Page 73 of Key West Homecoming

“At first, no.” Edmund’s answer came quickly. “I want to be honest about that too. I sat beside your grandmother for eight years and never asked enough questions about what Arthur was doing with the cottage. I trusted her judgment about her own son. But…”

“But you weren’t certain?”

He shook his head.

“You couldn’t have known.”

“I could have looked.”

Emma didn’t answer.

“If I’d insisted on driving past the cottage during one of those trips, I might have seen a car in the driveway that shouldn’t have been there. I might have asked why someone else was living in Gloria’s house. I didn’t push because she didn’t want to push, and so neither of us knew.”

Emma looked at the regret on his face and understood it. She also knew there was no point telling him a second time that it wasn’t his fault. He’d already decided there were things he wished he had done differently, and Emma suspected nothing she said today would change that.

“When did she find out Arthur planned to sell it?”

“She never did, at least she never said so to me.”

Emma looked at him.

“What Gloria knew was her son. She knew that if she did nothing, the cottage would eventually go to him, and she believed he would turn it into money as soon as he could. She didn’t know he was already taking money from it, but she knew what he would do with the house after she was gone.”

“So she changed the will.”

He nodded. “Two years before she died.”

Emma waited.

“She told me what she’d done, and then she asked me for two things. First, she wanted me to keep a letter for you until the time came to give it to you. Second, she asked if she could put my name on a safe deposit box in Miami.”

Emma leaned forward.

“What was in it?”

“The original signed will and a few other things she wanted you to have. Gloria didn’t want any of it somewhere Arthur could get to it.”

“The original will is in Miami?”

“It is.”

“My attorney was able to get a copy. But I still think this original will help us.”

“Rebecca has the key in her dresser. I’ve been in and out of hospitals this past year, and I didn’t trust myself to keep track of it. Tell your attorney about what I’ve told you. Ask her what she needs, and we’ll make sure she gets it.”

Emma felt the first real relief she’d felt since the conversation began.

“She’s going to be very happy to hear that.”

“I’m glad I can finally make someone’s job easier.”

Edmund turned his cup slightly in its saucer.

“Gloria had the will prepared in Miami-Dade. She didn’t want to use anyone in Key West because she was afraid Arthur might hear about it. After it was witnessed and notarized, she made sure a copy connected to the cottage was placed in the Monroe County records. She wanted there to be a trail.”

“That’s what the real estate agent who called me, Samantha Larson, saw in the files. When she found the record during the title search she called me.”

Edmund nodded.