CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

GRACIE

Ada had to remind Gracie that the girls would arrive for class soon. Her thoughts were still tangled on her shameful behavior at the library. How she could break down like that? Her mother had been dead for more than thirty years, and Gracie had never met her. Such an extreme reaction. But then, was it? Gran had told her about her mother. Occasionally, Gran would say, “You sound so much like your mother.” Gran made sure Gracie felt connected to her mother. Now that Gran was gone, the connection was gone.

Clarence had called or texted every day since. One text in particular stuck in her mind.

GRACIE, I CARE A LOT FOR YOU, AND I HOPE YOU KNOW I WOULD DO ANYTHING TO EASE YOUR PAIN.

His words had made her cry more, and then she scolded herself for crying so much. Just like the situation with Mia, she should have known that researching her family was going to be hard. Why hadn’t she factored in the pain of seeing the names in black lettering on the screen? Instead, she thought she would just breeze through it. Now her heart was hurting, and she couldn’t stop it.

Four of the girls arrived almost at the same time and went straight back to the table and started working. When Mia arrived, she was much more subdued than usual. She greeted Gracie readily enough but didn’t really talk during the class, even when Gracie tried to draw her out. She would give the shortest answer possible and turn her attention back to her knitting.

The other students noticed too. Dani, who had kept to herself since the class began, tried to strike up a conversation with her. Mia responded, but again, with none of her normal enthusiasm. Mia even stood at the back of the group when Gracie called them around her to demonstrate the next technique they were learning—how to join a new ball of yarn when the old one ran out.

Gracie helped Trinity get back on track. She had forgotten to bring the yarn to the front of her knitting in order to work the purl stitch. When Gracie looked up, Mia wasn’t knitting. She was just staring at the wall. Gracie moved around the table and touched her work. “Looks like you’ll be ready to cast off next week.”

“That’s if my dad lets me come,” Mia said in a low voice.

“Why wouldn’t he let you come?”

“‘Cause he still thinks—” She stared across the table. When Gracie turned to see what Mia was looking at, she saw Bella staring back at them, hanging on every word.

Gracie straightened. “Do you need help, Bella?”

Bella looked down at her knitting. “I’m cool.”

Gracie turned back to Mia. “What’s up between you and her?”

“Not much to tell. She’s mad that I got picked for a special leadership program at school and she didn’t.”

“Congratulations.” Gracie gave Mia a sympathetic look. “But sometimes people don’t know how to deal with their hurt and embarrassment.”

“Yeah, they do,” Dani said, not looking up from her knitting. “They take it out on other people.”

Gracie looked over at Bella, who was making sure she wasn’t going to get caught eavesdropping again and was having a very loud conversation with Trinity and Rylee.

How many times had she been bullied by girls like Bella? Girls who needed very little to start a campaign against her. Back then, she wasn’t strong enough to do anything. But now she had the power to prevent Bella from bullying Mia and Dani, at least while they were here.

And Bella tried. She made a comment about Dani knitting too slow. Gracie gently rebuked her, but not five minutes later she took a swipe at Mia about getting in trouble at school again.

“She had her locker searched yesterday. You should watch her, Ms. Gracie,” Bella said, her tone soft and full of fake concern.

Gracie sat up. “Bella, you have been repeatedly warned about violating the class kindness policy. I will be calling your mother later today.”

Bella’s eyes grew wide. “I was just telling you what happened.”

“After I’ve repeatedly told you that it’s not your place to do so,” Gracie said. “I will speak to your mother and decide if you can come back.”

“But you let Mia stay after she stole the bag!” Bella said.

The room grew quiet, and Gracie fought to keep her expression neutral. This girl needed a job as an investigator. How did she even know about that? But Gracie decided to turn the tables on Bella. “What bag?” she asked in an extra sweet tone.

“The red one,” Bella said. “The one she asked you for. She stole it.”

“I did not!” Mia screamed.

Gracie held up a hand. “And how do you know she stole it?”

