have that kind of money in our checking account,” I said. “Arthur has frozen our access to the business funds.” Continue Reading → Sarah watched me, her expression professional but not unkind, her gaze lingering on my silver band. “I cannot file the initial paperwork without the retainer, Mrs. Miller,” she said. “The county clerk requires the filing
The stack of unpaid fuel bills on Ben’s desk was three inches high, smelling of damp earth from the work boots of the crew. Arthur stood in the doorway of the small trailer office, his heavy brass ring tapping against the metal frame. “I need the keys to the file cabinet, Elena,” Arthur said. I moved a stack of invoices for the November lawn cleanups,my thumb rubbing the silver band on my left ring finger. “Ben always handles the commercial accounts himself.” “Ben is in Room 412,” Arthur said, his voice filling the narrow trailer. “The city winter contract needs a signature by five o’clock, or we lose the salt route.” He tapped the ring again, three quick strikes on the metal. “I can take thepaperwork to the hospital during lunch,” I said. “He does not need to be reading spreadsheets right now,” Arthur said. “Just give me the ledger for the payroll account, and I will handle the rest.” I looked down at the oak desk, noticing the lower drawer was firmly shut. “I will look for the key after I visit him,” I said. Arthur took a step closer his heavy work boots creaking on the linoleum. “Do not wait too long, Elena. Some decisions cannot be put off.” By two in the afternoon, the pale autumn sun had disappeared behind the grey brick wall of the Saint Jude annex. Ben lay back against the white pillows of Room 412, his breathing light and shallow. I reached over to pull the green thermal blanket up to his chin, tucking the edge under his shoulder. “You look tired, El,” Ben said, his voice a raspy whisper. He reached up to rub his left temple, his eyes closing against the harsh fluorescent light of the ceiling. “I am fine,” I said. “Arthur asked about the city contract.” Before Ben could answer, his chest rose sharply, his hands gripping the side rails of the hospital bed. He gasped, a dry, hollow sound that seemed to pull all the air from the room, and his head fell back hard against the pillow. The red light on the wall above the bed began to flash. Continue Reading → Dr. Charles Marcus stood near the hallway drinking fountain, holding a metal clipboard against his white coat. He adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses, looking down at the chart before he looked up at me. “The latest scan shows the tumor has spread to the lining of the lungs, Elena,” Dr. Marcus said, his voice slow and deliberate. I held my breath, waiting for the words he had been keeping back for weeks. “There are no more treatments we can offer to change this,” he said. “We are looking at weeks now, not months.” I reached for the silver band on my finger, twisting it until the skin turned red. “He wants to walk down the aisle,” I said. “We bought the invitations.” Dr. Marcus put a hand on my shoulder, his fingers warm and steady. “We will do everything we can to keep him comfortable.” The parking lot of GreenLeaf Landscaping was dark when I got back to my car, the gravel crunching under my shoes. Arthur was leaning against the driver’s side door of my Buick, holding a stainless steel flask. “I brought you some hot tea,” Arthur said, stepping back so I could reach the handle. “You look like you need it.” He poured a cup of lukewarm liquid and handed it to me, the heavy brass ring on his hand catching the light of the halogen street lamp. “Thanks,” I said, holding the paper cup but not drinking. The smell of damp earth on his work boots was strong in the cold air. “I spoke to the bank,” Arthur said, his voice dropping to a quiet, urgent tone. “If something happens to Ben, the business accounts will be frozen during probate.” I stared at him, my head spinning with the doctor’s words. “We need to get his affairs in order before he slips away,” Arthur said, tapping the folded paper against his palm. Continue Reading → “What is that?” I asked. “A buyout agreement,” Arthur said. “He needs to sign over his shares to me immediately to avoid legal trouble for you.” I stared down at the gray parking lot gravel, realizing my wedding invitations were now completely meaningless. The office of Green Leaf Landscaping was quiet at ten in the morning, smelling of damp mud and stale coffee from the early crew. I stood in front of Ben’s desk, my hand resting on the smooth oak wood where his personal files were kept. I tried the handle of the top drawer, but the metal ring did not move. It was locked tight. “That drawer is off-limits for a while, Elena,” Arthur said from the doorway. He was leaning against the frame, his boots leaving dry crusts of soil on the clean linoleum. He was holding a stack of white invoices, his heavy brass ring tapping against the hard plastic of his clipboard. “Where is the key, Arthur?” I asked, turning around to face him. “Ben always kept the spare in the ceramic cup on the shelf.” Continue Reading → “Must have misplaced it,” Arthur said, stepping into the room. “The bank asked us to keep things secured until we get the partnership sorted out. Don’t you worry about those files.” “I need to look up the payroll ledger from last month,” I said, my thumb twisting the plain silver band on my finger. “Ben asked me to check on the city contract expenses.” “I told you, I’ll handle the paperwork,” Arthur said. He set the invoices on his own desk with a loud thud, not looking at me. “Your place is at the hospital. Go on back to Saint Jude.” “The lock is brand new, Arthur,” I said, pointing to the shiny brass core. “The old one was silver.” “I had the locksmith come out Tuesday,” Arthur said, tapping his brass ring against the wood. “We had some security concerns. Some files went missing from the desk.” “Nothing goes missing from Ben’s desk,” I said, my voice quiet. “He keeps everything in perfect order.” “Well, things change,” Arthur said, his boisterous tone returning as he stepped closer. “We have a business to run, Elena. Ben isn’t here to do it, so I am.”
