Chapter 12: The 28th

The lawyer's letter arrived at six that evening by courier.

Eleanor read it standing in the front hall, and then she handed it to me.

It said the undersigned represented the family of the late Senator Alden Fitzhugh.

It said I had exercised "undue influence" over a widow in a state of grief.

It said that if I did not cease all contact with her within seven days, they would seek a court order.

"Seven days," I said.

"Friday is in four."

"They want you to sign before I'm gone." I set it down on the hall table. "They want us scared enough to hurry."

"Are you scared?"

"Yes. And I'm going to work anyway."

We went into the study.

Eleanor turned on the green lamp and pulled the last banker's box off the floor, the one we hadn't opened.

It was heavier than the others.

Inside, rubber-banded in bundles by year, were hundreds of single sheets of cream paper.

"Alden kept copies of every document he signed," Eleanor said. "Even the dull ones."

I pulled out the first bundle and read the top page.

PROMISSORY NOTE.

Borrower: Fitzhugh Lumber Company.

Lender: Fitzhugh Lumber Employees' Retirement Plan.

Amount: $98,000.

Date: July 28, eleven years ago.

Signed: Alden Fitzhugh, Trustee.

"Is this one of the loans?" Eleanor asked.

"It's one of them." I took out the next page. "Look at this."

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