Chapter Two
Marsha didn’t know what she would have done if Jeffrey hadn’t assisted her in all the morbid tasks of her husband’s funeral. Those first two days after the devastating phone call, Marsha felt like she was in a haze of fog. She couldn’t think straight or remember anything. Jeffrey immediately took charge. He went to Malibu to identify the body and then called the mortuary to pick up Craig’s remains. Jeffrey drove Marsha to the funeral home and quietly assisted her in picking out a coffin and making all the arrangements for Craig’s funeral. The Winslows had several family plots in a nice cemetery in Torrance, and it was decided to bury Craig near his parents and baby sister, who’d died at birth.
It was all so incredibly difficult.
“I just don’t understand,” Marsha said as she and Jeffrey got into his car to drive home after making the arrangements. “Why was Craig in Malibu? He said he was going to Monterey.”
Jeffrey glanced over at his sister-in-law, looking unsure as to what to say. He was a handsome man, three years younger than Craig, with dark hair and kind brown eyes. He’d been in real estate since he was twenty and owned his own company. Marsha had always respected Jeffrey’s good business sense and his ability to find the right words in any situation. But right now, he seemed at a loss for words.
“Maybe Craig had said he was visiting the Malibu agency, and you thought he’d said Monterey,” Jeffrey finally offered.
“Then why would he be there overnight when it’s only an hour and a half away from home?” Marsha asked. She was desperate for answers. No one knew why the accident had occurred or why he’d been in Malibu. He’d simply driven off the road into a palm tree in someone’s front yard. Why?
“Maybe he was in Monterey and came home a day early,” Jeffrey said. He looked over at her, and she saw sadness in his eyes. Of course, Jeffrey was sad, too. He’d just lost his only brother and his last remaining family member.
“I’m so sorry,” Marsha said, wiping tears from her eyes. All she did was cry now. She just couldn’t stop. “You’ve lost your brother, and I’m grilling you for answers.”
“Please don’t be sorry. I wish I had the answers you’re looking for,” Jeffrey said, shaking his head. “I don’t know if we’ll ever know why the accident happened.”
Jeffrey pulled into Marsha’s driveway and stopped the car. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay with Kristi and me for a few days?” His face held a pained expression.
“That’s sweet of you both to invite me, but I’d rather be in my own home,” Marsha said, stepping out of the car. She saw Jeffrey’s worried expression and tried giving him a smile. “I’ll be fine. Really. It’ll be more comforting being around my memories of Craig.”
Jeffrey nodded. “Call us if you need anything. Any time of the day or night.”
“I will. Thank you for everything, Jeff. I couldn’t have done all this without you.” She gave him a slight wave and headed to the front door. Jeffrey waited with his headlights on until she was safely locked inside her house.
Locked inside with her memories of Craig.
Marsha walked through the dark house to the bedroom, trying not to see the photos on the hall table or the many items that she and Craig had purchased together through the years. Everything in the house had a memory attached. The painting by a local artist in the living room, the sculpture they’d purchased on their trip to Italy, and even the fine china that had been handed down from Craig’s mother to Marsha. It all was connected to them as a couple, and while she cherished everything she owned, she’d give it all away just to spend one more day with her beloved husband.
Sighing, she switched on the nightstand light in the bedroom and changed into comfortable loungewear. She smiled as she changed, thinking about the first set of satin loungewear she’d purchased instead of wearing old sweats after a long day of work.
“So, we’re moving up in the world, are we?” Craig had teased her. “No more sweats?”
“My satin loungewear is more befitting of this lovely home,” she’d told him haughtily, and then they’d both laughed. She had come from a family that had to scrabble and save just to put clothes on their children’s backs and food in their mouths. She was a sweatshirt kind of gal, but with Craig, she had blossomed into a silk and satin lady.