Bella’s mouth snapped shut. Not a question she probably anticipated.

“Yeah, Bella. Tell us how you know.” Mia egged her on but piped down when Gracie shot her a let me handle it look.

“Because she asked for it but you told her no. So she stole it. She’s probably using the little bag inside for all her stolen earrings. That’s if she could figure out how to open it,” Bella said, triumphantly.

“I’m still going to speak to your mother, and I’m also going to tell her that you are making serious accusations against Mia,” Gracie said as the doorbell rang. “That’s probably her now.”

Bella tried to protest, but Gracie ignored her pleas. It wasn’t, however, Bella’s mom but Mia’s dad. “How did Mia behave today?” he asked.

“Not like herself.”

“Then I’ll pull her out of the class.”

“That’s not necessary. When I say she wasn’t herself, I mean she was withdrawn and quiet.”

“I told her she’d better behave or she couldn’t come back.”

“But Mia hasn’t misbehaved at all. She is energetic, yes, but not bad.” Gracie sighed. “I don’t want to tell you how to raise your daughter, but I started this class because I was always in trouble as a kid and someone started a knitting class at my school. I was struggling with learning to live without a mother.”

He looked down at his shoes. “Mia told me about that.”

“Maybe Mia’s troubles are just her trying to figure out to live without hers,” Gracie said. “She mentioned your divorce.”

Stanley took a deep breath. “It’s been very difficult.”

“Then maybe give Mia some grace. She’s struggling just like you are.” Gracie gave him an encouraging smile and wondered if anyone had given her father that talk. Then she realized that someone had. Gran.

Gracie called for Mia, and she crossed the front room with her shoulders slumped. “Thank you for taking up for me today. People usually don’t,” she said to Gracie as she walked out the door.

“You’re welcome.”

Dani’s mother arrived next, and a few minutes later Trinity’s mother picked up the other three girls. As they were walking out the door, Bella stopped and looked up at Gracie, something like remorse in her eyes. “Are you still going to call my mom?”

“Yes, I am. Unfortunately.”

Bella huffed and stomped out the door.

Gracie closed the door and leaned against it. Ada came downstairs. “Class that bad, huh?”

“Bella is a handful and, apparently, a bully.”

Ada shook her head. “I’m always amazed how mean children can be to one another.”

“You know she accused Mia of stealing the Cojo bag. Said she was probably using the little bag inside for—” Gracie covered her mouth.

“What?” Ada said.

“Bella said that Mia was probably using the little bag inside for her stolen earrings,” Gracie said. “But how did Bella know there was a little bag inside? It was just that. Inside.”

Ada’s eyes widened. “Bella took the bag?”

“She also said something about figuring out how to open the bag.”

“I’m a grown woman, and those Cojo bags are still hard for me sometimes. Took three times to figure out how the snaps were supposed to close,” Ada said. “We both saw that bag day in and day out. It never moved or looked like it had been tampered with.”

Gracie rubbed her face. “But how do I find out for sure?”

An idea came to her mind. It was clever, but Gracie couldn’t be happy about it. It hurt her as much to know that Bella could have stolen the bag as it did when she thought Mia had.

The day dawned cold and gray. Much like Gracie’s mood. It had been gray for days, looking like it would snow at any minute. The sun had withdrawn, and it fit her feelings perfectly.

Gracie hated to admit it, but she was dreading Clarence’s phone calls.

Not because she didn’t want to talk to him. She did, if to do nothing more than explain her behavior at the library. But she was also afraid that he would ask her when she would be ready to go back to the library. Could she ever be ready to face that pain? To see her family members’ names listed when they were no longer here for her to know and love?

With a sigh, she dragged herself out of bed, the cold floor a jolt. Probably needed to turn up the thermostat. After having some breakfast, she padded downstairs. As she did, her thoughts went to her mother. How many times had her mother walked these steps? Or Gran and Paw-Paw? Or her great-grandparents? Did they think of the people who would walk these steps after them? Family like her and Ada?

