Chapter 56 - Greg’s Reckoning
Greg stood on the back porch with his hands held high, his jacket soaked through with freezing drizzle. He looked ten years older than the arrogant brother-in-law who had smirked as his sons spilled grape juice down the front of Lily's hand-embroidered Easter frock. His jaw was covered in gray stubble, his collar frayed, and his expensive Italian shoes were caked in mud.
"Come in," I said, keeping the knife on the counter within reach. "Keep your hands out of your pockets."
Greg walked into the warm kitchen, shivering violently. He sat on the stool opposite the counter, dropping his head into his palms. "She took the boys, Nora."
"What did you expect?" I asked, pouring no coffee, offering no chair. "You backed her when she forged the lien on my truck. You backed her when she took the silver out of Evelyn's sideboard. You stood on my lawn and laughed while your sons kicked Lily's basket into the dirt."
"I was terrified of her!" Greg choked out, tears cutting clean streaks through the dirt on his cheeks. "You don't know what she did to Walter! You think he had a stroke because of high blood pressure? Nora, she was putting digitalis in his tea for six months before he collapsed! She showed me the vials! She told me if I ever went to the police, she’d tell them I bought them from the mechanic in Torrington!"
The kitchen fell dead quiet. The hum of the refrigerator sounded like an engine roaring in an empty field.
"Did you give her the lockbox keys?" I asked, my voice deadly soft.
"No," Greg sobbed. "Marcus did. Marcus has been out of the country, Nora. He wasn't in Florida. He was in Switzerland, waiting for the statute of limitations on the offshore accounts to expire. He landed at JFK three hours ago. Melissa met him at the terminal with the title deeds."
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"Why did she mention the water rights?" I asked, leaning over him. "What is under this ridge, Greg?"
Greg looked up, his eyes wild with terror. "The state reservoir project. The town council voted last night in executive session to approve the new watershed easement. The land your house sits on is worth eleven million dollars to the Connecticut Water Authority, Nora. And Melissa doesn't want the house. She wants the water."