Walking into the kitchen, Marsha opened the freezer and stared at the contents. She didn’t feel hungry, but she knew she should eat. She selected a package of Lean Cuisine, took it out of the box, and set it in the microwave. Marsha kept a few boxes of the frozen meals in the freezer for the nights when Craig was away. Now, she might have to stack the freezer with them for every night.
She shivered at the thought.
Three minutes later, she sat at the kitchen table with the light turned down low, eating her meal. She’d poured herself a glass of red wine to drink with her diet lasagna. Through the open window, she heard the sound of the ocean hitting the rocks below. It was a lonely sound—a sound she’d have to get used to for the rest of her life.
***
The funeral came quicker than Marsha was ready for, and as she sat in the front pew of the church, staring at her husband’s gleaming oak coffin covered in flowers and greenery, she felt like she was living someone else’s nightmare. She heard the minister’s words and Jeffery’s eulogy, but it sounded distant to her, like she was sitting at the end of a long tunnel. How could Craig be dead? It made no sense. And how could she be sitting here, listening to everyone speak about her husband in the past tense when he was surely going to walk through the door at any minute?
Marsha, Jeffrey, Kristi, and their two children stood at the church door after the service, thanking everyone who’d come. She smiled and nodded, not really listening to what each person said to her. With relief, the family slid into the limousine and rode silently to the cemetery. Again, nothing seemed real. The casket sitting above the open grave, the minister saying ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Marsha tried hard to concentrate but found herself looking out over the cemetery at all the graves and wondering why she was there. Even when Jeffrey placed his arm around her to indicate the graveside service was over and led her away, Marsha felt like this was all a bad dream.
Back at Kristi and Jeffrey’s home, family, friends, and co-workers came to give their condolences and eat. Marsha wasn’t hungry, and the last thing she wanted to do was make small talk with people. Didn’t they know how deep her pain was? Why were they commenting on the beautiful weather or how lovely the service had been? It wasn’t until Walter Carson, the office manager at Craig’s Malibu office, came over to speak to Marsha that she finally was able to focus on a conversation.
“I’m so sorry, Marsha,” Walter said, his wife, Jeanie, slowly nodding next to him. “Craig will certainly be missed by all of us.”
“Thank you, Walter,” Marsha said, staring at him. “Did you speak with Craig that day when he stopped by the office? Do you remember what time that was?”
Walter’s forehead wrinkled as he stared back at Marsha. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t see Craig that day. Did he say he was stopping by the office to visit with us?”
Marsha frowned, confused by Walter’s answer. Why wouldn’t Craig stop by his office in Malibu? After all, Craig owned it.
“Thank you so much for coming, Walter. Craig would be pleased you’re here,” Jeffrey said, coming up beside Marsha.
Walter nodded and gave them both a smile before wandering off with his wife.
“Are you feeling okay?” Jeffrey asked Marsha, turning concerned eyes her way. “Maybe you’d like to sit down. Have you eaten anything?”
“I’m fine,” Marsha said, sighing. “I’ll just be glad when this day is over. It’s too much.”
“I agree,” Jeffrey said quietly. “Why don’t you grab a plate of food and sneak out to the terrace. Hopefully, people will start to leave soon.”
Marsha wandered into the dining room, nodding and smiling at guests, and filled a plate with food that had been catered. It all smelled and looked delicious, but she had no appetite. She took her plate out to the terrace where none of the guests were and sat at the table, thankful for the silence. The view of the ocean from here was gorgeous, and she inhaled the ocean breeze, trying to clear her thoughts.
“Hey,” a female voice said softly. “I brought you a glass of wine.”
Marsha looked up and was relieved to see her dear friend, Kristi, was the one speaking.
“Thank you. I could use it about now,” Marsha said.
“Do you want to be alone?” Kristi asked. Like Marsha, she wore a simple black dress and heels with a gold chain hanging around her neck. Marsha wore her heart pendant necklace and had touched it several times during the service.
“I want to be away from the crowd, but not from you,” Marsha said. She patted the chair beside her. “Join me?”
