The Restoration Page 6

  Terri gasped. She couldn’t help it. Though she’d never laid eyes on Gertrude before today, not even in a photograph, she’d come to think of her as the ideal employee, the house manager, Miss Vandermere’s right-hand woman. A woman who had been laid off because of the economy, not fired. “She fired you?”

  “Yes, I’m afraid she did. Right before she hired you.”

  “But she spoke so highly of you.”

  Gertrude smiled. “Yes, she did, didn’t she? Like I said, it was a nice change. However, she apparently forgot to take my name off the contact list, so the police called me early this morning. That’s why I’m here. There are some things about this house that you need to know.”

  As Terri led the way inside, she couldn’t help feeling nervous. Miss Vandermere had made Gertrude sound as if she was obsessed with Glenvale, unable to resist checking on the house, even during the off season. Why would she have fired her? Was there a chance Gertrude was unhinged, maybe dangerous? Miss Vandermere had told her that she’d never gotten Gertrude’s key, while Gertrude claimed Vandermere had taken it. Who wasn’t telling the truth? She wasn’t comfortable having the other woman behind her, and waited until they were walking beside each other. “Should we talk in the kitchen? I could make us some tea.”

  Though the temperature outdoors was approaching seventy-eight degrees, inside the house it was cool and drafty. She felt a chill.

  “Tea would be nice. Thank you.”

  She didn’t seem deranged, but then again, Ted Bundy hadn’t, either.

  “I don’t mean to pry, but I don’t understand why Miss Vandermere would fire you. Like I said, she spoke so highly of you. She led me to believe you’d been laid off.”

  “She didn’t say anything about my overactive imagination?” Gertrude sounded amused.

  “No, not about yours. She did complain about some other restorers, who she’d said abandoned the project.”

  Gertrude snorted. “Abandoned? Try fired. She let them go too, for the same reason she fired me.”

  Terri joined her at the table, feeling weak behind the knees. All thoughts of tea were forgotten. “What reason is that?” It couldn’t be Vandermere’s hate-on for anyone with an imagination. That would be insane.

  “We got too close to the truth. She’s willing to do anything to prevent that, whether it’s firing loyal employees, threatening to sue us, or God knows what else.”

  “She threatened to sue you?” Terri struggled to picture the elderly lady being that vindictive.

  “Oh, I received a lovely little cease-and-desist letter from her attorney, but I didn’t let it bother me too much. She did it out of fear, and the need to protect the family name. Besides, she knows I have nothing worth taking. Especially since I don’t have a job anymore.”

  “I’m sorry.” She didn’t know what to say. Whether Gertrude had deserved to be fired or not, her predicament was unfortunate. Terri had experienced lean times herself, but she’d always been able to find more work. There probably weren’t a lot of museums in town in need of house managers.

  “It’s all right. It honestly was for the best. You wouldn’t know it to look at me, because my sister is a miracle worker, but my hair has gone almost totally gray from stress. Working for Miss Vandermere – working here – was taking years from my life.”

  Looking at Gertrude’s smooth brown bob, Terri had to concede that at least the part about the woman’s sister was true. She wouldn’t have known it wasn’t Gertrude’s natural color. Before she could think of what to say, the other woman leaned forward, pinning her to her chair with a look so intense it was unnerving. “Ms. Foxworth, do you believe in ghosts?”

  Ghosts. There it was again. “A week ago, I would have said no, but now, I’m not so sure.”

  “You must believe in them if you’re going to work here. You must. Otherwise, you’ll drive yourself and your daughter crazy. Your daughter will certainly see them, even if you don’t. Going by the phone call I received from the police, I’m guessing one or both of you has met him already. And someone upset him greatly.”

  Terri couldn’t have been more shocked if Gertrude had started speaking in tongues. “You know about Niles?”

  “Of course I know about Niles. As you’ve noticed, he’s not exactly shy. And I’m convinced Miss Vandermere knows about him too, though she’d die before admitting it.”

