The Sugar Queen by Tess Thompson

10

Trapper

In my home office,I stretched my arms overhead and yawned, hungry and ready for a beer. I’d had to leave Brandi at her apartment to return home to get my papers together for the insurance company. I spent the rest of the day on the phone.

A call came in from Garth. “Hey, how’s it going?” I asked.

“Decent. We got Crystal a new car and bought some clothes. The authorities wouldn’t let us go up to see our houses. I’m minutes away from your house. I imagine Crystal’s not far behind.”

“Great. I’ll cook us some steaks.”

“Supper would be awesome,” he said. “I’m starving.”

“Supper? Or do you mean dinner?” I asked.

“Whatever you call it, we’ll be there,” he said.

For the next few minutes, I hustled around the kitchen. My main floor was designed in an open concept with no delineation between kitchen, dining room, and sitting area. The office and master bedroom were also on the first floor, with four bedrooms upstairs.

Mom had come by earlier to make up the spare beds upstairs with fresh linens and had dropped off groceries. She’d left a bouquet of fresh lilies on my rustic dining room table that filled the room with their sweet fragrance.

I took steaks out of the fridge to bring them up to room temperature. I clicked my flat-screen television onto a national news channel, interested to see if Emerson Pass’s fire had received any attention. The story of the day was about the upcoming election. I hit Mute.

I opened the doors to the patio. Now that the smoke had dissipated, the Rocky Mountain air sweetened the rooms.

Garth arrived first, looking a little haggard and in need of a shave. “Hey, man,” I said as we shook hands. “Come on in.” He carried a department store bag as well as a few others. “Sorry about the roads being closed. It must be killing you not to see what’s left.”

“The authorities posted pictures on the website. I found my house. What was left of it, anyway. Which wasn’t much.”

“Crystal’s too?” I asked.

“Yeah. They’re both gone.” He shook his head. “Same with all the luxury homes up there. Crystal says most of them are not permanent residences, so I guess that’s good news. There aren’t any displaced families.”

“That’s a blessing,” I said. “Still, I know it must hurt to have to see your home gone.”

“It’s surreal. I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet.”

“Let’s get you settled in,” I said.

I led him upstairs to one of the guest rooms. “Your private bathroom is through that door,” I said.

“I’d rather have you give Crystal the better room,” he said. “She’ll want her own bathroom.”

“Got you covered,” I said. “Her room is across the hall and has its own bathroom.”

“Great. Okay. I just don’t want her to be uncomfortable, you know, about me being here.” He set his packages on the easy chair in the corner.

“You guys talk about it today?” I asked.

“Yeah. The elephant in the room had to be addressed. She was cool. Actually, took all the blame onto herself. We agreed to be friends.”

“You able to transition back?” I asked.

“Yeah, man. I’m not interested in a girl in love with a ghost.”

“Can’t blame you for that,” I said. “Take your time to unpack. Have a shower if you want. I’ll be downstairs with a beer.”

“Thanks, man. Seriously, I can’t thank you enough for this.”

I brushed him off and went back downstairs just as the doorbell rang. It was Crystal, with twice as many shopping bags as Garth.

I took a quick assessment—dark circles under her eyes, hair loose from her bun. “Come in,” I said. “Welcome to your temporary home.”

She stepped through the door. “Thanks for having me.”

I took her bags. “How would you feel about a rest before dinner?”

“That sounds pretty good,” she said.

She complimented my house as we climbed the stairs to the second floor, then commented on the framed photographs on the wall of me in various stages of my hockey career.

“Thanks. My mom did all this. Not sure why she thought I’d want a bunch of photos of myself.”

“She’s proud of you,” Crystal said.

I ushered her into the bedroom. It was decorated in soft greens, and the view faced the back of the house into a thicket of trees. “This is a beautiful piece of property,” she said. “I always thought so when we were kids, but I didn’t realize all this land was your family’s.”

“It’s weird to think how long our families have been here, isn’t it?” I placed her packages on the bed.

“I loved staying with my grandmother and grandfather here,” Crystal said. “Those were the happiest times of my childhood. I wish my mother hadn’t sold the horse farm when my grandparents died.”

“My dad wasn’t too happy about that, either. That cottage and the five acres of land were a gift to Harley and Merry from Lord Barnes for their dedicated service.”

“I’d heard that from my grandparents, but I wasn’t sure it was true.”

“I know it’s true,” I said. “My dad has all that documented, plus letters and a bunch of other papers if you ever want to talk to him about it. He loves a new victim.”