Kristi sat, setting the glass of wine near Marsha. “It’s been a terrible day.”
Marsha sighed. “The worst! Thank you for not saying how lovely the weather is or what a nice service it was. It’s the worst day of my life. Who cares how nice the weather is?”
“Amen!” Kristi said, sitting back in her chair. “I wish I could say something, anything, that would make you feel better, but I can’t think of one thing. I try putting myself in your shoes, and I realize just how devastated I’d be if I were in your place. I’m so sorry, Marsha. You know how much I love you and loved Craig. It’s all so terrible.”
Tears filled Marsha’s eyes for the first time that day. The sterile service and the minister’s words had not moved her to tears, but Kristi’s had. Because Kristi knew Craig, and how much Marsha had loved him. “Thank you for that. I’ve had to be strong for everyone coming to the service and reception today, but now it’s just us, and I can finally feel something.”
Kristi reached over and hugged her friend, and Marsha clung to her.
“What will I do without him?” Marsha asked, sobbing. “He was my entire life.”
“I don’t know,” Kristi said, also crying. “But I’m here for you, and we’ll take it one step at a time.”
Marsha nodded. Yes. That was all she could do. Take things one day, one step at a time. But for now, she let the tears flow.
***
Marsha got through the next couple of days as best she could. She had busy work to do, filling out forms, changing bank accounts, and taking Craig’s name off of the bills. On Monday, she had an appointment with Craig’s long-time attorney to go over the will and finances. Even though Marsha had once taken care of the business’s finances, since it had grown, they’d handed that over to an accountant. She knew they were well off but wasn’t completely sure of every aspect of their finances.
Jeffrey offered to drive her to the lawyer’s office, but Marsha declined. She knew she had to stop leaning on Kristi and Jeffrey and start taking care of things herself. Dressed in a charcoal suit and white blouse, she drove into Torrance to Richard Everson’s office. Richard had once been a partner in a booming law firm but had semi-retired and only kept his most valued clients. His office was a cute little Spanish style building among a row of other professional offices. Letitia, his assistant, greeted Marsha at the front desk and led her to Richard’s office.
Richard stood and smiled when Marsha entered the office. He was a short, stout, serious-looking man, but Marsha knew he had a kind heart. He shook her hand warmly before offering her a chair in front of his cluttered walnut desk.
“Would you like anything to drink?” Letitia asked Marsha.
“No, thank you. I’m fine,” she responded, and the assistant left the room.
“I am so sorry for your loss,” Richard said as he sat down again. “I know I already said that at the funeral, but Craig will be deeply missed by all. I’ve worked on his legal affairs for decades, but I’ve also known you both as friends.”
“Thank you, Richard,” Marsha said, forcing back the tears that burned in her eyes. “It still doesn’t feel real. I think I’m still in shock.”
“I completely understand. Unfortunately, this is a part of my job that I must do regularly, and it’s always hard when someone passes on.” Richard shuffled papers on his desk and lifted a large folder. “We have a lot to go through. I hope you’re up to it.”
Marsha nodded. Richard put on his half-moon reading glasses and opened the folder. “Your accountant sent over the latest figures for me to go over with you. Since I was named the executor of the will, I was privy to that information.”
“I understand,” Marsha said distractedly. She knew where she and Craig stood on their finances. Their house was paid off, and they owned the three insurance businesses along with her art gallery. She just needed to decide what to do with everything now that Craig was gone.
“Well, I’m afraid things haven’t been going as well with Craig’s business as it once had,” Richard said. “Although selling the offices in Monterey and Malibu helped him keep the Torrance office opened.”
Marsha sat up straighter, wondering if she’d heard right. “Selling the offices? Craig sold his offices in Monterey and Malibu?”
Richard looked up at her. “Yes. He sold the Monterey office three years ago and the Malibu one two years ago. The employees of both offices pooled together to buy each business. I assumed you knew.”
