Page 67 of Leafpoint Lighthouse

“What are you doing?” Lyle seethed.

“Nothing. Did you forget about the ghosts? This one is rather partial to me,” I replied.

Lyle sneered, and I smiled. “You’re mentally incompetent.”

“If you so say. Now get the hell out of my home!” I ordered.

“Not until you sign.”

“William, would you mind?”

“Pleasure,” William intoned. He materialised semi-transparently in front of Lyle, who merely scoffed.

“Even if he’s real, what can he do?” Lyle laughed.

Moments later Lyle was shrieking as William picked him up by the scruff of his neck and threw him out. The door slammed shut with a finality that couldn’t be mistaken.

“I need to get these papers to Joseph,” I stated urgently.

“It can wait until morning,” William said, becoming solid and rubbing my shoulders.

“No. It can’t. Lyle will be back.” I grabbed my phone and began scanning every paper in the pile Lyle had dropped onto the table. As soon as I emailed them to Joseph, I texted my three cousins to be careful. Lyle might go after one of them next. The sun was rising when I went to bed.

At nine o’clock my phone rang, and it was Joseph. “Tell me you didn’t sign anything?”

“No,” I replied sleepily.

“Thank God. If you had, you’d have lost everything. Those papers authorised Lyle to take command of your share. Lyle was being clever. He can’t challenge The Trust directly; he’s learned that from the past. But you can give Lyle the right to control your finances and so on. That’s what he’d had drawn up. Lyra, you wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.”

“Damn, the man’s ruthless.”

“Yup, and in your name, Lyle could have also made withdrawals from the fortune. In addition, he’d have had instant access to Sonia’s money she bequeathed you. There was also an agreement for you to sell Leafpoint and the land.”

“But that can’t happen!” I exclaimed.

“No. But had you signed that, it would have left you open to multiple charges, including fraud and misrepresentation. They could have sued you for everything. Why chase the land when they can sue the same value of cash out of you?” Joseph asked.

“Can we issue an injunction?”

“Yes, this paperwork is enough evidence. I’ll work on this today. If you’re signing anything, even a cheque, ensure it’s a single piece of paper, and nothing’s hidden underneath,” Joseph warned.

“Lyle will be back, won’t he?”

“Yes. Lyle has always been money crazy. Too wrapped up in what he can’t have instead of being grateful for what he had. Lyra, Leafpoint and the land are safe, as are the two Trusts. You aren’t. Sonia cut her sons off for a reason. Lyle was a vicious, spoiled man.”

“Oh, I saw that, Joseph when he tried to hit me.”

“I need a statement to add to the injunction. Lyra, this isn’t a surprise; my office has been expecting Lyle to raise his head. Now he has; we’ll deal with him. Lyle won’t get away with whatever he has planned,” Joseph declared reassuringly.

“I’m worried and a little scared. Lyle believes I owe him. Joseph, he’s no father to me; hell, I know Uncle Edmund better than him.”

“Yes, Edmund’s a good man. Stubborn like all Jaspers, but decent. Edmund and Simeon were the best of the bunch.”

“Thank you, Joseph,” I said. I ended the call and looked at William. He was furious; it was written all over his face.

“The Jasper line certainly did go bad at one point, thank heaven for you girls,” he said, drawing me into his arms. I leaned my head on his chest and sighed. This was what I wanted for life.

“Mum! That sodding P and Q are messing me up!” Avery hollered from the study. I laughed and grabbed William’s hand as we went to help our son.