Doc's Codicil

CHAPTER 2: THE HEIRS' STORY: ROCKBURG, SEPTEMBER 2013

CHAPTER 2

THE HEIRS’ STORY

Rockburg, September 2013

Julie and the other heirs stood on the street corner outside the bank and looked

up and down Main Street for a place to talk. The town, population 926, wasn’t as

much a town as a hamlet with pretensions, Julie thought. Main Street itself was only

two hundred yards long. Other than the bank behind her, she could see five stores,

four taverns, a barbershop, two feed mills, and a café on Main Street. Several commercial

buildings displayed their 1880s date of construction, molded in concrete and set

in the false front, while the narrow storefronts and small size belied the age of

the remaining stores.

Seth stood in one place, but his hands, fingers, and elbows were in continuous motion.

“We need to talk. This codicil crap. God! If Dad had something to say to us, why

didn’t he just say it? He was never shy before.” He looked at the signs above the

nearby taverns.

“Where can we get a cold drink and go over this?” he asked the others.

Julie looked up and down the street again. “You know, I didn’t appreciate this street

when I lived here. I’ll bet it hasn’t changed in seventy years. There isn’t a parking

lot in town. The storefronts are out of the nineteenth century—all dark brick and

wood-framed glass. It’s like a Hollywood set.”

“It was one for a couple of months,” Jed reminded her.

Julie remembered. She’d been away at college when a Hollywood director used the town

to film a period movie. Letters from Josh had kept her informed. The backdrop for

the climactic scene of the movie was to have been the hand-carved 1882 vintage bar

in Johnny’s Tavern.

The director’s mercurial temperament was ill suited to working with the locals who

didn’t do lunch and whose weekends lasted four hours, from the end of Sunday services

to the start of evening chores. Their outlook on life was unfathomable to the director,

and California-speak indecipherable to them. Alcohol and pharmaceuticals helped the

director cope with the novelty, until the studio pulled the plug and he went into

rehab. His prolonged treatment became the town’s dubious claim to fame. Even girls

on the same floor at Liz Waters, her dormitory at the UW-Madison, had asked Julie

about it the following year.

Wally announced he was more hungry than thirsty and led the group to the Coffee Cup

Café across the street. The dining room was small and narrow, with stools and the

counter on one side and booths on the other. The heirs slid into a booth where Julie

rediscovered how different small-town life was to what she’d grown used to.

Dinner was served at noon, and widowed and bachelor farmers had already taken their

places on stools at the counter. Julie was the sole female patron in the restaurant.

The only waitress, stout, white haired and ancient, took the orders and traded insults

with her regulars before attending to the heirs.

Finished at the counter, she moved to the booth. “I haven’t seen you kids in, gosh,

it must be twenty years.”

Julie was taken aback at being called a kid. She was about to object, when she recognized

the lady as the same waitress who served her when she was in kindergarten. The lady

had looked a lot taller to her then, younger, too, with smooth skin and dark brown

hair.

“The special today is an open-faced beef sandwich, gravy, mashed potatoes, and string

beans, or you can have it with chicken or ham. Coffee, pumpkin pie, and whipped cream

goes with the meal. Who wants to start?”

Seth gulped. “Could I get a garden salad with—”

“This is the noon rush, kid. I don’t have time for special orders. I didn’t take

any guff from your grandpa or your dad—my condolences by the way—and I’m sure as

the daylights not going to take any from you. Beef, chicken, or ham?”

“Ah, start with him,” Seth pointed to Wally.

The waitress pivoted to Wally. “How’s Linda? Haven’t seen her in ages.” She turned

to answer a question from one of the men at the counter, told him to stuff it, and

yelled something to the cook, as her regulars guffawed. The cook nodded, and she

turned back to Wally. “Tell your mother that Gert said hello.”

Wally was speechless for a moment. “How did, ah . . . Mom isn’t well. She—”

“Sorry to hear that. Beef, chicken, or ham?”

“Chicken. Can I split it with Julie?” he asked.

“You look just like your mother, Julie. Your dad talked about you all the time. Coffee?”

“Um, yes.”

The orders were taken, and the food was promptly delivered—bread covered by slabs

of meat crowded mountains of mashed potatoes, all swimming in what seemed like lakes

of gravy. The plates were so full the vegetables had to be served on a side dish.

The waitress talked as she handed out the plates. “Just let me know when you want

the pie. I figure you want to talk about your dad’s will and that stupid codicil,

but this is my rush hour, and I can’t let you tie up the booth.” She nodded toward

the back of the café. “We’ll serve your pie in the back room, first door past the

restroom. Your dad always got a kick out of eating there; it was where old Doc Rohr

did surgery until 1925, or so I was told.” She didn’t wait for an answer.

Seth leaned toward the middle of their table. “Goddamn it! How the hell does she

know about—?”

Julie glanced around the crowded room, put her hand on Seth’s and a finger to her

lips. “Shh. We can talk about it later in the private room.”

As they ate, Jed put into words what Julie thought. “Isn’t it freaky?” he said. “It

seems everyone recognizes us, and I haven’t recognized anyone. I wouldn’t have known

Al if I’d met him on the street.”

The others agreed and hashed it over as they ate. Twenty minutes later, Julie felt

stuffed on her half-portion of dinner. The other heirs sat behind plates that were

cleaner than she suspected any of them had intended. The canned and reheated vegetables

were largely untouched, but the meat and potatoes had disappeared.

Josh looked at Seth. “I thought you weren’t hungry?”

Seth glared at him briefly and suggested they take their meeting to the private room.

