Sycamore Row

9

For her last day on the job Lettie arrived half an hour early, and she did so in the hopeless belief that such punctuality might impress Mr. Herschel and Mrs. Dafoe; that they might somehow reconsider and allow her to stay on. At 7:30, she parked her twelve-year-old Pontiac next to Mr. Seth’s pickup truck. She had stopped calling him Mr. Seth months earlier, when they were alone anyway. Around other people she used the “Mister,” but only for appearances. She took a deep breath and clutched the wheel and hated the thought of seeing those people again. They would be leaving soon, as soon as possible. She’d heard them gripe about being forced to spend two nights there. Their worlds back home were crumbling, and they were desperate to get away. Burying their father was such a nuisance. They despised Ford County.

She had slept little. Mr. Brigance’s words “sizable portion of his estate” had rattled noisily around her brain throughout the night. She had not told Simeon. Perhaps she would later. Perhaps she would let Mr. Brigance do it. Simeon had badgered her about what the lawyer wanted, what he’d said, but Lettie had been too bewildered and too frightened to try and explain anything. And how could she explain what she didn’t understand? As confused as she was, Lettie knew the most foolish thing she could do was to believe in a positive outcome. The day she saw any money would be the day she believed, and not a moment before.

The kitchen door off the garage was unlocked. Lettie entered quietly and paused to listen for sounds of activity. The television was on in the den. Coffee was brewing on the counter. She coughed as loudly as possible, and a voice called, “Is that you, Lettie?”

“It is,” she said sweetly. She stepped into the den behind a fake smile and found Ian Dafoe on the sofa, still in his pajamas, surrounded by paperwork, lost in the details of some looming deal.

“Good mornin’, Mr. Dafoe,” she said.

“Good morning, Lettie,” he replied with a smile. “How are you?”

“Fine, thanks, and you?”

“As well as can be expected. Up most of the night with this,” he said, sweeping an arm over his beloved paperwork, as if she knew exactly what it all meant. “Get me some coffee, would you? Black.”

“Yes sir.”

Lettie took him coffee, which he accepted without a nod or a word, lost once more in his deal. She returned to the kitchen, poured herself some coffee, and when she opened the refrigerator to get the cream she saw a bottle of vodka, almost empty. She had never seen liquor in the house; Seth didn’t keep it. Once a month he brought home a few beers, stuck them in the fridge, and then usually forgot about them.

The sink was full of dirty dishes-how could they possibly be expected to load the dishwasher with a servant on the payroll? Lettie got busy with the cleaning, and presently Mr. Dafoe stopped at the door and said, “I think I’ll get a shower now. Ramona is not feeling well, probably caught a cold.”

Cold or vodka? Lettie thought. But she said, “I’m sorry. Can I do anything for her?”

“Not really. But some breakfast would be nice, eggs and bacon. Scrambled for me, not sure about Herschel.”

“I’ll ask him.”

Since they were leaving, as was the servant, and since the house was about to be locked up, then sold or somehow disposed of, Lettie decided to clean out the pantry and refrigerator. She fried bacon and sausage, whipped up pancakes, scrambled eggs and made omelets and cheese grits and warmed up store-bought biscuits, Seth’s favorite brand. The table was covered with steaming bowls and platters when the three sat down for breakfast, complaining the entire time about all the food and fuss. But they ate. Ramona, puffy-eyed and red-faced and unwilling to say much, seemed to especially crave the grease. Lettie hung around for a few minutes, properly serving them, and the mood was tense. She suspected they’d had a rough night, drinking and arguing and trying to survive one last night in a house they hated. She eased back into the bedrooms, happy to see their bags were packed.

From the shadows, she heard Herschel and Ian discussing a visit by the lawyers. Ian argued it was easier for the lawyers to come to Seth’s house than for the three of them to troop over to Tupelo.

“Damned right they can come to us,” Ian said. “They’ll be here at ten.”

