Chapter 55
“Can I come in?” Sheriff Bixby asked Beatrice.
When she had opened the door, Bea was so shocked to see him that she had forgotten her manners. “Oh, I’m sorry, Sheriff. Please come in.” She led him into the living room and gestured for him to sit on the couch.
As he sat, he let out a huge sigh. “Now, Ms. Matthews, I’m a little concerned about Emma.”
“What? Why?” she said, sitting down next to him.
“I’m going to be straight with you,” Sheriff Bixby said. “I hate to get you involved in family business, but it concerned me that she thought I was threatening her.”
Beatrice sat back against the cushion. “It concerned me, too.”
“I was talking with her about her will, you see. Now, it’s not what you’re thinking. I can assure you.”
“Humph.”
“My wife and I have never been in her will, and we are fine with that. We do okay, Ms. Matthews. We’re not too concerned about that old house and property of hers. Besides which, it’s kind of a delicate matter. I hated to bring it up to her.”
“I imagine.”
“For years, the place was to be left to Michelle.”
“As it should be,” Beatrice chimed in.
“Indeed,” the sheriff said. “I agree.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“Recently Emma’s will was changed.”
“You mean Michelle isn’t going to get the place?” Beatrice said. “I find that hard to believe.”
“No, no. Not that exactly. But another person has been added. You know Michelle is alone. No man in her life. No kids. So, someone was added in case something happened to Michelle, right?”
“Oh I see. Well, that makes sense. Emma doesn’t want the Kraft Corporation to get their hands on the place.” Beatrice thought about asking who the new beneficiary was, but she didn’t want to pry.
“Neither do I,” he said firmly.
That surprised Beatrice. She found herself liking the man as he continued to talk.
“The minute they purchased the other parcel, they had a construction crew over there. It was some of the prettiest land. All those apple trees, gone.”
“I hear you. It was pretty. Old, too. One of the first orchards in the state,” Beatrice told him. “It’s hard to see that happen. I was walking around over there and barely recognized the landscape. I used to know it so well.” She sighed. “Time marches on. Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Thanks, Ms. Matthews, but I’m fine. I just want to be clear with you. I never intended to upset Emma. That bothered me, you see.”
“Well, now, I’m glad you came over to straighten it out. I can see where Emma might have misunderstood the conversation.”
“The family sent me over to talk to her. I told them it wasn’t a good idea. I think she’s intimidated by me.”
“Why would she be intimidated by you?”
“Not just me, Ms. Matthews, but most men.” He looked away.
“You know then,” Bea said softly. “You know how she was beaten.”
He nodded. “We all do, now.”
“I knew it back then,” Bea said, her voice suddenly quivering. “And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.”
“In those days, there weren’t any social services, no Oprah Winfreys, either. I can’t imagine what she went through.”
“I should have done something.” It was a confession Bea felt deep in her bones and in the center of her chest.
“You did, didn’t you? At least that’s how the story goes. You stood up for her.”
Bea nodded. “I did. But then I didn’t see her again for forty years.” Suddenly Beatrice’s old heart felt like it was splitting wide open. She clutched her chest and tried not to cry. Old fool, she told herself. I am an old fool.
“Are you okay?” Sheriff Bixby asked.
She waved her hand. “Oh, I’m fine. Just thinking about all the time that’s gone by. How I missed her. Regrets. I’ve got plenty of them. But not reaching out to her sooner is at the top of my list.”
“Thank your lucky stars you didn’t, Ms. Matthews,” Sheriff Bixby said in a somber tone. “I’m sure Paul would have killed you if you had.”
“What?”
“That’s why Emma never contacted you. She didn’t want him to hurt you.”
“How do you know that?” Beatrice said incredulously.
“My wife. She’s got plenty of stories about the family. But that’s something everybody agrees to. Paul threatened to kill you on more than one occasion. Ms. Emma had no choice but to turn her back on your friendship. That’s what we figure.”
Beatrice didn’t know what to think. It felt a mite too personal for her taste. How could he know such things? Family. She knew enough about family tales to know that sometimes there was a glimmer of truth to them.
She remembered that Emma had said she killed Paul. Bea was just now starting to believe it.