“I tried to buy it from the new owners when I moved back here but they weren’t interested. It makes me sick to think it’s out of the family.”

“You never know,” I said. “Things change.”

I left her to get settled in and take a nap, letting her know that dinner would be around seven.

Despite the circumstances, my heart was light as I charged down the stairs to the first floor. On the counter, my phone vibrated with a message. I glanced at it, hoping it was Brandi. Instead, the message was from my new money manager, Keith Shepard. Call me. Urgent. I’ve found a problem in your books.

I’d hired Keith last month to do long-term financial planning and to help me decide if it was prudent to buy the ice rink. His determination was that the rink was unlikely to bring a profit but if I could stomach breaking even, then I had his blessing. I’d explained it was my passion project. He’d said in his usual dry manner, “Most guys as rich as you buy sports cars, not ice rinks.”

“I’m not most guys,” I’d said.

I called him, worried. I didn’t exactly keep a close watch on finances. I spent little and had more money than I would need for the rest of my life if I was frugal.

“Hey, Keith. What’s up?”

“Listen, this is weird, but I’ve found a discrepancy in your accounts. You might want to sit down for this.”

“Go ahead.”

“Your former assistant had been embezzling money from your accounts for years. She stole a little at a time so you wouldn’t notice. It’s upward of two million dollars.”

My mind numbed. A high-pitched buzz filled the space between my ears. Tara Talley was like family to me. I’d trusted her with my entire life, including managing my accounts. When I retired, I’d given her a huge severance package and thrown her a party.

I leaned against the counter, taking deep breaths. I’d trusted her.

“I’d recommend filing charges,” Keith said. “I have enough evidence here to make an easy case for them.”

“I can’t believe this.”

“From what I know about employees who do this kind of thing, they feel entitled to the money. You have so much, she has so little, that kind of thing.”

“I paid her a great salary.”

“I know, man. This isn’t logical, but stuff happens.”

“I have other news,” I said. “The rink I bought burned to the ground.”

“What the hell’s going on out there?”

I explained about the fire.

“Don’t sweat the rink. You knew going in it wasn’t a moneymaker. I’ll get a little more aggressive with some of your investments but seriously, with the way you live, you’ll be fine. And we’ll get the money back.”

“I trusted her with everything. All I asked is that she never lie to me.”

“I know.”

“Thanks for finding it.”

“Not to brag, but it wasn’t easy. She’s smart, like one of those hacker geniuses.”

“Yeah, she went to MIT.” In hindsight, that might have been a poor hiring decision on my part.

I hung up, reeling. Tara Talley stealing from me. This was not something I would have seen coming in a million years. It wasn’t the money, really. I’d thought of her as a dear friend. I’d hired her right out of college. Quiet and nerdy but with a quick wit and uncanny ability to multitask. After only a few months, she’d taken over my schedule, managed my public appearances, and worked closely with my publicist to arrange endorsement opportunities. Truthfully, her savvy skills had increased my wealth. Maybe that’s what made her think she was entitled to some of it. Was she?

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. The guilt that so often plagued me crept into my consciousness. Why had I been given so much? Should I have paid her better and this wouldn’t have happened?

I texted Huck and Breck with the facts, then called my dad’s cell phone.

Mama answered. “Hi, honey. Everything all right?”

“Not really.” I told her what I’d just learned.

“I can’t believe it,” Mama said. “She was your right hand for so long.”

“I know. She had my total trust.”

“You and your dad always believe the best in people, and it bites you sometimes.”

I sighed. “I guess so. But I swear, I didn’t see this coming.” I ran my hand through my hair. “Keith thinks I should press charges.”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

Because she’s a human being who clearly needed the money more than I did? Two million when I was worth fifty? Was there really a reason to pursue it? She’d grown up poor and had worked her way into a scholarship at MIT.

“What if she needed the money for a sick relative or something?” I asked.

“For heaven’s sake, Trapper. That’s your money, not hers. You were a good employer.”

“Can I talk to Dad?”

“Hang on.”

A few minutes later my dad got on the phone, which told me that Mama had filled him in already.

“Mama told you?”

“Yeah, son. This is a hard blow, especially now.”

“I never would’ve seen this coming.”

“Me either, to be honest. She always seemed like a nice girl. A little strange, but a lot of supersmart people are.”

“Right.”

“You’ll have to press charges, even if you don’t want to,” Dad said. “What she did was a crime.”

“I know. I need a second, that’s all.”

“I get it,” Dad said. “In other news, what’s going on with Brandi?”