  “Then he’s not a mentally ill child? He’s not…real?”

  Gertrude laughed. “Oh, he’s perfectly real, but he’s not alive, if that’s what you’re asking. Poor thing died almost a hundred years ago.”

  Remembering the seemingly one-sided conversation she’d overheard Dallas having the night before, Terri shivered. “I thought my daughter was having hallucinations.”

  “You’re not the first. Niles isn’t a fan of adults, for obvious reasons, but he can’t resist children. It takes a lot of time and trust before he’ll appear in front of an adult.”

  “Why isn’t he a fan of adults?” Terri asked, though she could scarcely accept that she was having this conversation. “Because they don’t believe?”

  “Oh, he couldn’t care less whether you believe in him or not. He knows he’s real. No, it’s because he was treated poorly by adults.” Gertrude glanced around the kitchen. “Any chance of that tea? My mouth is feeling dry.”

  “I’m sorry.” Terri jumped up from the table, feeling embarrassed. “I got distracted by all this.” She went to the box of items she’d brought to the house, which thankfully was still on the counter. At least Niles’s rage appeared to be confined to his own things. “Earl Grey okay?”

  “That’ll be fine, thank you. I get it, trust me. It’s not every day someone shows up and tells you the house you’re working on is haunted. But you specialize in restorations. You must have had some experience with this kind of thing before, working on all those old houses.”

  “Honestly, no. Or if I did, I never noticed.” She thought uncomfortably of the Davis house again, but that had been disturbing for other reasons. Tangible reasons.

  “You’ve experienced something. I can see it on your face.”

  “Oh, I was hired for a clean-up job once. A family had been murdered in the house.” She filled the kettle with water, hoping Gertrude wouldn’t notice her hands were trembling. “It was – well, it was an upsetting experience, to say the least. Their blood…and other things…were all over the house.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Gertrude looked sympathetic, but not appalled, the way others had when she mentioned it. “That must have been extremely difficult.”

  “Thank you. It was. But this work is always difficult, for different reasons every time. Each house poses its own challenge.”

  “And in this one, you have Niles.” She was quiet a moment before asking, “Forgive me, but wasn’t that a strange thing to hire a restorer for? What you do takes real skill. It’s an art, bringing these houses back to life. Seems to me they could have hired a cleaning company for that job.”

  “I guess no one else was willing to do it, and I needed the money, so….”

  Gertrude raised her hands. “Say no more. I understand all about needing work.”

  “How do you know Niles was badly treated?” Terri asked, bringing a small carton of milk and a sack of sugar to the table with two spoons. She didn’t want to interrupt Gertrude’s train of thought by asking how she took her tea. “I thought his father doted on him. I’ve heard Howard Vandermere was never the same after Niles died.”

  Gertrude shook her head. “That’s what the family wanted people to think, and as far as I can tell, they managed to fool everyone. Forensics weren’t what they are today, and no one would have suspected a father of killing their own child in those days.”

  Terri realized her mouth was hanging open and closed it with a snap. “Howard murdered him? Did Niles tell you that?” Wait, had she just aske
d that question, as if Niles were able to communicate? Did she believe this wild story? But if she didn’t, who else had destroyed his room? Dallas had been with her when they’d heard the commotion. Her daughter hadn’t made that mess. Unless there had been a highly contained earthquake, or an intruder who’d left before the police arrived, there was no other explanation.

  “Not exactly. I don’t think Niles knows who killed him, though he might have an idea. There were some signs at first, clues I picked up on from working here. Once Niles began to communicate with me, my suspicions were confirmed.” Gertrude’s hazel eyes bore into hers without blinking, and Terri looked away, shifting on her seat. Something about the other woman was unnerving, and she was beginning to regret inviting her in. What if Gertrude wasn’t just obsessed with the house, but psychotic?