“Okay, okay,” Herschel conceded, then they lowered their voices.

After breakfast, as Lettie cleared the table and stacked the dishes, the three moved outdoors again, to the patio where they settled around the picnic table and drank their coffee in the morning sun. Ramona seemed to perk up. Lettie, who lived with a drunk, figured that most mornings started slow for Mrs. Dafoe. There was laughter as they momentarily shook off last night’s harsh words, whatever they were.

The doorbell rang; it was a locksmith from Clanton. Herschel showed him around and explained loudly, for the benefit of Lettie, that they wanted new locks on the home’s four exterior doors. As the man went to work, starting with the front door, Herschel stopped in the kitchen and said, “We’re getting all new locks, Lettie, so the old keys won’t work.”

“I’ve never had a key,” she said with an edge because she’d already said it once.

“Right,” Herschel replied, not believing. “We’ll leave one key with Calvin down the road, and we’ll keep the others. I suspect I’ll be back from time to time to check on things.”

Whatever, Lettie thought, but she said, “I’ll be happy to come over and clean the place whenever you want. Calvin can let me in.”

“Won’t be necessary, but thanks. We’re meeting with the lawyers at ten o’clock, here, so make some fresh coffee. After that we’ll be leaving for home. I’m afraid we won’t be needing you after that, Lettie. Sorry, but Dad’s death changes everything.”

She clenched her jaws and said, “I understand.”

“How often did he pay you?”

“Every Friday, for forty hours.”

“And he paid you last Friday?”

“That’s right.”

“So we owe you for Monday, Tuesday, and half of today, right?”

“I suppose.”

“At five bucks an hour.”

“Yes sir.”

“I still can’t believe he paid you that much,” Herschel said as he opened the door and walked outside onto the patio.

Lettie was stripping the beds when the lawyers arrived. In spite of the dark suits and serious faces, they might as well have been Santa Claus delivering sacks of toys to well-behaved children. In the moments before they pulled in to the driveway, Ramona, in heels and pearls and a dress much prettier than the one she’d worn to the funeral, peeked out the front window a dozen times. Ian, now in coat and tie, paced around the den, checking his watch. Herschel, clean shaven for the first time since arriving, was in and out of the kitchen door.

In the past three days, Lettie had overheard enough to know that expectations were high. They did not know how much money old Seth had in the bank, but they were perceptive enough to believe something was there. And it was all a windfall anyway, right? The house and land alone were worth at least half a million, according to Ian’s latest guess. How often are you lucky enough to split $500,000. And there was the lumber yard, and who knew what else?

They gathered in the den. Three lawyers, three potential beneficiaries, all well dressed with perfect manners and light moods. The servant, in her best white cotton dress, served them coffee and cake and then retired into the shadows to listen.

Grave condolences were offered by the lawyers. They had known Seth for several years and were great admirers. What a man. It was entirely possible the lawyers thought more of Seth than did his own children, but at that moment this was not contemplated. Herschel and Ramona performed well, even admirably, as the conversation passed through its first phase. Ian seemed bored with the preliminaries and ready to get down to business.

“I have an idea,” Herschel said. “There could be other ears listening right now. It’s a lovely day, so let’s move outside to the patio where things are, shall I say, more confidential.”

“Really, Herschel,” Ramona protested, but Ian was already standing. The group moved en masse through the kitchen and onto the patio where they re-situated around the picnic table. An hour earlier, Lettie, in anticipation, had cracked a bathroom window. She now sat on the edge of the bathtub and could hear better than ever.

Mr. Lewis McGwyre popped open his heavy briefcase and removed a file. He passed around three copies of a multipage document and began: “Our firm prepared this for your father over a year ago. There’s a lot of boilerplate in there, sorry, but that’s always required.” Ramona, nervous and still red-eyed, said, “I’ll read it later. Please, just tell us what’s in the will.”