Brandi. My heart surged with joy. She was back in my arms. “We’re good, Dad. Really good.”

“Has she filled you in on the missing piece yet?”

I hesitated. Should I tell him the truth? I didn’t want anything to taint his feelings for her. “She said there’s something she wants to talk about when she’s ready. I’m not pushing, Dad. I can’t lose her again.”

“That’s probably wise. Pushing could backfire.”

I hung up feeling better. Huck and Breck had texted while I was on the phone.

Breck: I’m on my way over.

Huck: I’m going to look into her further.

By the time I hung up, Brandi was at my door. She smiled up at me, holding out a loaf of bread that would normally have made my mouth water. “I brought you a loaf of fresh sourdough.”

I slumped in the doorway. “Thanks, baby.”

Her smile faded. “What’s happened?”

“Nothing to worry about. Come on in and I’ll tell you all about it.”

I satacross from her at my dining room table and told her what I knew. She sat motionless, watching me, as my story unfolded. “I swear to you, I would never have seen this coming.”

“You trusted her. There was no reason not to. You always assume everyone’s as good as you. They’re not, obviously, but it’s not something you should feel bad about.”

“I keep thinking I should’ve seen something that would’ve clued me in, but she was a model employee and a good person. Or so I thought.”

She moved my pepper shaker a few inches to the left. “Sometimes good people do bad things because they have to. Or think they have to.”

“That’s what I was thinking. What if she needed it for some reason? She never talked too much about her personal life, so I’m not sure. What if her mom was sick or something?”

She tilted her head as she gazed at me. “You don’t have to press charges if you don’t want to.”

“How did you know I was thinking that?”

“Because I know your heart.” She moved around to where I sat slumped over the table. I pushed the chair out and gathered her onto my lap. “Whatever you decide, I’ll stand by you,” she said.

“Compared to my worth, two million is kind of a drop in the bucket.”

“I figured.”

I buried my face in her sweet-smelling hair. “Is that weird to you?”

She shifted and took her face in her hands. “Money doesn’t play into how I feel about you in either direction. Your wealth isn’t really news to me. Your face was everywhere for a while. I figured you didn’t do all those endorsements for free.”

“What did you want to tell me earlier when we were interrupted by the phone?” I asked.

A flicker of apprehension passed over her features. “Yes, there is something.”

The front door opened and slammed shut. Seconds later, Huck appeared in the doorway, looking like hell. He hadn’t shaved in days and wore the same rumpled shirt, untucked, and jeans from a few days ago. A baseball hat covered his wavy hair. He’d lost everything in the fire and yet here he was, showing up for me when I needed him.

“Brandi?” Huck said. “I didn’t know you’d be here.” Translation: I didn’t know you two were back together, and I don’t like it.

“Hey.” She scooted off my lap and sat next to me.

“I didn’t know you had company,” Huck said.

I’d figured my reconciliation with Brandi would bother him. I’d hoped to tell him about it alone, not like this. With all that had happened, I’d forgotten my plan. I lifted a shoulder and gave him a look that hopefully conveyed my feelings on the matter. Which were—it’s none of your damn business and I don’t really want to take any crap from you right now.

He took the hint. Although if I knew Huck, he’d come back around to it later.

I stood and gave Huck a guy hug—more of a back-patting with no contact between chests. “I’m sorry about your house, man.”

“Yeah, it sucks. But like my dad said, I wasn’t in the house when it burned.” Huck’s bungalow had been built in the fifties near the riverbank. It had been on the market when he decided to move home. Handy with a hammer and nails, Huck had remodeled the place himself. Like Crystal and Garth, he was now without a home.

He leaned against the counter. “I did some digging on your former assistant. Tara Talley recently bought a house in Arizona and a brand-new sports car.”

“Okay, well, that answers the question about whether or not she has a sick mother.” My heart sank. I’d wanted an excuse for her. Any sob story would have worked.

“How do you know all this?” Brandi asked.

“I have friends in the right places,” Huck said. “I’ve been digging up dirt for a living for a long time.”

“I think it’s called investigative journalism,” I said.

Huck tugged on the brim of his cap. “She played this well, trickling little by little out of your accounts until you retired, hoping you wouldn’t ever notice the missing money.”

“Which I didn’t,” I said. “I’m an idiot.”

“Not an idiot,” Brandi said.

“You bring in the police yet?” Huck asked.

“Not yet.”

Breck came in through the patio doors. He grinned the moment he saw Brandi. “Hey there.”

“Hey, Breck.” She smiled back at him.

