At 6:30 on a gray Tuesday morning, my sister called to tell me our father was dead.<\/p>\n
I was standing barefoot beside the kitchen counter, waiting for the coffee maker to finish dripping. The house was quiet except for bacon snapping in the skillet and the low hum of the refrigerator. Dad sat at my little oak table three feet away, wearing yesterday\u2019s flannel shirt and reading the local paper as though nothing unusual had happened.<\/p>\n
\u201cNatalie?\u201d Vanessa said when I answered. Her voice sounded solemn, but not shocked. \u201cI need you to sit down.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked directly at Dad.<\/p>\n
He lowered the newspaper.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Vanessa breathed out slowly. \u201cDad died last night.\u201d<\/p>\n
For several seconds I genuinely wondered whether exhaustion had distorted the words. I had slept perhaps three hours after driving most of the previous night. Dad had arrived at my house with one suitcase, a metal lockbox, and instructions that I tell absolutely no one where he was.<\/p>\n
Now he was holding a strip of bacon halfway to his mouth.<\/p>\n
I covered the phone with my palm. \u201cApparently you died.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stopped chewing.<\/p>\n
His expression did not change immediately, but the amusement I expected never appeared. Instead, something wary entered his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d he mouthed.<\/p>\n
\u201cVanessa.\u201d<\/p>\n
He put the bacon down.<\/p>\n
I returned the phone to my ear. \u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSometime during the night. Harold called early this morning. He said Dad was gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Across the table, Dad's jaw tightened at the mention of Harold Pike, his closest friend for more than four decades.<\/p>\n
Vanessa continued before I could answer. \u201cGrant and I are heading over to the house. I know this is awful, but there are things that need to be handled quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Handled.<\/p>\n
My father had supposedly been dead for only a few hours, and my sister was already talking like an executor.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat things?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFuneral arrangements. Papers. Insurance. The house.\u201d She paused. \u201cYou know Dad. Everything is scattered everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad rose silently and came toward me. I switched the call to speaker.<\/p>\n
Vanessa did not know.<\/p>\n
That was suddenly important.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is Dad now?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Another pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you. He died.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean his body.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad watched the phone.<\/p>\n
Vanessa cleared her throat. \u201cHarold is dealing with that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad's eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n
Harold had retired from the funeral business several years earlier. He still knew everyone in town, though, and after Mom died he had helped Dad through nearly every unpleasant administrative detail.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did he die?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably his heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNatalie, I just got the call. I don't have every detail.\u201d<\/p>\n
Behind her voice I heard another sound.<\/p>\n
A man's laugh.<\/p>\n
Grant.<\/p>\n
Our older brother.<\/p>\n
It lasted only a second before Vanessa apparently covered her phone, but Dad heard it too.<\/p>\n
His face became completely still.<\/p>\n
I had known that look since childhood. Dad rarely raised his voice. Anger made him quieter, not louder.<\/p>\n
Vanessa came back. \u201cSorry. Grant was talking to somebody.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt six thirty in the morning?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe're at Dad's place.\u201d<\/p>\n
That surprised me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're already there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe came over as soon as Harold called.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad glanced toward the clock.<\/p>\n
Something in the timing bothered him.<\/p>\n
Vanessa continued. \u201cListen, there will probably be questions about the property. Dad's old will is in his office somewhere. Grant thinks it's in the safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Dad.<\/p>\n
His eyebrows lifted slightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlready looking for the will?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't make it sound ugly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't make it sound like anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe're trying to be responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad motioned for me not to interrupt her.<\/p>\n
Vanessa seemed relieved by my silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou live eleven hours away,\u201d she said. \u201cGrant and I have been the ones here. We've handled Dad's appointments. We check the house. We bring groceries. So we'll take care of the immediate things.\u201d<\/p>\n
That version of our family history was convenient enough to be almost impressive.<\/p>\n
I had moved for work nine years earlier, but I called Dad every Sunday. When his pension payment was delayed one winter, I covered his property taxes. When the furnace failed, I paid for the replacement after Grant promised for three weeks that he knew someone who could fix it cheaply.<\/p>\n
When Dad had kidney surgery, I used vacation time and stayed with him until he could climb the stairs without assistance.<\/p>\n
Vanessa and Grant visited once.<\/p>\n
They stayed twenty minutes.<\/p>\n
Still, I said nothing.<\/p>\n
Dad wanted her talking.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about the house?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
She hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, obviously we can't leave it empty.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDad has been dead for a few hours.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're discussing occupancy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Grant's voice came closer in the background. \u201cJust tell her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vanessa hissed something at him.<\/p>\n