“Very well,” Mr. McGwyre said. “To skin it all down, each of you, Herschel and Ramona, gets 40 percent of the estate. Some of it’s outright, some of it’s tied up in trusts, but the bottom line is that you will inherit 80 percent of Mr. Hubbard’s estate.”

“And the other 20?” Ian demanded.

“Fifteen percent goes into trusts for the grandchildren, and 5 percent is an outright gift to the Irish Road Christian Church.”

“What’s in the estate?” Herschel asked.

Stillman Rush calmly replied, “The assets are substantial.”

When Lettie emerged half an hour later with a pot of fresh coffee, the mood had changed in startling ways. Gone was the nervousness, the anticipation, the initial round of gloom and loss, all replaced by a giddiness that only instant and unearned wealth can create. They had just won the lottery; now their only concern was how to collect it. With so much money floating around, the six clammed up immediately when Lettie appeared. Not a word was spoken as she poured the coffee. When the kitchen door closed behind her, all six began chattering away again.

Lettie was listening and growing more confused by the minute.

The will on the table named Lewis McGwyre as the executor of the estate, so not only did he prepare the will, but he also bore the principal responsibility for its probate and administration. The third lawyer, Mr. Sam Larkin, had been the principal business adviser to Seth and seemed quick to take credit for his incredible success. Larkin waxed on about one deal after another, regaling his audience with Seth’s fearless exploits when borrowing reckless amounts of money, or so it seemed. Turns out, Seth was smarter than them all. Only Ian tired of this narrative.

Mr. McGwyre explained that, since they were already in Ford County, they planned to run by the courthouse and file the necessary paperwork to initiate the probate proceedings. A notice to creditors would run in the county newspaper for ninety days and invite claims from anyone Seth might owe. Frankly, Mr. McGwyre said, he doubted if there were unknown creditors out there. Seth was aware of his impending death. The two had spoken less than a month earlier.

Stillman Rush said, “All in all, we see this as a fairly routine probate, but it will take time.”

More fees, thought Ian.

“In a few months we’ll submit to the court an accounting and inventory of all your father’s assets and liabilities. To do so, we’ll be required to hire a CPA firm, and we know several, to track down the assets. All real estate must be appraised. All personal property listed. It’s a process.”

“How long?” Ramona asked.

The three lawyers squirmed in unison, the usual reaction when an effort is made to solicit exact information. Lewis McGwyre, the most senior, shrugged and offered a noncommittal “I’d say twelve to eighteen months.”

Ian grimaced as he absorbed this and thought of all the loans coming due in the next six months. Herschel frowned while trying not to, while trying to act as though his bank accounts were stuffed and there was no pressure. Ramona shook her head angrily and asked, “Why so long?”

Mr. McGwyre replied, “Fair question.”

“Oh thank you.”

“Twelve months is not really a long time in these matters. A lot of groundwork has to be laid. Fortunately, your father had significant assets. Few estates do. If he’d died with nothing, then his probate could be complete in ninety days.”

“In Florida the average probate takes thirty months,” Mr. Larkin said.

“This ain’t Florida,” Ian said with a cold stare.

Stillman Rush added quickly, “And there is a provision in the law for partial distributions; that is, you might be allowed to take some of your share along the way, before the actual closing of the estate.”

“I like the sound of that,” Ramona said.

“Can we talk about taxes?” Ian insisted. “What’s the ballpark figure?”

Mr. McGwyre leaned back and confidently crossed his legs. Smiling and nodding, he said, “With an estate of this size, with no surviving spouse, the taxes would be brutal, slightly more than 50 percent. But, because of Mr. Hubbard’s foresight, and our expertise, we were able to arrive at a plan”-he lifted a copy of the will-“and by the use of some trusts and other devices we have reduced the effective tax rate to about 30 percent.”

Ian, the number cruncher, did not need a calculator. Twenty million and change in the net estate, minus 30 percent would knock it down to about $14 mill. Forty percent of that for his dear wife and their share would be around $5.6 million, give or take. And clean, no taxes since all of those nasties, state and federal, would be slapped onto the estate. At that moment, Ian and his various partners and companies owed a plethora of banks in excess of $4 million, about half of which was past due.