“I’ve come from the shelter. I got all the pooches settled in, so I thought I’d come see how things were shaking over here.” He clapped Huck on the shoulder. “How are you, man?”

“I’ll live,” Huck said. “I’ve seen worse.”

“Mom made up a room for you at the house,” Breck said.

“You’re staying with Breck instead of your parents?” I asked.

“Yeah, my folks have their routine, and I’d just be in the way,” Huck said. “Breck and his mom have enough room for me. Anyway, it was either that or kick Stormi out of the apartment above the newspaper office. She already hates me. I don’t need her making a voodoo doll in my image and poking me to death.”

“I don’t think she makes voodoo dolls,” Brandi said in a serious tone.

Huck raised an eyebrow. “You know her?”

“She took all the photos for my website. I really like her.”

“You don’t find her irritating?” Huck asked. “With her New York accent? She’s pretentious as hell.”

“I think she’s sophisticated and witty,” Brandi said. “She’s obviously not from here.”

“What’s the matter with being from here?” Huck’s thick eyebrows came together, making him look like a grumpy old man.

“Nothing,” Brandi said. “I’m just saying that no one would ever call me sophisticated.”

“Come on now,” Breck said, with a friendly tap on her head as he passed around the table toward the island. “You’re still the prettiest girl in town and you know it.”

“That’s categorically not true,” Brandi said. “Anyway, I’m talking about being interesting and worldly. Not a person who can make a great sweet roll.”

“Don’t underestimate the power of those sweet rolls,” Breck said as he opened the refrigerator door and leaned in to check out the goods.

“You’re perfect the way you are,” I said to Brandi as I kissed the top of her head.

“Anyone want a beer?” Breck asked from the refrigerator.

Huck declined, but Brandi and I agreed to one.

Breck set the beers on the kitchen island and simultaneously moved a stool out with his foot, then sat. He sniffed the air. “Is that bread up for grabs?” he asked, pointing to the loaf of fresh bread Brandi had brought.

“Yes, but it needs butter.” Brandi got up from the table to fetch the butter dish I kept by the toaster.

“I’ll get a knife and cutting board,” I said, temporarily forgetting about Tara Talley and the two million dollars. Brandi’s sourdough could cure most problems.

“Why are you hesitating about involving the police?” Huck asked. “Were you sleeping with her?”

“What? No way,” I said. “I don’t sleep with employees.”

“Dude, what’s wrong with you?” Breck asked Huck. “That’s not how we roll.”

Huck lifted his shoulders in a cantankerous shrug. “It happens.”

“Not with me,” I said, with a nervous glance at Brandi.

She was busy cutting the sourdough and seemed unbothered by this line of questioning.

“Good, because that muddies the water,” Huck said.

“She was a great assistant. That’s all,” I said.

I wasn’t sure why Huck would even need to ask. The three of us had remained close after we went our separate ways, talking or texting most days even when we were separated by miles. We knew the details of one another’s relationships, just as we did our professional enterprises. During veterinarian school, Breck had dated a few women but no one seriously. Huck had spent time with a reporter friend on and off over the years. Not a relationship exactly, but more like casual sex when they happened to be in the same place at the same time. Since he’d come home, he hadn’t mentioned women at all. Whatever had happened to him over there, he didn’t talk about it, even with us. Breck and I knew he’d talk to us when he was ready. I had a feeling that once he worked through whatever it was that ate him up, a relationship with a woman might be a possibility. Until then, he seemed chained to the demons of his past, unwilling to allow joy into his life. Which made him difficult to be around. I loved him like a brother, but lately I didn’t like him much.

We were quiet as we dug into the pieces of fresh bread slathered with butter. “God, this is good,” Breck said. “Brandi, you’re a genius. It’s good to have the band back together. We have some good times coming our way. I can feel it.”

“I and others are homeless,” Huck said. “Trapper’s been stolen from. The town has no place for our kids to attend high school. A historic ice rink is charred rubble. We’re hardly ready for a party.”

“Don’t be such a grouchy bear,” Breck said. “We’re going to take care of all these problems, and then we’ll be living large in Emerson Pass like the old days.” He winked at Brandi. “And now we have our girl back.”

“She’s my girl,” I said, tossing a beer cap in his direction.

“And grumpy over there owes me ten bucks,” Breck said.

“You’re a bastard.” Huck grimaced as he fetched his wallet from his pocket and slapped a ten-dollar bill on the table.

“What was the bet?” I asked.

“How long it would take for you to win Brandi back.” Breck held the bill in front of him and grinned. “I said two days. It’s truly hard to be this smart.”