Page 16 of For Always
Cutlery rattled around until she found what she was looking for and when she turned around again she was holding a pretty sharp-looking knife. She picked up the bowl where she’d set the apples and came to join them at the table.
“This is family business, Jagger. Now, I’m not trying to pick who you roll around in bed with, but just because she satisfies some physical need you have doesn’t mean she can sit at the table and talk as if she knows what’s going on around here,” Dessie continued.
“I don’t even know what’s going on around here,” Tyler stated seriously.
Jagger reached into the bowl and grabbed an apple. “Neither do I.”
“Well, that’s for us to figure out,” Dessie said and started to peel one of the apples. “It’s been so long since the two of you have been here you’ve forgotten how we do things.”
“We still get up at the crack of dawn apparently,” Jagger replied.
“Nobody came into your room and forced you to wake up,” Dessie said. “You were probably trying to get away from that woman.”
“That rooster crows much louder than my alarm clock back in New York, Dessie. And I’m going to marry that woman, so some respect might be due.”
And because Tyler knew this was the point where the conversation was likely to take a violent turn, he reached out to touch the back of Dessie’s hand. The one holding the knife.
“I think it might be more important to talk about what we think happened to Mom and Dad,” he said to Dessie.
Her fingers were still clenched around the handle of the knife, her usually laughing eyes, now narrowed at Jagger. Seconds later her shoulders visibly relaxed and she turned her attention to Tyler. Dessie’s usual warm smile spread across her face and she spoke as calmly as if they’d been sitting on the back porch talking about the sunrise.
“If you’re going to ask who I think killed your parents, the answer is the same as the one I gave to Sheriff Alvarez, I don’t know,” she told him. “Everybody in this town loved George and Verna. They didn’t have any enemies, no run-ins with folk or anything contrary like that.”
“Did they owe anybody money?” Tyler asked. “I’ve been going back through my emails and printing out all the financial statements that Dad sent me over the years. There are no huge losses and no big debts listed. But that could just mean he kept them off the books.”
Dessie had proceeded with peeling the apple. “I don’t know anything about that. They had an accountant. Lucille Gangley. She’s got an office down on Lange Street. Verna didn’t talk much about the finances and since I was her friend, that means I didn’t hear much about it. And if your father told Clyde, my husband wouldn’t have told me. He’s very careful about his attorney/client privilege information.”
Tyler nodded because he knew that already. He’d asked Clyde some questions during the reading of the will and Clyde declined to answer them, citing the privilege.
“I’m just thinking there had to be somebody gunning for them,” Tyler said.
Jagger finished his apple and placed the core on the empty plate beside his half full cup of coffee. “Why? Psychopaths kill random people all the time.”
“But do they shoot them execution style and then burn the truck they were in just about twenty miles from their house?” Tyler asked. “It just seems fishy to me.”
“Well, I disagree.” Jagger announced and folded his paper neatly. “So for the record, my vote is to sell this place and move on.”
“It’s our legacy,” Tyler told him. “That’s what Dad used to say.”
“He used to say that to you, Ty, not me. I was the one who could do no right, remember? So pardon me, if I don’t give a damn about a place that never welcomed me with open arms.”
“You could have done more, Jagger. You could have tried harder. Paid closer attention and applied yourself,” Tyler stated evenly.
“Why?” Jagger asked with a shrug. “You were the favorite.”
“That’s childish,” Tyler told him.
“It’s true.”
“Good morning,” she said and all eyes turned to the doorway where Gabriella now stood.
“Well, good morning, Gabriella,” Dessie said with a big smile. “Come on in. There’s coffee on the counter and cinnamon rolls. You can pop one into the microwave and join us.”
“No, I don’t want to intrude,” she said as she took a step toward the table. Tyler and I talked about meeting today to tour the property. We didn’t set a time but I’m a morning person, so I’m here. Stephen was outside when I pulled up so he let me in.”
“It’s fine, you’re not intruding,” Dessie told him.
“You sure?” Jagger asked. “You don’t think showing up at someone’s house unannounced isn’t rude?”