As Herschel’s internal calculator stuttered along, he caught himself humming under his breath. Seconds later, he too arrived at something around $5.5 million. He was so sick of living with his mother. And his kids-no more worries about tuition.

Ramona turned evil and cast a vicious smile at her husband. She said, “Twenty million, Ian, not too bad for, what did you like to call him, an uneducated logger.”

Herschel closed his eyes and exhaled while Ian said, “Come on, Ramona.” The lawyers were suddenly interested in their shoes.

She pressed on, “You won’t make twenty million in your entire life, and Daddy did it in ten years. And your family, with all the banks they once owned, never had that kind of money. Don’t you find that unbelievable, Ian?”

Ian’s mouth fell open and he could only stare at her. Alone, he would have certainly gone for her throat, but he was helpless. Be cool, he told himself as he fought his anger. Damn right you’d better be cool because that smirking bitch sitting five feet away is about to inherit several million, and though the money will probably blow up the marriage, there will be something for me.

Stillman Rush closed his briefcase and said, “Well, we need to be moving along. We’ll run by the courthouse and kick things off, and we’ll need to meet again very shortly, if that’s okay.” He was standing as he spoke, suddenly eager to leave the family behind. McGwyre and Larkin bounced up too, slapping closed their briefcases and making the same phony farewells. They insisted on showing themselves to the front, and were practically scrambling when they disappeared around the house.

After they left, there was a long, lethal vacuum of silence on the patio as all three avoided eye contact and wondered who would speak next. The wrong word could start another fight, or something worse. Finally, Ian, the angriest, asked his wife, “Why’d you say that in front of the lawyers?”

Herschel jumped in: “No, why did you say it, period?”

She ignored her brother and snarled at her husband, “Because I’ve been wanting to say it for a long time, Ian. You’ve always looked down on us, especially my father, and now, suddenly, you’re counting his money.”

“Aren’t we all?” Herschel asked.

“Shut up, Herschel,” she snapped.

She ignored him and didn’t take her eyes off Ian. “I’ll divorce you now, you know that.”

“Didn’t take long.”

“No, it didn’t.”

“Come on, guys,” Herschel pleaded. This was not the first divorce threat he’d witnessed. “Let’s go inside, finish packing, and get out of here.”

The men stood slowly and walked away. Ramona stared at the trees in the distance, beyond the backyard and into a forest where she played as a child. She had not felt such freedom in years.

Another cake arrived before noon and Lettie tried to decline it. She eventually sat it on the kitchen counter where she was wiping pots for the last time. The Dafoes said a quick good-bye, but only because they really couldn’t leave without doing so. Ramona promised to keep in touch and so on. Lettie watched them get in the car without saying a word. It would be a long drive back to Jackson.

At noon, Calvin arrived as planned, and at the kitchen table Herschel handed over a key to the new door locks. Calvin was to check on the house every other day, keep the grass cut, leaves blown, the usual.

When Calvin was gone, Herschel said, “So, Lettie, I figure we owe you for eighteen hours, at five bucks each, right?”

“Whatever you say.”

He was writing a check as he stood by the counter. “Ninety dollars,” he mumbled with a frown, still wanting to gripe over her excessive pay. He signed it, tore it out, handed it over, and said, “There you are,” as if it were a gift.

“Thank you.”

“Thanks, Lettie, for taking care of Dad and the house and everything. I know this is not easy.”

Firmly, she said, “I understand.”

“The way things go, I’m sure we’ll never see you again, but I just want you to know how much we appreciate what you did for our dad.”

Such a load of crap, Lettie thought, but she said, “Thank you.” Her eyes were watering as she folded the check.

After an awkward pause, he said, “Well, Lettie, I’d like for you to leave now so I can lock up.”

“Yes sir.”