The Legacy: Trouble Comes Disguised As Family (Unspoken Book 2) T. Belshaw (management books to read .txt) 📖

‘There was one other thing,’ said Bradley. ‘It regards your grandmother. I think I’ve thought of a way to get her off your back and at the same time, allow her to have some money.’

‘Ooh, that sounds interesting.’ Jess’s ears pricked up.

‘If, and it’s a big if… she is prepared to sign her house over to you on the understanding that it will be placed directly into the farm trust, we should be able to release some of the equity to her. It would also mean you had control of the property after she passes.’

‘That’s a very interesting idea, Bradley. Thank you for that. I’ll ask her about it when I see her on Wednesday. I know she’s worried that if she goes first, the place will be left to Marjorie and she really doesn’t trust her to make the right decisions on her own.’

‘Here to help,’ replied Bradley. ‘I’d better get off; I’ve got a rather tricky divorce settlement to sort out this morning. A local couple who’ve been clients of ours for decades. He’s ninety and she’s ninety-two. Apparently, she has been unfaithful.’

‘Good grief, at ninety-two?’

‘Her husband says she’s got a toy boy, although the man in question is eighty-three himself.’

Jess shook her head. ‘Good luck with that one.’

‘All part of the service. Enjoy your new-found wealth, Jess.’

‘Would you, erm, I mean, could we meet up soon?’ Jess asked.

‘That sounds wonderful. I think I’ll need a shoulder after the negotiations this morning.’

‘How about tomorrow evening? I’ll rustle something up.’

‘Seven-thirty?’ said Bradley. ‘I’m over at Gillingham all afternoon. I won’t be back until sixish, then I’ll have to change.’

‘Seven-thirty is it, and good luck with your gallivanting geriatrics.’

After the call, Jess sat on the lumpy old sofa as she plucked up the courage to ring Calvin. After ten minutes of trying to find excuses not to, she picked up her phone and tapped his name on her contact list. After today, she decided she would block him.

‘Jess? Oh, my goodness, it’s nice to hear from you. How’s everything? Have you settled in?’

‘Calvin, this isn’t a make-up and mend call. I want to ask you something, but I want to ask you face to face.’

‘That sounds ominous,’ replied Calvin.

‘Just a conundrum I need an answer to.’

‘All right, Jess. You know I’m good at puzzles. Do you want me to come to the farm?’

‘NO!’ Jess replied, quickly.

‘The flat then? I wanted to talk to you about that, the estate agents have—’

‘Not the flat. Meet me at the lychgate at the church, that’s the gate at the back, not the main entrance. I’ll be there in half an hour if that’s okay? It’s only a two-minute walk for you.’

‘The lychgate? That’s where they bring all the dead bodies, isn’t it?’ He laughed nervously. ‘Should I wear a bullet proof vest?’

‘That depends whether you think you need to, Calvin.’

Jess cut off the call and breathed out. She was surprised at how much hearing Calvin’s voice had affected her. As she put down the phone, she noticed her hands were shaking.

She went upstairs and pulled an old pair of jeans and a baggy woollen jumper out of the back of the wardrobe, then washed her face to remove the few dabs of make-up she’d put on that morning. She didn’t want Calvin to think she had made any sort of effort for him.

Jess parked her car up on one of the free parking spaces at the side of the church, and walked the hundred yards or so around the metal, paling fence towards the lychgate. When she arrived, she found that Calvin was already there, he smiled warmly as she approached, and held out his arms.

‘Jess, it’s lovely to see you.’

She ignored his arms and stopped about six feet away from him. She smiled at an old lady as she puffed her way past them on her way up the hill, then turned to face her ex-partner.

‘I’ve got two simple questions, Calvin, and I expect two simple answers.’ She held up a finger. ‘One, did you run a key down the side of a nineteen-thirties Alvis car on Saturday?’ Jess held up a second finger, ‘and two, did you set up a ridiculous tableau using the bed I’d left out for the council, sometime between Saturday night, and Sunday morning?’

Calvin looked genuinely perplexed.

‘Tableau? What do you mean, tableau?’

‘You know what a tableau is, Calvin. A set piece, a scene, like an artwork. A bloody tableau.’ Jess felt herself beginning to shake with anger.

Calvin shook his head. ‘A tableau? No, I haven’t… I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘And the car? Were you hanging around the farm on Saturday afternoon? If you were, you picked on the wrong man, Calvin. The car belongs to Bradley Wilson, he’s a lawyer, and a very good one.’

‘I wasn’t anywhere near the farm on Saturday, Jess.’ Calvin looked her straight in the eyes.

Jess was almost convinced. He usually added the epithet ‘honestly’ when denying something he was actually guilty of. She watched his face carefully.

‘You have been hanging around the farm though, Calvin. I saw your car parked in the layby.’

‘I’ve been nowhere near the farm. At night or any other time.’

‘Bullshit, Calvin. You were watching me.’

‘No, I wasn’t, Jess, honestly, I wouldn’t do that.’

‘I’ve told you once, Calvin and this is your last warning. Stay away from me.’

‘Warning? What do you mean, warning? I haven’t been anywhere near your precious farm. I’ve got better things to do with my time.’ Calvin’s face became crimson, whereas earlier he had calmly answered her questions.

‘Just keep away, Calvin. It’s just your luck to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. If I get any more nasty surprises, I’m going straight to the police and if you happen to be around at the same time as they are, well, it won’t look good for you.’

Calvin’s eyes narrowed. ‘Have you got a stalker, Jess? Look, maybe I can help. I could sit in the layby, I’d let you