Or did they think of who had already walked these stairs, back to the people who first owned the house? Did those first owners, possibly stationmasters, think about who would follow in their footsteps?

Ada came out of the office as Gracie reached the bottom of the stairs. “Good morning,” she said quietly.

Gracie hadn’t told Ada what had happened at the library. Thankfully, Ada was out when Clarence had brought her back home.

“Gracie, did something happen?”

Gracie looked around at the shop. All looked in place. “Why?”

“You haven’t been yourself the past couple of days. Did you and Clarence break up?” Ada touched Gracie’s arm.

“No, we didn’t.”

“It’s just that I noticed you’ve been having really short conversations with him and, if I’m not mistaken, avoiding his calls.”

Gracie dropped her head. “I got a little overwhelmed on our last research trip. Just thinking some things through.”

“Okay,” Ada said with a sigh of relief.

There was a loud knock on the door.

“I’ll get it,” Gracie said, glad to get out of the conversation.

Ada groaned behind her. “I hope that’s not my father. He called me this morning, wanting to talk about what you’re doing with the house.”

“I’m sorry,” was all Gracie had time to say before her phone rang.

Ada went back to the office and lifted the phone from the table. “It’s Clarence,” she called.

“Answer it and tell him I’m coming.”

But when she opened the door, her heart dropped. Two officers stood on the front step. “Are you Gracie McNeil?”

Speechless, she nodded.

“We have an eviction notice. You are to leave the premises immediately,” the officer closest to her said.

“What? No.” Gracie stepped back.

“Ma’am, please don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be. We have a court-issued warrant to remove you and your guest from the house.”

She was vaguely aware of Ada’s frantic conversation with Clarence. Then she remembered something. “Can I see the warrant? You can’t expect me to just leave without some proof.”

The officer huffed and pulled it from his pocket. “It’s official, I assure you.”

She opened the paper, trying to keep her hands steady. It was almost useless to ask for it. The words swam in front of her as she tried to calm herself. What she was seeing looked official. Hot tears filled her eyes. After all this. Fighting with Uncle Rand. Finding the room. The taxes. All the research, and she was about to lose the house.

Before she could reach the bottom of the sheet, she saw Clarence running up the street. He had his phone pressed to his ear.

He rushed up the stairs nearly breathless. “Let me see the warrant,” he said between breaths.

It took a second for Gracie to realize he must have been already on his way and that Ada must have told him about it.

He shook his head as he studied the sheet. “Officers, you know you can’t do this.”

“The warrant is official,” the taller officer said.

“It may be,” Clarence said, “but there wasn’t a court date for Ms. McNeil to hear from the party who filed the claim against her.”

The officer folded his arms. “My job is to remove Ms. McNeil from the premises.”

“But she has ten days to vacate. And as I said, Ms. McNeil has gotten no notification that she is being evicted. She stays until this is sorted out.” Clarence didn’t budge.

The shorter officer addressed Gracie. “Is this true, Ms. McNeil?”

“Yes. I don’t know who is evicting me. I have paperwork. I can prove that I own this house outright and that it was paid for many years ago.”

“Can you show us that paperwork, please, ma’am?”

Gracie let them inside. Clarence stood right beside her, shoulders back and spine straight.

“Let me get it.” Gracie’s knees felt like mush as she walked up the stairs. She got her ID and grabbed the folder of Gran’s paperwork.

The officers went through her paperwork, although she was sure they hardly knew what they were looking at.

The taller officer glanced up at her. “We were sent here to evict you but …” He looked at all three of them, and Gracie held her breath. “But we thought there was something weird about it.”

“Weird, how?” Ada asked.

The officer took the warrant back from Gracie. “This is incomplete.”

Clarence nodded. “I noticed that too. I was going to point it out to you if you tried to remove her from the house.”

“We asked our chief if this was valid, and he said the rest of the paperwork was on its way over but we were to come here now.”

Gracie tipped her head. “Is that normal procedure?”