  She laid her hand over Terri’s, startling her so much that Terri had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. “I know what you’re thinking. I can see it on your face. Others have thought the same, but I am not crazy.”

  “I-I wasn’t thinking that.” Was there anything in this room she could use as a weapon? The kettle wasn’t heavy enough, but hadn’t she seen a poker for the kitchen stove? That could work.

  “You were. I’ve seen it before. I didn’t believe any of this at first, either. Vandermere kept insisting everything I saw and heard was the product of my ‘overactive imagination’, until I thought I would go mad,” she said. “I wasn’t someone who went around wearing crystals to open my chakras or giving tarot card readings, Ms. Foxworth. Niles was my first encounter with something of this nature, but he does exist. Surely you can’t have any doubts about that?”

  But in the harsh light of day, she did have doubts. At night, with the police telling her there was no one in the house, and that there were no signs of a break-in, other than the destroyed room, it had been easier to believe. “I was so sure he was an actor. I guess I did a good job of convincing myself.”

  “An actor?” Gertrude raised an eyebrow, a bemused expression on her face.

  “From the historical recreations. I thought the boy who played Niles had gotten confused and stayed behind. It sounds a bit ridiculous now.”

  “But there never were—”

  “There weren’t historical recreations. I know that now. But that’s what I thought initially. I didn’t have any other explanation.”

  “You have one now. I’m telling you the truth.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to give the impression that I’m doubting your word. It’s just difficult for me to wrap my head around all this. Why would his father have killed him? To end his suffering?”

  That was the most benign reason she could give, and it was almost understandable. Diabetes was a cruel disease now, but back then, when so little had been known about it, it would have seemed like a monster. It must have been unbearable to watch your own child struggle and not have any clue how to help him.

  “This wasn’t a mercy killing. Do you think Niles would be hanging around if it was? He wants justice. If his father had killed him out of kindness, however misguided, there would be no need.”

  “What, then?” Terri wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but something made her ask in spite of herself. Would she be able to work there after Gertrude was finished? Or would her fear of the house – and yes, Niles – have become too great?

  “The Vandermeres had three children. Emma, Niles, and Henrietta. Niles wasn’t the eldest, but as the male, he was the intended heir, and the fortune he was expected to inherit was unprecedented. The family was worth millions over a hundred years ago, which is probably like billions today.” She paused to sip her tea. “If my accounting is a bit off, forgive me. Math was never my best subject.”

  “But Niles was sickly,” Terri added, the uncomfortable truth becoming clear. “I’d read that his father was beginning to show him the ropes of the family business, even so.”

  “He was. While Niles was alive, Howard loved his son, and never stopped hoping a true cure would be found for his disease, something that would free him of it completely. The boy’s death shattered him. I’m sure the guilt he felt was a large part of that.”

  Gertrude pushed back her chair and rose, stretching. “Do you mind if I move around? It helps me think. After Niles grew ill, Emma – the eldest child – was the most likely heir. Some would argue that she’d always been. She was smart, with a good head for business, unlike poor Niles, who leaned toward more creative pursuits.” She paused long enough to make a face. “You can imagine how well that went over in those days. Niles was bullied and called a pansy, in addition to other lovely names. Meanwhile, Emma was the better ‘son’ for the Vandermere family. She excelled in typically masculine pursuits, including horseback riding, skeet shooting, and fencing. Rumor has it that she was an accomplished huntress as well.”

  Rumor has it? Who would be spreading rumors about a family that had last been high profile decades before? She could see why Vandermere might be concerned with Gertrude’s ‘dedication’ to Glenvale, and by extension, her family.

  “It was the very fact that she was so accomplished that makes her death so strange. A riding accident…most unusual for a woman who had won countless ribbons for her expertise with horses, don’t you think?”

  Terri could scarcely believe what she was hearing, and the woman’s pacing in the cramped room was making her nervous. With the baking table, original wood-burning stove, china cabinet, and sinks, there was barely any room to move around as it was. “You’re not saying Emma was murdered too?”