Dad stepped nearer the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat should you tell me?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Vanessa's tone hardened. \u201cGrant thinks it makes sense for him to stay here temporarily.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad folded his arms.<\/p>\n
Grant already owned a house.<\/p>\n
A large one.<\/p>\n
Less than ten miles away.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSecurity. Maintenance. You know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I don't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause this place is valuable, Natalie.\u201d<\/p>\n
There it was.<\/p>\n
Dad's house sat on six acres that had once been considered inconveniently far from town. Development had moved steadily toward it over the last decade. New subdivisions surrounded the old road now, and several developers had approached Dad about buying the property.<\/p>\n
He had refused every offer.<\/p>\n
Vanessa knew exactly what it was worth.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo Grant moves in,\u201d I said. \u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are you interrogating me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm asking what you've decided about a house belonging to a man who supposedly died last night.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad's mouth tightened at supposedly.<\/p>\n
Vanessa missed it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always do this,\u201d she said. \u201cYou disappear for years and then show up emotionally whenever something happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost laughed.<\/p>\n
Dad reached for my wrist and shook his head.<\/p>\n
Keep her talking.<\/p>\n
\u201cFine,\u201d I said. \u201cWhat else needs handling?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her voice softened immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe accounts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stared at the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat accounts?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBanking. Utilities. Dad's truck. The investment account. Things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know about his investment account?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Then Grant spoke directly into the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cNatalie, don't start creating problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice carried the same impatient authority he had used since we were teenagers.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad made Vanessa power of attorney years ago. She can deal with everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad pulled out a chair and sat.<\/p>\n
That sentence had landed harder than the announcement of his death.<\/p>\n
\u201cVanessa still has power of attorney?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad slowly shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n
I muted the call.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI revoked it three years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes she know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe received written notice.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked toward the metal lockbox he had brought into my house two nights earlier.<\/p>\n
Until that moment, I had assumed the trouble Dad mentioned involved ordinary money disagreements.<\/p>\n
Now I understood why he had insisted I tell nobody he was with me.<\/p>\n
I unmuted the phone.<\/p>\n
Grant was still talking.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere's no reason for you to drive down here. We can handle the funeral, and afterward we'll send you whatever personal things you want.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad's fingers curled around his coffee mug.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever personal things I want?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's not what I meant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt sounded like it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vanessa returned to the call. \u201cNobody is excluding you. We're trying to avoid chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n
Behind her I heard a drawer slam.<\/p>\n
Then another.<\/p>\n
They weren't simply sitting in Dad's living room grieving.<\/p>\n
They were searching.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are you right now?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the house.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich room?\u201d<\/p>\n
Vanessa went silent.<\/p>\n
Dad stared at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis office?\u201d I guessed.<\/p>\n
Grant muttered something.<\/p>\n
Vanessa answered sharply. \u201cWe're looking for documents.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad stood and crossed to the laptop he had placed on my counter when he arrived. He opened it, entered a password, and turned the screen toward himself.<\/p>\n
Four camera feeds appeared.<\/p>\n
I hadn't known Dad had security cameras inside his house.<\/p>\n
On one screen, Vanessa stood beside his desk.<\/p>\n
Grant was opening drawers.<\/p>\n
Papers already covered the carpet.<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
Dad clicked another camera.<\/p>\n
The hallway.<\/p>\n
Another.<\/p>\n
The kitchen.<\/p>\n
Another.<\/p>\n
The front porch, where Grant's silver SUV was parked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou installed cameras?\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter money started disappearing.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was the first time he had said it so plainly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
He raised one finger.<\/p>\n
Later.<\/p>\n
On the phone Vanessa said, \u201cNatalie? Are you there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to know whether Dad ever sent you a newer will.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I said truthfully.<\/p>\n
Vanessa released a breath.<\/p>\n
Grant laughed again.<\/p>\n
This time he didn't bother hiding it.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Dad reached across me and tapped the speaker button.<\/p>\n
\u201cNatalie,\u201d Vanessa continued, \u201cI know this sounds cold, but Dad's affairs aren't simple. Grant believes the old will leaves most of the property to us because we've been the ones taking care of him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad's eyes hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, obviously there would be something for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow generous.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't be sarcastic.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the security feed, Grant moved toward the bookcase.<\/p>\n
