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D oreen made herself a bowl of soup and a sandwich for lunch, while she pondered the events of the morning. When the phone rang, it was Sandra again.

“You asked about Tabitha earlier?”

“Yes, I did.”

“I understand old Buck had a very bad morning.”

“I imagine he did. And, when you say she doesn’t like him, is there a particular reason?”

“It’s not so much that she doesn’t like him as much as she’s determined to get whatever inheritance is coming her way early, so she can get out of town.”

“Do you think she’ll get any inheritance?”

“I’m not sure. Her father is a powerful man in town, and the family has quite a few businesses, but working for the family is not anything she’s ever wanted to do.”

“ Hmm , yet maybe she would be good at it.”

An odd sound came from the other end. “Sounds as if you didn’t hit it off.”

“Something in her gaze showed me a different side of her.”

“Oh, yes, indeed. She’s her father’s daughter,” Sandra declared bitterly. “If we’re downtown or outside, and she sees me, she’ll cross the street to get away from me.”

“That’s just rude.”

“Not only that, Tabitha’s been known to make up tales about my mother and spread them.”

“I’m sorry. That’s not a very nice family.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Do you know what training Tabitha had to work at a retirement home?”

“She was a nurse of some kind, and then there was this big hullabaloo about it. Now she’s just working at the front desk, while there’s an investigation of some kind.”

“Interesting. As in doing something wrong maybe?”

“I don’t know,” Sandra replied. “Honestly, I stay away from the whole family.”

“So, is Tabitha the daughter of Clarence or Carl?”

“She’s Clarence’s daughter.”

“Interesting. I haven’t even met Carl yet.”

“He’s always traveling all over the place, doing his big business deals,” she muttered. “He doesn’t really make much time for anybody here. The two brothers don’t get along that well.” She let out a big sigh. “Honestly, I think he stays away to avoid Clarence.”

“And yet Clarence thinks he’s that big, magnanimous, very popular guy.”

“That’s what he wants you to think,” she said, “but, the truth is, most people don’t like him. And he’s known for his shady business dealings.”

“You really need to get away from this family, don’t you?” Doreen noted.

“Yeah, I do, but it’s not quite so easy.”

“Maybe you can start by picking up the phone and contacting the widower you know because, although it might need to start from him, from his perspective, he’s not likely in a position to do anything as long as the family has that same hold on you that it had before.”

“I’ll think about it,” Sandra said. When she went to hang up, she added, “You need to be careful.”

“I know. I need to be more than careful now.”

“Has anything else happened?”

“Yeah, I made the mistake of seeing old Buck. He threw a fit, throwing all kinds of things at the door.”

“But he didn’t hit you?” she asked anxiously.

“No, he didn’t hit me, not to mention that I had the animals with me.”

“Did he hit them? Because he really hates them.”

“No, he didn’t hit them either,” she replied, with a gentle smile, even though the other woman couldn’t see it over the phone. “That’s definitely not something Mugs would take kindly to.”

“No, but if Buck had his way, he would set it up so your dog bit him, and he would make sure that the pound got involved, and you would have to shoot him,” Sandra explained. “Buck wants everything his way, and, if he can take away something that’s precious and special, he will.”

And, with that, she was gone.