Marsha frowned as her conversation with Walter from the Malibu office came back to her. No wonder he’d looked at her strangely when she’d asked if Craig had visited the office. Why would he if he no longer owned it?
“So, let me get this straight. We only own the Torrance insurance office?” Marsha asked.
“Yes. And the art gallery as well, although you rent that building. And, as you already know, that venture has been running in the red since it opened.”
Once again, Marsha couldn’t comprehend what Richard was saying. “In the red? Our gallery does quite well with sales. Craig never said it was losing money.”
Richard stared over his glasses at Marsha. “I’m sorry. But the paperwork here shows your expenses far exceed your income.” He handed the monthly reports to her to look over. “Didn’t Craig share this information with you?”
Marsha sighed as she glanced at the reports. No, Craig hadn’t said a thing. And she hadn’t asked, either. She had happily handed over her paperwork to the accountant to take care of, and had believed her gallery was doing well.
“No, he didn’t. Craig knew how much I loved owning the gallery. He must have thought we could use it as a write-off.”
Richard nodded. “I’m sorry. The good news is you own the Palos Verdes home and the one insurance business. Maybe you could sell that.”
Marsha nodded. She had no desire to run the office by herself. But how would she earn an income without it if the gallery wasn’t earning money? “I’ll have to think about it.”
“Oh, and there is the Malibu home, although there is a mortgage on it.” Richard looked up at her. “That would be the perfect property to sell. I’m sure it’s gained quite a bit of equity over the decade that you’ve owned it.”
Marsha felt like she’d been hit by a truck. The Malibu house? “What Malibu house?” she finally asked.
Richard’s brows shot up. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you knew about that, too. Craig bought the house up on the hillside overlooking the ocean about eight years ago. He said it was a great fixer-upper that would gain equity quickly. I had no idea you didn’t know about it.”
“It seems there’s a lot I don’t know about,” Marsha said tightly.
“Well, yes. I’m sorry. But your name is also on the title, so you’ll be able to sell it easily if you decide to do so. Here.” He handed her a folder with the title and a spare set of keys. “Craig wanted me to have a set of keys in case something happened to him.”
Marsha stared at the manila folder in her hands. This was unbelievable. Craig owned a house that he’d never told her about. “Are there any more surprises?” Marsha asked.
Richard glanced over the paperwork. “That seems to cover it. Everything was left to you in the will, with the exception of a few personal items he wanted his brother, Jeffery, to have. Let me see.” Richard rifled through the sheets. “Ah, yes. The watch that had belonged to their father as well as their grandfather’s pocket watch. He wanted those given to his brother.”
“Of course,” Marsha said.
Richard took off his glasses and looked at Marsha kindly. “I’m so sorry all this has come as a surprise to you. Craig loved you very much. It makes no sense that he kept secrets.”
“But he did,” Marsha said sharply, then regretted it. After all, Craig may have had good reasons for not telling her about selling the businesses or buying the house. “I guess we’ll never know now.”
“Well, the Malibu house just might be a blessing. With rising property values in those neighborhoods and all the homes lost from the Palisades fires this year, you might make a nice profit selling that house. Or renting it if you choose to keep it. I’d suggest going to see it as soon as possible to decide the best course of action,” Richard said.
“I will,” Marsha told him, standing up.
Richard stood, too, and handed Marsha the thick folder. “The mortuary sent over several copies of Craig’s death certificate for you. If you need any legal advice at all, please call me.”
“I will,” Marsha said, forcing a smile. They said goodbye, and she walked outside into the sunshine and slipped into her car. Marsha sat there for a long while, staring at the folder in the seat beside her. Why had Craig kept so many secrets from her? Why not tell her he wanted to sell the businesses or that he wanted to buy a second house as an investment? She’d always thought their relationship was open and honest. Now, she was confused.
What else was she going to find out now that her husband was gone?