Read Online The Day the Siren Stopped by Colette Cabot - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Colette Cabot
Tags: Contemporary Romance
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unaware. Aunt Anna herself had the answer about where the mortgage payment was being sent. If need be, Kathy Mae was determined to get the truth out of her. She would demand to see the canceled checks, if necessary.
“So, I see you decided to come home tonight,” Aunt Anna said snidely as Kathy Mae rushed past her. “No boyfriend? Or, are you working on a new one by now. You're going to outpace your own mother in no time.”
Kathy Mae ignored the remarks, noticing the pile of dishes in the sink, the spills on the counter top, and the trash piled high. The woman had not lifted a finger for the two days she'd been away at work. She dumped her new wardrobe on the bed and marched out to face Aunt Anna.
“Who owns this house?” she demanded. Her tone took Aunt Anna by surprise.
“I do,” she said, adding, “not that it's any of your business.”
“No, you don't,” said Kathy Mae. “That much I know for sure, as I've seen the deed. It's in my father's name. So, to whom have you been paying the mortgage all these years?”
“Your mother, of course,” said Aunt Anna, confused. She didn't seem to by lying. Her expression was one of shock. “She said when it was paid off, she'd put it in my name.”
“It's not in her name, Aunt Anna,” said Kathy Mae, “It's in the name of Andrew Graves, my father, if I remember correctly. And, the mortgage has been paid off years ago.”
“Why, that evil woman,” she said, starting to cry. “She's been taking my money for years, griping if it was late, and telling me the house was my payment for taking care of you.”
“You might be able to get some of it back,” said Kathy Mae, sympathetically, “I'm not sure. But, I know you could have her convicted of extortion. She's been stealing from you. Could I see one of the canceled checks?”
Aunt Anna walked to the desk drawer faster than Kathy Mae had ever seen her move. She produced a cardboard box full of bank statements with the canceled checks folded inside each month's packet. Kathy Mae looked quickly through the last one, finding a check made out to Lolita Graves for $450. The note line had been filled in with the handwritten word— personal . She showed it to Aunt Anna.
“I never wrote that,” she exclaimed. “Oh, my God. It's not the same color ink as the rest of the check, and it's not my handwriting, either.”
“All these years,” asked Kathy Mae, “you never looked at the checks when they came back from the bank with each month's statements?”
“No,” she said, “Why would I?”
“This is a problem, Aunt Anna,” said Kathy Mae. “If it had said the word mortgage or anything like it, you'd have a clear case of fraud. But, she can say you've been paying this money to her all these years for any reason whatsoever, and it's your word against hers.”
Kathy Mae was about to touch her shoulder, pat her hand, or even embrace her with sympathy and understanding, but then Aunt Anna ruined it all with the next words that came out of her mouth.
“So, I raised you for nothin'” she moaned. “I get nothing for all that aggravation.”
“Well, think of it this way, Aunt Anna,” Kathy Mae said snidely, “You don't have to write that check anymore. Look how much extra money you're going to have.”
“That's right,” she said with a little hope in her voice.
“So, do you happen to know anything about what happened to my father?” was the next question.
“Well, he died several years ago,” answered Aunt Anna. “Your mother came and told me about it because she was thrilled she'd be able to marry some new guy.”
“Well, then,” said Kathy Mae with a satisfaction she couldn't help, “It looks like this house is mine. I'm sure you'll be able to find another place to live. There's some real nice looking Section 8 apartments in town just for
“So, I see you decided to come home tonight,” Aunt Anna said snidely as Kathy Mae rushed past her. “No boyfriend? Or, are you working on a new one by now. You're going to outpace your own mother in no time.”
Kathy Mae ignored the remarks, noticing the pile of dishes in the sink, the spills on the counter top, and the trash piled high. The woman had not lifted a finger for the two days she'd been away at work. She dumped her new wardrobe on the bed and marched out to face Aunt Anna.
“Who owns this house?” she demanded. Her tone took Aunt Anna by surprise.
“I do,” she said, adding, “not that it's any of your business.”
“No, you don't,” said Kathy Mae. “That much I know for sure, as I've seen the deed. It's in my father's name. So, to whom have you been paying the mortgage all these years?”
“Your mother, of course,” said Aunt Anna, confused. She didn't seem to by lying. Her expression was one of shock. “She said when it was paid off, she'd put it in my name.”
“It's not in her name, Aunt Anna,” said Kathy Mae, “It's in the name of Andrew Graves, my father, if I remember correctly. And, the mortgage has been paid off years ago.”
“Why, that evil woman,” she said, starting to cry. “She's been taking my money for years, griping if it was late, and telling me the house was my payment for taking care of you.”
“You might be able to get some of it back,” said Kathy Mae, sympathetically, “I'm not sure. But, I know you could have her convicted of extortion. She's been stealing from you. Could I see one of the canceled checks?”
Aunt Anna walked to the desk drawer faster than Kathy Mae had ever seen her move. She produced a cardboard box full of bank statements with the canceled checks folded inside each month's packet. Kathy Mae looked quickly through the last one, finding a check made out to Lolita Graves for $450. The note line had been filled in with the handwritten word— personal . She showed it to Aunt Anna.
“I never wrote that,” she exclaimed. “Oh, my God. It's not the same color ink as the rest of the check, and it's not my handwriting, either.”
“All these years,” asked Kathy Mae, “you never looked at the checks when they came back from the bank with each month's statements?”
“No,” she said, “Why would I?”
“This is a problem, Aunt Anna,” said Kathy Mae. “If it had said the word mortgage or anything like it, you'd have a clear case of fraud. But, she can say you've been paying this money to her all these years for any reason whatsoever, and it's your word against hers.”
Kathy Mae was about to touch her shoulder, pat her hand, or even embrace her with sympathy and understanding, but then Aunt Anna ruined it all with the next words that came out of her mouth.
“So, I raised you for nothin'” she moaned. “I get nothing for all that aggravation.”
“Well, think of it this way, Aunt Anna,” Kathy Mae said snidely, “You don't have to write that check anymore. Look how much extra money you're going to have.”
“That's right,” she said with a little hope in her voice.
“So, do you happen to know anything about what happened to my father?” was the next question.
“Well, he died several years ago,” answered Aunt Anna. “Your mother came and told me about it because she was thrilled she'd be able to marry some new guy.”
“Well, then,” said Kathy Mae with a satisfaction she couldn't help, “It looks like this house is mine. I'm sure you'll be able to find another place to live. There's some real nice looking Section 8 apartments in town just for
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