at Sage and River then back to his copy. "Bill bequeathed all of his personal effects and his home to Ms. Daniels. Should you, Ms. Crandall or your brother wish to access any of your father's personal belongings, please arrange such through Ms. Daniels or, if mediation is required, through me."

I flipped the page, appreciating the professional but relaxed way Ward was handling this. Tonya was also reading through the will. She wiped at her eyes and Ward pushed his chair back and reached for a box of Kleenex on the bookshelves. He set it in front of her and she took one and wiped her nose. She must really have liked Bill. I read another paragraph. Then re-read it.
Holy hell.
I glanced over at Sage, whose jaw muscles clenched. She didn't look up.

"Bill started investing in stock about ten years ago. He concentrated on companies that produced equipment for gas and oil drilling and exploration, and managed to do pretty well. The stock, as you can see, he leaves to his daughter, Sage, and his son, River, to be divided evenly between the two and to do with as they see fit," Ward said, reading the last bit from the will. "The money he accumulated in his retirement account he leaves to Ms. Daniels. I do have his stock portfolio on the premises and I will provide that to you and your brother, Ms. Crandall." He looked up. "Questions?" He waited a moment. "No? All right. Some good news in this difficult time. Bill paid off his debts with the exception of his mortgage, which Ms. Daniels will be assuming, should she decide to stay in the home she shared with him."

I finished reading through and glanced again at Tonya. A pile of used Kleenex sat at her right elbow. He had paid off all his debts. So he had been trying to get his shit together. I wanted to have a chat with Tonya about Bill and what other things he might have been up to, but I wasn't sure how to do so without coming across as tacky.

"What I'd like to do," Wade entreated, "is give all parties a chance to look this over for a few days, if necessary. I want to be sure that everyone understands the contents of this document. Contact me immediately if you don't and we'll work on it." He gave a business card to Tonya and passed a few to Sage. "Is everyone all right with this arrangement? My cell phone number is on my card. Please don't hesitate to use it."

I glanced at Sage, who was studying the card. She seemed small, all of a sudden, and sort of lost. Wade stood. "If everyone's okay, then we're done here. Let me know in the next couple of days or so if you're clear on everything. Please do feel free to contact your own lawyers should you have them and go over this again. The more you know, the better the decisions you can make. Ms. Crandall, I'll get that stock portfolio now. Be right back." He smiled, encouraging, and left the room.

Sage got up and went around the table to sit in the chair next to Tonya's. She sat down and gently squeezed Tonya's right forearm. "Thanks for coming," she said.

Tonya nodded, sniffling. "Is there anything you think you or your brother would want of Bill's?" She looked up at Sage, dabbing at her tears.

"I don't know. If you think there is, River and I could come over." Sage said it in a soft tone, offering comfort. "I'm so sorry."

"Me, too." Tonya's voice broke then and she cried harder and Sage pulled Tonya's head to her shoulder. River shifted uncomfortably in his seat, opting to keep staring at the will. Kara squeezed my hand as I pondered the enigma of Bill Crandall, the man who inspired such anger in his children but such love and loss in a woman unrelated to the past.

Wade returned. He seemed surprised to see Sage with Tonya, but he caught himself and set the portfolio on the table next to her, either deducing that she seemed the one more inclined to deal with it than River or doing so because she was closest to him when he came in. I guessed the former. "Thank you again for coming. I'm very sorry for your loss," he said, meaning it. "I'll be in touch." He turned to leave but stopped at the doorway. "Take your time here." And then he left. I appreciated that. I turned to River.

"You okay?" I said in a low voice.

"Not sure."

"You want to talk?"

He looked at me, a thin smile on his lips. "Not yet. Thanks. I think I'll wait outside." He collected his bottle of Coke, the copy of the will, and Ward's card. Still sitting, River slid it into the back pocket of his jeans

I clapped him on the shoulder and threw an imploring glance at Kara. She stood as River did.

"Same here," she said, following River out of the room.

Tonya stopped crying after a few more minutes and Sage handed her another tissue from the box. "Thank you," Tonya whispered. "Sorry."

Sage patted her hand. "Are you all right? Do you need a ride anywhere?"

Tonya shook her head. "It's funny," she said, wiping her eyes again. "I met Bill about two months after he moved here."

"When was that?"

"Four years ago, give or take. We hit it off, but he did have a problem every now and again with the bottle. He tried," she hastily added. "Went to meetings now and again and he'd be sober for a few months. I'm sure you know he had a problem with that." Tonya looked at Sage for confirmation, which she got as Sage nodded once. I wondered if I should stay and started to get up but Sage turned her gaze to me, almost pleading, and I remained planted in my seat.