The officer frowned. “No. The warrant needs to be complete, or the department could get sued.”

“You will get sued,” Ada huffed.

The officer looked guilty. “And we should if this isn’t valid. I don’t think it is. I’ve been on the force for a long time, and I’ve never seen an eviction done with an incomplete warrant.”

Gracie’s heart thumped, but a question came to her mind. “What would you suggest I do?”

“If you truly don’t know who filed the court paperwork, get a lawyer and find out,” the shorter officer said. “The lawyer should be able to buy you some time.”

“But if it is valid?” Gracie asked, forcing out the words.

“Then you have to leave,” the officer said grimly.

Gracie closed her eyes, her heart aching. If it is …

The taller officer gave her a card. “If you need us to testify on your behalf, we can. We’ve seen all your documents.”

Gracie took the card and was only able to mumble, “Thank you.”

She stood frozen as Ada and Clarence showed the officers out. She studied the warrant again. After a few seconds, her vision had blurred the words. She was going to lose this house. Uncle Rand was right. She was careless. So careless that she had gotten to the place of eviction not even two months after moving in. She should have been more diligent. She should have … She didn’t even know what she should have done.

Clarence and Ada returned with compassion and worry on their faces.

Clarence slipped his arm around Gracie. “It’s going to be all right.”

She looked up at him. “How do you know that?”

“Gracie, you heard what the officers said. The warrant is incomplete,” Ada said, her voice soft.

“But that doesn’t mean it’s invalid,” Gracie whimpered. “People can’t just go around issuing fake eviction notices.”

“I have a lawyer friend you can talk to,” Clarence said. He looked down at his watch. “The courts are closed for the day, so we’ll go see her tomorrow and check the court records.”

“Are you sure you didn’t get something in the mail?” Ada asked.

Gracie shook her head. “You saw all the mail we got. It was only the rezoning letter, the tax receipt, and …” Her words dropped off.

“And?” Clarence asked, hope in his voice.

“And that weird certified letter from the investment loan company,” Gracie said, frowning. “They said I had an account but not what kind or what the balance was.”

“Can I see the letter?” Clarence asked.

“It’s in my office,”

“I’ll get it,” Ada said.

Ada returned and handed Clarence the letter. She eyed him. “Why do you know so much about this process?”

Clarence continued reading. “My first job when I came back here was in the property center. I’ve processed enough evictions to know how this is supposed to go.”

Gracie watched him read. “Well?”

He rubbed his chin. “This name looks familiar, but I can’t place why. I need to look in my records to see where I’ve heard this company name before. I’ll go back to the office and look now.”

“You don’t have to do this right now, especially since we’re going to see the lawyer tomorrow.”

“I know, but I want to.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I don’t think I can bear seeing you in any more pain.”

“Thank you,” she said softly.

She walked him to the door and then watched until he was out of sight. As she stood there, the cold air pouring in the door added to the chill forming in her bones. The reality was that she had failed to live up to her promise to Gran.

Ada came to her side and put an arm around her. “It’s going to be okay.”

Gracie let out a heavy sigh. “I wish I was as hopeful as you.”

“You should be. I can’t imagine this being legit. There has to be some other explanation.”

“We only have ten days to figure it out,” Gracie said, closing the door.

“Clarence is going to help, and I’m here. We could even ask my father and Natalia to help.”

Gracie grimaced. “Natalia, yes, but I don’t think Uncle Rand would help. You saw how reluctant he was about letting me use the estate money for the taxes.”

Ada grasped Gracie’s shoulders. “He would help. He may not be happy about you owning the house, but he would fight to make sure you didn’t lose it just to keep it in the family.”

“Again, I wish I was as hopeful as you are.”

“He’s not all bad. He has his moments, but I think if you’re going to have to fight for the house, it would be a good time for him to prove he’s on your side.”

Gracie moved away from Ada, unable to respond. Uncle Rand wasn’t going to help, and this was her problem. “I’m going up to my room.”

“It’s going to be okay,” Ada called up the stairs behind her.