Read Online The Nantucket Diet Murders by Virginia Rich - Free Book Online
Authors: Virginia Rich
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especially as they get older.’ That, from Lew! And about
me!
I told him I thought he was just as likely to get wacky in his old age as I was.”
“There have been times when I wished Theo and Jules had done that,” Gussie confided. “Leave things for me in a trust, that is. But Theo and I were so young when he died, and he’d made so much money in a hurry with that invention of his, and then he was killed so suddenly . . . ”
Mrs. Potter had a sharp recollection of the day she heard the news of the hunting accident in the Vermont woods. How awful it must have been for Gussie, she thought, as she had so many times since then. Each of them hunting alone—the four of them—Theo, Gussie, and another couple, the husband a friend with whom Theo had gone deer hunting since the two men’s college days together. The stray shot from somewhere, never determined. Theo’s body, bloody and already lifeless on the brown carpet of the woods floor before any of them had found him.
Gussie went on, after her brief pause. “You’d think that of all people Jules Berner would have set up a trust, wouldn’t you? After handling other people’s money all his life, and always having all we possibly needed ourselves? Jules was a wonderful husband, as you two both remember, but he couldn’t bear the thought of being that much older than me. Remember how he always had to outplay everybody at tennis and outdance everybody on the floor and outswim everybody at the beach club? His lawyers told me after his death that he’d been putting them off, saying he’d get around to aproper trust in good time, that sort of tiling. Through his partners I’ve always had wonderful people to advise me, and I usually do what they suggest, but actually I’m quite free to do as I like. I could set up a home for cross-eyed cats, if I wanted to.”
Again, Gussie paused. “I guess everybody knew what was happening with Gordon. He lived on my money, and it was a good thing there was enough, considering his medical bills. There certainly wasn’t anything for
him
to leave, or to set up any trust with.”
“We all thought the Van Vleecks had oceans of money,” Beth said, surprised. “He and his mother had come to the island starting with the year one, and they seemed very well off, I always thought.”
“Mama Van Vleeck had it,” Gussie said flatly, “but she certainly didn’t part with any of it for Gordon when we got married. She was furious about that—do you remember?”
Mrs. Potter did indeed remember. “She was a holy terror, no doubt about it,” she said. “And she’d counted on Gordon for so many years to be a darling and dutiful son that she probably felt deserted. Or maybe she just thought he didn’t need it when he married you. After all, Gussie, no one ever thought that you had to worry about money, and she knew he’d be well taken care of.”
All three women then agreed that, no matter how their financial futures were arranged, or even how apparently secure, inflation had made changes in their lives.
“That’s one of the things different on the island,” Beth told her. “Everybody feels the pinch a little if they live on a fixed income, even if it’s quite a decent one, I suppose. None of us really lives extravagantly.”
“I think Mittie may be a little pressed these days,” Gussie said, “although she’s too proud to admit it. And Dee, of course—it’s crazy, but she always seems to be living on the brink of total poverty in spite of all her big real estate commissions and special discounts.”
“Another change—we all lock our doors,” Beth said. “We never used to. And I even have a big dog. Samson wouldmake a terrible watchdog, but I hope nobody but me knows that. He’s big, anyway, and he barks a lot. I left him at home to guard things now, even though I’m sure I left the door locked, too. I even went back to check when I was halfway down the block. Is
anybody
as forgetful as I am, I
me!
I told him I thought he was just as likely to get wacky in his old age as I was.”
“There have been times when I wished Theo and Jules had done that,” Gussie confided. “Leave things for me in a trust, that is. But Theo and I were so young when he died, and he’d made so much money in a hurry with that invention of his, and then he was killed so suddenly . . . ”
Mrs. Potter had a sharp recollection of the day she heard the news of the hunting accident in the Vermont woods. How awful it must have been for Gussie, she thought, as she had so many times since then. Each of them hunting alone—the four of them—Theo, Gussie, and another couple, the husband a friend with whom Theo had gone deer hunting since the two men’s college days together. The stray shot from somewhere, never determined. Theo’s body, bloody and already lifeless on the brown carpet of the woods floor before any of them had found him.
Gussie went on, after her brief pause. “You’d think that of all people Jules Berner would have set up a trust, wouldn’t you? After handling other people’s money all his life, and always having all we possibly needed ourselves? Jules was a wonderful husband, as you two both remember, but he couldn’t bear the thought of being that much older than me. Remember how he always had to outplay everybody at tennis and outdance everybody on the floor and outswim everybody at the beach club? His lawyers told me after his death that he’d been putting them off, saying he’d get around to aproper trust in good time, that sort of tiling. Through his partners I’ve always had wonderful people to advise me, and I usually do what they suggest, but actually I’m quite free to do as I like. I could set up a home for cross-eyed cats, if I wanted to.”
Again, Gussie paused. “I guess everybody knew what was happening with Gordon. He lived on my money, and it was a good thing there was enough, considering his medical bills. There certainly wasn’t anything for
him
to leave, or to set up any trust with.”
“We all thought the Van Vleecks had oceans of money,” Beth said, surprised. “He and his mother had come to the island starting with the year one, and they seemed very well off, I always thought.”
“Mama Van Vleeck had it,” Gussie said flatly, “but she certainly didn’t part with any of it for Gordon when we got married. She was furious about that—do you remember?”
Mrs. Potter did indeed remember. “She was a holy terror, no doubt about it,” she said. “And she’d counted on Gordon for so many years to be a darling and dutiful son that she probably felt deserted. Or maybe she just thought he didn’t need it when he married you. After all, Gussie, no one ever thought that you had to worry about money, and she knew he’d be well taken care of.”
All three women then agreed that, no matter how their financial futures were arranged, or even how apparently secure, inflation had made changes in their lives.
“That’s one of the things different on the island,” Beth told her. “Everybody feels the pinch a little if they live on a fixed income, even if it’s quite a decent one, I suppose. None of us really lives extravagantly.”
“I think Mittie may be a little pressed these days,” Gussie said, “although she’s too proud to admit it. And Dee, of course—it’s crazy, but she always seems to be living on the brink of total poverty in spite of all her big real estate commissions and special discounts.”
“Another change—we all lock our doors,” Beth said. “We never used to. And I even have a big dog. Samson wouldmake a terrible watchdog, but I hope nobody but me knows that. He’s big, anyway, and he barks a lot. I left him at home to guard things now, even though I’m sure I left the door locked, too. I even went back to check when I was halfway down the block. Is
anybody
as forgetful as I am, I
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