  “I haven’t encountered Emma’s ghost, so I can’t be sure, but it’s suspicious, no? Someone wanted to make sure Henrietta was the one to inherit the family fortune.”

  “But why? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “It doesn’t seem to make much, no. One could argue that Henrietta’s stewardship didn’t hurt anything. The Vandermeres remain one of the wealthiest families in the state. But she didn’t improve matters much, either. Emma would have grown the family empire considerably if she’d had the chance. The best Henrietta could do was keep it in a kind of holding pattern.”

  “I don’t believe Howard murdered two of his children, just to make sure Henrietta inherited. Especially when, as you say, it didn’t end up doing the family much good. I can’t see any parent being that cruel.”

  Rather than appear offended, Gertrude shrugged. “It’s a theory. I was never able to prove anything. As soon as I got close, I was fired.”

  “You said you found clues that led you to this theory. What clues? What did you find?”

  Gertrude gripped the back of a chair, studying Terri’s face. “Not yet. I don’t know you well enough to be sure I can trust you.”

  It was understandable, but frustrating. Why had Gertrude come here, if it wasn’t to reveal what she’d learned? How did she expect Terri to earn her trust, when they’d most likely never see each other again?

  She didn’t have to wonder long. With Gertrude’s next words, all became clear.

  “I have a proposition for you. Let me continue my investigation.” She held up her hand before Terri could respond. “Please, hear me out. I’ll stay out of your way entirely. You’ll find having me here will be quite helpful. No one living, aside from Miss Vandermere, knows this house better than I do. I can make the meals and entertain Dallas while you’re working.”

  She looked so hopeful that it was difficult to say no, but the thought of this strange woman spending time with her daughter was more frightening than the prospect of living with a ghost. “I’m sorry, but I can’t jeopardize this job. If Miss Vandermere fired you, she doesn’t want you on her property any longer. I can’t risk her finding you here. I’m a single mother – this income is crucial for us.”

  Gertrude nodded, her lips tightening. “I understand. I’ll be going then.” She reached for her purse, and Terri felt an unexpected sense o
f loss. She did want to learn more about the house, and Vandermere had praised this woman’s loyalty and work ethic. Then why had she fired her? Was it really that she’d gotten too close to the truth, or was it something else?

  “Wait. I can’t have you living here, but maybe there’s something else we can do.”

  “What do you have in mind, Ms. Foxworth?”

  “Please, call me Terri,” she said, playing for time. What did she have in mind, that was the question. “How about regular visits? If you were to come by, say, once a week, we should be able to hide that from Miss Vandermere, right? I’m guessing you can predict her schedule better than anyone, but she hasn’t been by to check on things since she hired me.” It was still a risk. She couldn’t imagine what would happen to her and Dallas if they lost this job, and she didn’t want to.

  “Honestly, it’s less likely to be noticed if I’m living in the house. Otherwise, people will see me coming and going.” Noticing the expression on Terri’s face, she quickly added, “But I completely understand why you’re not comfortable with that yet. Perhaps you’ll change your mind once you know me better.”

  The yet was troubling. Terri couldn’t imagine ever being that comfortable with Gertrude, and hoped the woman wasn’t deluding herself. Say what she wanted about Miss Vandermere, her employer had told her the truth – Gertrude was obsessed with the house.

  “And don’t fool yourself, Ms. – Terri. Vandermere has ways of keeping an eye on things, even if she’s not physically on the property. She knows exactly how things are going here, and she knows all about your visit with law enforcement yesterday. She’ll also know you stayed in a hotel last night, rather than in the house. So be careful. As you’re aware, she doesn’t have a lot of patience for those who flout the rules.”

  That didn’t make sense. If Vandermere was aware the police had been there, why hadn’t she called or come by? If she cared so much about the house, wouldn’t she have checked to make sure everything was okay? “But if that’s true, how did you expect to live here without her finding out?”