He removed folders one by one.<\/p>\n
Vanessa stood with her back to the camera.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should probably change the locks today,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Dad actually smiled then.<\/p>\n
Not warmly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vanessa continued. \u201cGrant knows a locksmith. Once we're sure everything is secure, we'll figure out what to do with the furniture.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad pushed his chair away.<\/p>\n
I thought he might finally speak.<\/p>\n
Instead, he walked to my stove, turned off the burner beneath the bacon, and returned with his plate.<\/p>\n
The normality of the movement made the whole conversation feel unreal.<\/p>\n
My dead father was eating breakfast while his living children discussed changing the locks on his house.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about Dad's truck?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrant will probably use it.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the laptop, Grant looked toward Vanessa.<\/p>\n
They were standing inside Dad's office, but the camera's microphone carried their voices to us several seconds before the phone transmitted the same conversation.<\/p>\n
\u201cAsk her about the jewelry,\u201d Grant whispered.<\/p>\n
Vanessa nodded.<\/p>\n
Dad stopped eating.<\/p>\n
\u201cNatalie,\u201d she said into the phone, \u201cdid Mom ever give you any jewelry before she died?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad and I looked at each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm inventorying things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt six forty in the morning?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what? Forget it.\u201d<\/p>\n
She started to end the call.<\/p>\n
Dad suddenly held out his hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cGive me the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n
I hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're sure?\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n
I placed it in his palm.<\/p>\n
Dad didn't speak immediately.<\/p>\n
He listened as Vanessa and Grant whispered to each other, believing I was still on the line.<\/p>\n
Grant said, \u201cIf she doesn't know about the safe, don't tell her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vanessa answered, \u201cI wasn't going to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad's face lost every trace of softness.<\/p>\n
Then Grant said something quieter.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sooner we get the deed sorted out, the sooner we can talk to Brennan about the development offer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad leaned toward the phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrennan won't be buying my land.\u201d<\/p>\n
The silence from the other end was absolute.<\/p>\n
I heard Vanessa inhale.<\/p>\n
Grant stopped moving on the camera.<\/p>\n
Dad took another bite of bacon.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad?\u201d Vanessa whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cMorning.\u201d<\/p>\n
The phone remained silent.<\/p>\n
Dad swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand I died last night.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDad\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's inconvenient.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vanessa made a strange choking sound.<\/p>\n
Grant grabbed the phone from her.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrank?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad's expression changed.<\/p>\n
Grant had almost always called him Dad.<\/p>\n
\u201cI'm still your father,\u201d Dad said. \u201cFor the moment, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn't funny.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI agree.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vanessa returned in the background. \u201cDad, Harold told us\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Dad interrupted. \u201cDon't blame Harold yet. I want to hear what you thought you were doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe thought you were dead!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you drove to my house before sunrise, entered my office, searched my desk, discussed changing my locks, claimed my truck, and started planning to sell my land.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're twisting everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked at the laptop.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can see you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grant turned toward the camera.<\/p>\n
His face drained of color.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe camera above the bookshelf.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grant looked up.<\/p>\n
Vanessa followed his gaze.<\/p>\n
Dad's voice remained calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can also hear you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grant stepped backward.<\/p>\n
Vanessa covered her mouth.<\/p>\n
For the first time since the call began, neither of them had anything to say.<\/p>\n
Dad looked at me.<\/p>\n
Then he looked back toward the screen showing the home he had spent thirty-one years paying for.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince we're discussing my property,\u201d he said, \u201cperhaps this is a good time to tell you what I did with the house yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vanessa's eyes widened on the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad lifted his coffee.<\/p>\n
And the look on his face told me that whatever he had signed the previous afternoon was only the beginning.<\/p>\n
At 6:30 on a gray Tuesday morning, my sister called to tell me our father was dead. I was standing barefoot beside the kitchen counter, waiting for the coffee maker … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11125,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11126"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11126\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11146,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11126\/revisions\/11146"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}