Fatal Inheritance. Sandra Orchard
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he mind if you don’t come home?”
“Not married.”
“But...” Becki pointed to the wedding band on Anne’s finger.
Anne splayed her fingers and smirked. “That’s to keep the doctors and patients from hitting on me.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. Now, stand on one foot, hands on hips, eyes closed, until I say stop.”
Becki did as she was told. “I’m surprised Josh hasn’t married yet. When I was here as a kid, there was no shortage of girls mooning over him.” Her younger self included, but Anne didn’t need to know that.
“Yeah, well. He never got over being rejected in favor of life in the big city.”
Was Anne talking about Becki’s sister? He’d had it bad for her that last summer they were here, and Sarah hadn’t discouraged him, even though she was two years older.
“He escaped to the military after that,” Anne went on. “Hasn’t dated much since coming back. The pickings are slim around here, and he won’t dare date a wannabe city girl.”
Considering how the city had changed Sarah, Josh was probably smart to hold out for a country girl.
Anne jotted something on her notepad. “Now tell me all the words you can remember from that list I gave you earlier.”
Becki repeated them all. “Now do you believe me?”
“How’s your headache? Any worse? Feeling dizzy?”
“It still hurts, but no and no.”
“All right, yes, I think you’ll be fine, but don’t tell Josh. It’s nice to see him fretting over someone else for a change.”
“What do you mean?”
“Um.” She bit her lip and glanced toward the door as if he might burst through at any moment. “He’d kill me if I told you.”
“We wouldn’t want that,” Becki drawled, remembering how often her own sister used to preface her secrets with a similar remark. How she missed those days.
“Maybe you could help him stop being so hard on himself,” Anne whispered.
“Me?” Becki caught one of her curls, tugging it straight. “Why would he listen to me?”
Becki didn’t know what to make of the expression that flitted across Anne’s face. Perhaps if she knew her better, but she’d never really met her before today. She’d heard Josh had an older sister, but she’d never been around.
Anne leaned forward and clasped Becki’s hand the same way she had when she’d first arrived and expressed her condolences. “Josh feels responsible for your grandparents’ deaths.”
Becki stiffened.
Anne must have felt it, because she quickly added, “He’s not. But your grandfather had complained the day before he died about having a headache, and Josh thinks he should have suspected a carbon-monoxide leak. As if people never get headaches for any other reason!”
Numbness crept over Becki’s limbs. “Gramps never got headaches.”
“Please don’t remind Josh. He’s already beating himself up enough over not questioning that. I mean, your grandparents had a carbon-monoxide detector. And it was the middle of summer. Whoever heard of a hot-water tank causing carbon monoxide?”
The screen door slammed shut, and Josh strode into the room.
Becki and Anne sprang apart, but Josh didn’t seem to notice. He dropped her suitcase at her feet and waved a note in front of her face. “When did you get this?”
She caught his arm long enough to get a look at the paper. “It was in the mailbox when I got here.” She squared her jaw and fought to keep her tone even. “Courtesy of my sister.”
He frowned. “Why would she say you don’t belong here?”
“Because if I sell, she thinks she’ll get more money.”
Anne picked up the envelope that had fluttered to the floor. “Where does your sister live?”
“Toronto.”
Anne flapped the envelope against her palm. “The stamp on this envelope was never canceled. It looks like someone hand delivered it.”
Josh took the envelope from her. “You’re right.” He passed it to Becki.
So Sarah hadn’t been lying. Unless... “She could’ve asked someone to put it in the mailbox for her.”
“Who else knew you were moving in today?”
“I don’t know.” Becki rubbed her worsening headache. “My boss, my roommate, my mom.”
“No one from around here?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Could be those developers,” Anne chimed in.
“What developers?”
Josh blew out a breath and paced. “A conglomerate of investors who want to see our farmland turned into subdivisions and shopping malls.” His scathing tone told her exactly what he thought about their plans. “Have they approached you with an offer to buy?”
“No!” Becki folded her arms over her chest. “Even if they had, I wouldn’t sell to them.”
Josh nodded, his expression grim. “The trouble is you couldn’t trust anyone who offered to buy the place not to turn around and pass it on to the developers for a tidy commission.”
“Well, like I told my sister, I’m here to stay.” Sarah had hated being dumped here every summer. Unlike her big sister, Becki didn’t have a life to speak of in the city, and she wouldn’t miss it in the least. She happened to like the slower pace of rural living. Maybe she’d even start writing again in her spare time.
“Where will you work?” Anne asked.
“Huh?” Becki shook her sister’s voice from her head and focused on Anne. “I haven’t figured that out yet. But I’m sure I can find something before my savings run out.”
Anne let out a sigh. “Not many new jobs around since the economic downturn.”
“Never mind that for now.” Josh sat beside Becki on the sofa, and her heart jumped at the touch of his knee. “Who else might have sent this note?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean...who didn’t want you moving here badly enough to attack you?”
She dug her fingers into the seat cushion. “You think the note and incident in the barn are connected?”
Obviously he did. Which meant whoever was slinking around the property had been expecting her.
TWO
What would Sarah say if she saw her now, sleeping under Josh’s roof?
Well, trying to sleep. Becki flopped over in the unfamiliar bed. Shafts of moonlight shone through the edges of the drapes, highlighting a pair of 4-H trophies perched on the bookcase of Josh’s old bedroom.
Her sister would probably feel bad to learn that Josh never got over her. That is...if Sarah was who Anne had meant. Maybe not, since he’d still had a couple of years of high school left after their last summer visit. But he’d sure had it bad for her then.
Becki rolled over and punched the pillow. She didn’t want to think of Josh mooning over her sister, especially considering how unreasonable Sarah had been acting lately. Despite her denials, she must’ve sent that note. Who else?
The two of them were the only living relatives.
Josh