“As it should be.” Felix pulled at his jacket. “She already said she didn’t know Harlon.”
“Yes, well. I’ll make this short and sweet.” She opened a file sitting on the table and read. “This is the last will and testament of Harlon Wilson,” Jane continued reading.
Ryley sat back in her chair. She’d done this to herself. She’d shown up when she could have just ignored the invite. Ryley still didn’t understand why she was there.
“There are two categories of beneficiaries. Those who didn’t show up to the funeral, and those who did. Those who didn’t have been bequeathed a total of ten dollars. He believed that to be a fair and equitable exchange for the lack of decency you showed him while being placed in his last resting place.” Jane looked at Felix with a wicked grin. “He also suggested you use the money to buy alcohol and think about how you can be a better person. Not that you have to use his guideline, but he wanted me to add it.”
Ryley’s brows dipped as she glanced from Jane to Felix’s pinched face, turning an angry shade of red. “That son of a bitch.” He growled. “He’s lost his damn mind.”
“Actually, he knew someone would argue, so he’d prepared for that too. They tested Harlon and found him to be of sound mind and body. A federal judge attested to those facts and acted as the witness. You’ll be hard-pressed to win any court battle. Your blatant disrespect in not attending the funeral was your own undoing.”
Felix’s face was turning purple.
Ryley leaned in. “Just breathe.”
He spun on her and narrowed his eyes before shoving out of his chair. “You’ll be hearing from my lawyer.”
“I look forward to fighting you in court, Felix. Let me show you to the door.”
Felix Wilson slammed his fists on the table and burst out of his chair, knocking it against the bookshelf behind him. He yanked the door open, letting it bounce off the wall as he left.
“You didn’t have to piss him off. If he’d just waited long enough, he would have realized that he’ll get everything after I turn it down,” Ryley said.
“If that’s your desire, then yes,” Jane said. “But first, I have a video left by Mr. Wilson. You should watch it before you decide.”
Jane took a DVD out of the file and moved across the room. She handed Ryley the remote and gestured to a green button. “Just hit Play. I’ll be back when it’s over.”
“You know what it says?” Ryley asked.
She nodded. “It’s best you hear it from him.”
Jane quietly closed the door, and Ryley hit Play.
Chapter 18
The snow on the screen faded and Harlon Wilson’s face came into focus. The living version of the same spirit that had visited Ryley that morning. Wrinkles filled his sun-kissed face. He looked like he’d enjoyed the outdoors. He wasn’t wearing a suit or anything pretentious, but a pair of jeans that had seen better days and a collared shirt with a little stain near the third button. The bookshelf behind him was filled with what looked like law books.
Harlon looked like an average older man she’d see in the diner occasionally. Kind, if not a bit crazy for whatever stunts he was trying to pull off after his demise. Ryley didn’t even know what had caused his death.
“Is this thing on?” The voice filled the screen, making Ryley smile. He sounded like he could have been someone’s grandfather. It was a shame no one was missing him.
“Yes, Mr. Wilson. It’s recording.” Ryley recognized Jane’s voice somewhere in the background.
Harlon sat up straighter, with his wrinkled hands clasped resting on the table. “I don’t suppose there are more than a handful of people that showed up to my funeral, and I’m okay with that. I spent much of my life as a recluse, and for good reason. It was such a small price to pay for my happiness.”
Harlon’s gaze drifted off-camera, and he smiled before facing the lens again. “If you’re watching this video, you attended my funeral, and first, I’d like to thank you for taking the time out of your day to say farewell to this old man.”
Ryley’s heart ached for the guy. What if no one had shown at all? It just pushed home Ryley’s resolve that she’d been doing the right thing all along. Dead people, even in spirit, needed to be acknowledged in death.
“I won’t bore you with all the details about my life, just a tad bit that even my relatives don’t know. There was a time in my life where I was down on my luck. If you know me now, then you probably won’t believe it, but I used to be homeless, not sure where my next meal would come from and then one day, a kind soul dressed in sun-faded jeans and a shirt that was missing a button gave me twenty dollars when I was bussing a table at a restaurant. It was the only gig I could get at the time that wasn’t afraid to hire teens under the table.
“That act of kindness changed my life. The next day the man showed up with a proposition. I work for him at the farm, and in return, he’d give me food, shelter, and friendship. I didn’t have much choice in my situation. It all sounded too good to be true, as if someone had sent an angel from up above at the exact time when I was ready to give up. I agreed, and I’m damn sure glad I did.”
Harlon paused and took a sip of his water as if he was trying to fight off tears forming in his eyes.
“I got on my feet. Was given a job and I worked hard to learn
