Page 5 of Paradise West
Her heart froze as she read the first sentence.
Dear Miss Harris,
It is my sad duty to inform you that your aunt, Dorothea Campbell, passed away on December 10th. She was a beloved member of our community and a champion of Key West. I can assure you that everyone on the island will miss her entertaining personality and overwhelming generosity for many years to come.
As the executor of her will, I am notifying all beneficiaries of her estate. The terms of her will are rather complicated and I anticipate that resolution of the details may take some time. Enclosed is a file that your Aunt requested you receive ahead of our meeting. Please review the file carefully and I will answer, in person, any questions you may have.
Please contact my secretary, Mrs. Bristol, at the phone number listed below to provide your availability to meet with me in my office on 230 Petronia Street as soon as possible. The sooner the better. She can also provide any assistance with travel arrangements that you may require.
My Deepest Condolences,
Arthur S. Murphy
Charli sat back from her desk and choked on a sob. December 10th...that had been a month ago.
Covering her face with her hands, she trembled as silent tears tracked down her cheeks. Grief and guilt intermingled as she thought of the many times over the years that she had promised her aunt to visit again. She had just never made it a priority, never made the time...and now time was up.
Seriously, could this fucking day get any worse?
There was a quick knock on her door and Charli heard it open.
“Charli, they’re here...” There was a pause and then a muffled, “Hold on a sec.” The door closed again and the sound of light footsteps made their way to the desk. A hand landed on her shoulder and squeezed. “It’s going to be okay,” Annette reassured. “I know you, Charli Harris. You’ll come out of this swinging and be stronger than before.”
Charli sniffed and looked up at Annette, pasting what she knew must be a miserable smile on her face. “No. It’s not that,” Charli said, motioning toward the file boxes.
“It’s this.” She handed Annette the letter and watched as her assistant scanned the letter, her face falling.
“Oh, Charli,” Annette gasped, putting the letter down and pulling Charli in for a comforting hug. “Oh honey, I’m so sorry. Geez, this really has turned into a shitty day,” she remarked.
Charli laughed bitterly and closed her eyes. “I was just thinking the same thing.” She swallowed around huge lump in her throat. “I kept promising to go for a visit and I just never made the time. She passed a month ago and I never even knew it,” she said, her voice thick with regret.
Annette’s brows furrowed and her lips slightly pursed, concern etched into her features. “Honey, your aunt understood and she wouldn’t want you to feel this way.” She squeezed Charli’s hand, switching gears into professional mode. “What you need to do now is get down there and figure out what this lawyer is talking about. It sounds complex and I can’t think of a better time for you to get away from this office than right now.”
Charli snorted through a sob and replied, “Ain’t that the truth.” She sniffed and grabbed a tissue from the bookcase. “But if I leave right now, that will put a ton of pressure on you.”
Annette folded her arms over her chest and twisted her lips, giving Charli a shrewd glance. “I don’t know. I’m thinking I need to take advantage of all that time off I’ve saved up. I mean, if my boss willapprove it, that is,” she added, giving her a cheeky grin.
Charli chuckled through the tears still filling her eyes. “Done. Take as much time as you want.”
“That goes for you, too.” Annette grinned. “You need to go down there and just forget this place even exists because I can promise you that as soon as your foot hits the ground in Key West, you’ll be getting calls for help nonstop from these idiots.”
She glanced over her shoulder at the boxes lined up next to the wall. “Speaking of idiots, they’re here to get the files. Are you okay if they take them now or do you want them to wait until you’re gone?”
Charli rushed over to the mirror and removed the mascara smudges on her cheeks. “They can come in and take care of this now. I think I’ll head home.”
“Here,” Annette said behind her, holding up a wet compress. “This will help with the eyes. We don’t want the assholes thinking that they’ve made you cry.” She grabbed Charli’s shoulders and squeezed affectionately. “Other than that, you look great, as usual.”
Charli met Annette’s gaze in the mirror and grinned. “I literally don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Annette smirked. “You’d fall completely apart and be a total hot mess.”
Charli laughed and sniffed. “Thatis a fact.” She turned and gave Annette a huge hug. “Thank you.”
Annette patted her on the back, the motion soothing. “I’ll take care of the file transfer—and by ‘take care of’, I mean that I’ll supervise from a distance while I sip on a cup of tea,” she responded, smiling softly. Her look sobered, and she took a deep breath. “Now, you go home, have a drink, and get some rest. Make sure to check your email for my time off request,” she added with a wink. “And let me know if you need help with the travel arrangements.”
“I can handle it, don’t worry,” Charli replied and then shrugged. “Besides, Mr. Murphy offered his assistant’s help, so I’ll call her if I need anything. And all of your time off requests are approved.”
Annette gave her a firm nod. “That’s settled then. Don’t worry about anything here and just focus on whatever mystery your aunt left for you in Key West.”
