Read Online Beyond the Quiet: Romantic Thriller by Brenda Hill - Free Book Online
Authors: Brenda Hill
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arm around me, he led me into the living room. He looked tired. And troubled.
“What is it?” I said, bracing myself.
“Sit down, Lisa. We have to talk.” He perched on the edge of Mac’s wingback chair. Maggie took the other.
I stood frozen.
“Christ,” he sighed. “How about some of th at wine. Or any booze will do.”
Now I was truly frightened. Normally Stan only had a couple of drinks before dinner.
“Mac’s Scotch is in the kitchen.” I searched his face then Maggie’s for some sort of reassurance, but neither of them would meet my eyes. My legs weak, I slid onto the sofa and clutched the arm.
“Oh, honey, are you all right?” Maggie rose to check on me. When I met her gaze, she paled.
“I’ll get the booze,” she said, heading for the kitchen.
As if from a great distance, I heard cabinets open and shut and the tinkle of ice hitting glass. She returned with a drink for each of us. Stan drained his and set the drink on the coffee table, taking great pains to place it precisely in the middle of the coaster. Dread emanated from him, thick as a blanket choking out the air. I found myself gasping and concentrated on one breath after the other.
“Enough,” I said, carefully setting my glass next to his. My movements felt labored, as if I were walking underwater. “What is it, Stan? You’d better tell me right now. I can’t take this much longer.”
“Lisa, honey, I’ve been going over final papers for the estate and checking into the pension.” He paused. “Everything’s in, the bills, the insurance, and...” His voice trailed off.
The silence hung thick in the room.
“ Just tell her,” Maggie finally said.
“Honey, you’re broke,” Stan said in a rush. “There’s no insurance left in Mac’s account, no pension.”
I couldn’t have heard him correctly. A great roaring started in my ears and my voice rose. “What do you mean, no pension? You mean a delay? Some reason I can’t draw it yet?”
“It’s gone, honey. At least the bulk of it. You’ll draw two, maybe two-fifty a month.”
“No, there has to be some kind of mistake.” My voice was so shrill that I barely recognized it. “Mac worked at that plant every day for twenty-six years. He never missed a day until his illness. Some of every paycheck went into his retirement. Every paycheck, Stan. There has to be over three-hundred thousand dollars.”
Stan was silent. He looked as though he’d rather be anywhere on earth than here.
Then I knew.
And felt sick. “He took it, didn’t he?”
Stan’s gaze was level. “I’m afraid so. He borrowed against it as well as the insurance.”
“Is anything left?”
“You’ll have about three thousand.”
Three thousand dollars. I couldn’t get enough air. All my plans, all my hopes for the future, had just evaporated like a puff of smoke.
Chapter Seven
Stan and Maggie stayed until late that night. I think they were afraid to leave me alone. I felt numb. Dazed, actually. Nothing made sense but I went through the motions. I drank when Maggie handed me something and ordered me to swallow. I ate part of a sandwich that she made for me, although I tasted nothing. I remember staring through the glass door in the kitchen to the mountains beyond until it was too dark to see anything except a single twinkling light. It came from someone’s home in the foothills, no doubt. Maybe a young couple snuggling down to watch TV after putting their children to bed.
I turned away.
Sometime later, Maggie insisted on helping me to bed. I slept a dreamless sleep.
I woke the next morning to the sound of rain tapping against the windows. I had always loved to listen to the sound, especially when I was snuggled in bed. I t made me feel safe and secure.
But now, of course, I knew that had been just an illusion. I wasn’t secure. My husband, the man who had always been so careful about finances, the man who had cautioned me over and over again about how important it was to have a
“What is it?” I said, bracing myself.
“Sit down, Lisa. We have to talk.” He perched on the edge of Mac’s wingback chair. Maggie took the other.
I stood frozen.
“Christ,” he sighed. “How about some of th at wine. Or any booze will do.”
Now I was truly frightened. Normally Stan only had a couple of drinks before dinner.
“Mac’s Scotch is in the kitchen.” I searched his face then Maggie’s for some sort of reassurance, but neither of them would meet my eyes. My legs weak, I slid onto the sofa and clutched the arm.
“Oh, honey, are you all right?” Maggie rose to check on me. When I met her gaze, she paled.
“I’ll get the booze,” she said, heading for the kitchen.
As if from a great distance, I heard cabinets open and shut and the tinkle of ice hitting glass. She returned with a drink for each of us. Stan drained his and set the drink on the coffee table, taking great pains to place it precisely in the middle of the coaster. Dread emanated from him, thick as a blanket choking out the air. I found myself gasping and concentrated on one breath after the other.
“Enough,” I said, carefully setting my glass next to his. My movements felt labored, as if I were walking underwater. “What is it, Stan? You’d better tell me right now. I can’t take this much longer.”
“Lisa, honey, I’ve been going over final papers for the estate and checking into the pension.” He paused. “Everything’s in, the bills, the insurance, and...” His voice trailed off.
The silence hung thick in the room.
“ Just tell her,” Maggie finally said.
“Honey, you’re broke,” Stan said in a rush. “There’s no insurance left in Mac’s account, no pension.”
I couldn’t have heard him correctly. A great roaring started in my ears and my voice rose. “What do you mean, no pension? You mean a delay? Some reason I can’t draw it yet?”
“It’s gone, honey. At least the bulk of it. You’ll draw two, maybe two-fifty a month.”
“No, there has to be some kind of mistake.” My voice was so shrill that I barely recognized it. “Mac worked at that plant every day for twenty-six years. He never missed a day until his illness. Some of every paycheck went into his retirement. Every paycheck, Stan. There has to be over three-hundred thousand dollars.”
Stan was silent. He looked as though he’d rather be anywhere on earth than here.
Then I knew.
And felt sick. “He took it, didn’t he?”
Stan’s gaze was level. “I’m afraid so. He borrowed against it as well as the insurance.”
“Is anything left?”
“You’ll have about three thousand.”
Three thousand dollars. I couldn’t get enough air. All my plans, all my hopes for the future, had just evaporated like a puff of smoke.
Chapter Seven
Stan and Maggie stayed until late that night. I think they were afraid to leave me alone. I felt numb. Dazed, actually. Nothing made sense but I went through the motions. I drank when Maggie handed me something and ordered me to swallow. I ate part of a sandwich that she made for me, although I tasted nothing. I remember staring through the glass door in the kitchen to the mountains beyond until it was too dark to see anything except a single twinkling light. It came from someone’s home in the foothills, no doubt. Maybe a young couple snuggling down to watch TV after putting their children to bed.
I turned away.
Sometime later, Maggie insisted on helping me to bed. I slept a dreamless sleep.
I woke the next morning to the sound of rain tapping against the windows. I had always loved to listen to the sound, especially when I was snuggled in bed. I t made me feel safe and secure.
But now, of course, I knew that had been just an illusion. I wasn’t secure. My husband, the man who had always been so careful about finances, the man who had cautioned me over and over again about how important it was to have a
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