AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I was so stunned I could barely compose and speak my thoughts. “You’re the one who encouraged me to hire her at Creature Cones.”
Elrik watched our conversation, his head snapping from one of us to the other like this was a prize-winning tennis match.
“I felt bad for her after he died.” Her cackle rang out. “He got the last laugh, though, now didn’t he? He left her nothing. Well, some shares of stock in his company that I’m sure she sold and then squandered the money within a few years.”
“He left her two gorgeous homes.”
Her snide smile grew wider. “Gorgeous homes that came with debt.”
“Grannie.” I shook my head, lowering my fork to my plate and leaving it there. I’d lost my appetite. “Give me a second to process this.”
Her smile slipped. “Before he died, he told me she threatened him.” Shadows swirled in her hazel eyes.
My hands trembled on my lap. “Excuse me?”
“She told him if he didn’t make right by her, she’d tell the world he was having financial difficulties. If nothing else, Walter had his pride.” Something Grannie valued above almost everything else.
“He had enough left for her to live a high-class life for the past ten years,” Elrik pointed out. Was he taking notes about all this? We should be asking Grannie for the dirton each person who attended the church social, not spend our time snooping online. Grannie was a gold mine of information.
“He had enough to leave her—to shut up her threats—because I helped him,” Grannie said. “He’d had a rough go of it. Business issues. But he was doing better after he sold most of the shares in his company to me. He gave me a sweet deal. Boy, was Clara mad when she found out. I offloaded them a few years ago. Hazel took care of that for me, naturally.”
“Hazel, the pole dance instructor?” Elrik asked.
“She worked on the stock market before she retired,” Grannie said. “She’s been my investment counselor for years.”
Hazel had managed the small amount of money my dad left when he died, but I hadn’t realized she’d managed Grannie’s finances, let alone that Grannie had much money to invest.
“When did you sell the shares in his company?” I asked.
“Five months ago.”
“Why so recently?”
“Walter’s brother was in town. He wants to buy Walter’s place on the water, and he made Carla a reasonable offer. She turned him down, haughty thing that she is. She swore at him, told him Walter hated him, which might’ve been true at one time. Walter never spoke well of his brother.”
I still couldn’t believe what I was hearing, and it was clear from Elrik’s lifted eyebrows that he was as surprised as me.
“Walter’s brother got even, however,” Grannie Rose said. “He told herwhyWalter left her nearly nothing.” Her sly grin rose. “Walter loved me. He told me that on his deathbed. And that’s why he changed his will at the last minute, leaving almost everything to me.”
14
ELRIK
“Walter and Carla remained married until he died four years after the wedding,” Melly said in a breathy voice. It was clear she was shocked by what she was learning. So was I. Carla was moving to the top of our suspect list.
“In addition to threatening to tell everyone about his financial difficulties,” Grannie said, “she threatened to tell everyone we were having an affair. Can you believe that? She even said she’d name me in the divorce papers. He gave up and remained with her.” Her gaze fell to her plate. “He was a sweet man for protecting my reputation in this community. You know a scandal like that would spread across town like a wildfire.”
“Yes.” Melly blinked slowly. “You instilled that need to avoid drawing attention into me.”
Grannie reached across the table and tapped Melly’s hand lying beside her plate. “And I did a very good job with that. You have never given me a reason to be concerned. You have yet to stay late at a man’s house. Youdid well in school. You excelled in college and even while you were there, you didn’t give anything to the town’s gossips. You moved back to town where you have solid roots, your business is doing well and is respectable, and you’re helping me. Everyone sees this. They can tell how wonderful you are.”
“Yes.” Her face paling, Melly swallowed hard. “I won’t do anything to disappoint you.”
As she placed her hand on her lap, Grannie Rose scoffed. “Unlike your father. That cursed man shirked his responsibilities and took off.” Her rheumy gaze met mine. “Walter’s company grew under his brother’s management, so when he came to me, eager to buy the shares, I gave him a good deal. Hazel advised me, naturally. She always looks out for my bottom line.”
“I didn’t realize you had much money,” Melly said.
“I don’t flaunt it, another thing those in town might frown upon,” Grannie said smugly. She pushed her empty plate away. “I believe I’d like to wait for cake, if that’s alright. I’m quite full already.”
