“My savior once told me he hadn’t been the first, and he had no plans on being the last. It’s a legacy that has been passed from one person to the next, along with the property. When he died, he left me that property and there are secrets left to be explored. I know that I’ve never found them all, but the ones I did find would make your eyes cross.”
His face softened as he stared into the screen for a moment. “Whoever is watching this, whoever went to my funeral, you have the same kind heart for just showing up to the funeral of a recluse, and I thank you. It’s with that said that I’ve chosen you, whoever you might be, to carry on my tradition of paying it forward. To all of you, I leave my estate and everything that comes with it on my property.
“There’s only one catch. One small request. I ask you try for one year, and if you decide you don’t want to take part in this time-honored tradition, then sell the estate to someone else who can appreciate it.”
He looked off camera again.
“Don’t forget Ringwald, sir,” a male said off-screen.
“Right.” The old man grinned. “My dog, Ringwald, goes with the farm. He was my best friend and the best guard dog money could buy. I’ve already provided for someone to come watch after him. But he’s bound to be a bit sad with my passing.”
“This guy can’t be serious?” Ryley whispered.
“I can assure you, young lady, that I am very serious,” Harlon Wilson said as he appeared in the seat beside her. “Please keep watching. You’re going to miss the best part.”
Ryley turned her attention back to the screen. “I’ve left you help who knows all the intricate details of how I did things and how I kept my identity anonymous as I paid it forward. You can’t imagine what types of scum come out of the woodwork when they think you’ve got a pot to piss in.”
“Sir,” the man off-camera said again.
“Right.” Harlon cleared his throat. “I’ve left helpful guidelines. It’s simple. Enjoy life as I did.”
“Sir, you’re forgetting the rest.”
“Thank you, Oscar,” Harlon said. Color crept up his cheeks. “There is one last thing. Be kind to my neighbors and the people I’ve helped. They’re more than what they seem.”
“Way to tug the heartstrings, Wilson,” she whispered to the ghost seated next to her.
“I’ll leave you with these parting words of thanks for being a decent, kind, human being, and respecting an old man’s dying wish.”
“You seemed like a good man.” Ryley turned her gaze to his.
“Just try it. See what I left behind, and if you aren’t interested, then walk away. No harm, no foul.”
“And you’ll leave?” Ryley asked.
Harlon held up his fingers. “You have my word. All I ask is that you try,” he said. “Please.”
“What’s stopping me from just selling your things sight unseen? Tell me you have provisions in your will to prevent that. You don’t seem naïve.” Ryley pointed to the door. “You know that’s what your cousin would have done. He seemed like the kind of guy that would have spent it on getting drunk and on hookers.”
“I was fortunate he was too drunk to show up.” Wilson grinned as if he’d had a hand in making that happen. “Besides, I’ve left you a helper. You simply have to decide how to carry on—the rest will be handled.”
Nothing in Ryley’s life was ever that simple.
There was a knock on the door. Jane poked her head inside. “All done?”
“Yeah, I’m done,” Ryley answered.
Jane stepped into the room. A man around Ryley’s age dressed in a tailored suit followed Jane inside. He reminded Ryley of her brother.
“Ms. St. James, I’d like you to meet Oscar Rothchild.”
“You were the guy off-camera?” Ryley asked.
“Yes,” he answered with a curt nod.
“Oscar is the person who will help you get situated on the property and handle everything you need. He’s helped Wilson for the last seven years.”
Ryley turned her gaze to the guy and crossed her arms over her chest. “Why weren’t you at the funeral?”
Crimson spread on his cheeks.
“Oscar had other priorities to attend to. Duties that Mr. Wilson asked him to handle.”
“You were getting the cousin drunk, weren’t you?” Ryley asked with a grin.
“I’m not at liberty to say.” Oscar’s lips twitched.
“So,” Jane clasped her hands together. “Are you ready to sign on the dotted line? All that’s left is handing over the keys and going over the list of assets, land, and bank accounts.”
“Yes, I mean, no. I haven’t decided. This is a big undertaking and sounds time-consuming. I’d like to think about it.”
“Come again?” Oscar asked as confusion riddled his face. “You met the cousin. If you don’t take what Harlon left you, then that despicable cousin will gladly rip it apart and sell it, or worse, leave it to rot. You’ll be personally responsible for destroying a hundred-year-old legacy. If you don’t want the responsibility, just sign the paperwork, and I’ll deal with all of it for you.”
“You’re pretty passionate about the place.”
“You would be too if you’d only take a drive out there with me.”
Ryley glanced at her watch, “No time today, maybe another day. If you’ll excuse me, I have a prior engagement. I’ll call you tomorrow afternoon before I get to work to see if we can ride out to the place unless my answer is no, if that’s okay.”
“Certainly,” Jane said, sharing a confused look with Oscar.
Ryley stepped around them and headed out of the building and to her car. Oscar ran after her as she was unlocking the door. “What is there to think about?”
Ryley sighed and rested her arm on the door frame. “You seem like a decent guy, Oscar. Harlon obviously thought so, I could read it on his face when