The heirs left the booth, the men stretching as they stood. A few groaned softly

as Julie led the group into the back room. The room was modest and the table an old,

nondescript folding table, possibly from a church or school, Julie thought. A window

at the rear of the room looked out over railroad tracks a few feet away. The coffee

and slabs of pumpkin pie slathered with mountains of whipped cream arrived as soon

as they sat down.

“Is there an extra charge for the private room?” Julie asked.

Gert, on her way out of the room, paused at the door. “No. Your dad took care of

that before he died. Paid your bill for lunch, too. He said you kids would be upset

about the codicil and come over here to whine. ‘When they do,’ he said, ‘tell them

to quit bellyaching and start working together.’

“Now, if you kids have what you need, I’ve got customers to serve. You’ve got the

room until closing if you need it.” She closed the door behind her as she left.

Jed was already eating. “This pie is great, and the whipped cream, it’s real. My

god, it’s good.”

Seth gave him a disgusted look. “Isn’t anybody else bothered that we’re the only

ones who don’t know what the hell is going on? The waitress knew about the codicil.

She’s even been paid ahead of time for our meal and this room.”

Julie was chewing thoughtfully on the pie. “Jed’s right. This is the best pumpkin

pie I’ve tasted since Mom died.” She kept her face a mask as she checked Seth’s expression.

His face was red, his brows furrowed, his jaw clenched. Knife inserted, wait . .

. wait . . . twist, she thought. “I wonder if she’d give me the recipe.”

Seth dropped his fork, picked up his napkin, and threw it on the table. “Goddamn

it. Will you guys pay attention? I don’t have time for this s**t. How the hell do

we satisfy terms no sane man can understand?”

Josh and Wally exchanged smirks, irritating Seth even more. “What the hell do you

guys think is so—”

“Seth, take it easy. Think a minute,” Julie said. She toyed with the pie and whipped

cream with her fork. He needs to learn patience. “Dad and Aunt Linda set up an elaborate

game to bring us back home, bring us together, and make a point.”

Seth slouched in his chair. He pushed the dessert plate away and held his cup of

coffee in both hands.

Julie continued. “Since they both loved us, let’s just ride with it, and see what

happens. You can take some time off for $400,000.” She had another bite of pie. “I

earned the first 50,000 for you, so you have nothing to gripe about. None of us have

even opened our envelopes.”

Jed, Seth, and Josh brought out their envelopes and tore them open, as Julie fished

for hers in her purse. She pulled out the letter, opened it and took a moment to

read.

Another riddle, she thought. Jed and Josh scowled at their letters. Seth slammed

his letter on the table. “Aw, Christ. More damned riddles. Mine says, ‘Ideas are

important, but most of them are bullshit.’ What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“You’re the big city detective, Seth,” Josh said. “Quit your bitching, and let’s

put these together. Mine is, ‘Truth doesn’t depend on the profit to be made or the

number of people who believe.’”

“I’ve got, ‘Grow a large garden, but weed like hell, and thin the growth often.’

That sounds like Dad.” Julie giggled. “He didn’t like vegetables, but Mom made him

eat them to set a good example. Remember how he’d take a tiny helping and push it

around his plate?”

“According to mine, ‘Your most important tools are the measures by which you test

truth, and they will always be wrong, sometimes, especially at the extremes.’” Jed

put his letter down, sat back in his chair, and looked at the others. “Did you notice

that each of these fit the recipient? Seth’s used the language Seth uses. Julie,

a plant scientist, was given a clue couched as advice about gardening. Josh’s fit

business and marketing, and mine is true for every lab test I ever developed or used.”

Julie reread her letter and looked at her brothers. “These seem to fit together,

but—I’m not sure how. Let’s sleep on it and compare them again tomorrow.”

The others agreed, though Seth continued to sulk.

Jed and Josh finished their desserts, and Julie saw them eye Seth’s abandoned slice.

They glanced at each other and nodded almost imperceptibly toward Seth. Julie shook

her head and silently mouthed, “No,” at Jed. She’d seen this act before. Over a million

dollars at stake and these guys are angling for a free piece of pie.

Seth slid the untouched slice of pie across the table to them. “Jesus, you guys are

garbage hounds. Don’t you think of anything but your guts?”

Josh intercepted the plate, split the pie, and gave half—well, almost half—to Jed.

Julie guessed that Wally missed the nonverbal communications between the brothers,

as he looked, in turn, confused and thoughtful.

“What are you thinking, Wally?” she asked.

“Remember the attorney’s expressions when we asked questions about the codicil?”

Wally asked. “He was clueless, if I read his face right. Our waitress knew more about

the codicil and what Mom and Doc meant than he did. I say we cultivate the old lady

and see if she can help us figure this out.”

Josh finished his half of Seth’s pie. “Right, and the first thing we need is a copy

of Dad’s book. It’s the key to this puzzle and these letters.” He shrugged and looked

at the others. “So let’s check Dad’s computer. Who has the keys to the house?”

Jed raised a hand. “I do.” He wiped whipped cream from his upper lip and pushed himself

away from the table. “Let’s go.”

Wally didn’t move. “Guys, IT is my job. Every computer I’ve ever seen has a password.

How do we figure out your dad’s?”

Julie looked at her brothers and Wally. All but Seth were looking blankly at each

other. He was looking at the table in front of him. “I know where the list is,” he

said, quietly. “Dad told me where it’d be if I ever needed it.”

“And you’ve been sitting there feeling sorry for yourself? Ugghh.” Julie took a breath

and closed her eyes. I don’t bug him as much as he deserves.

Wally stood and grabbed his jacket. The others followed suit, as though on signal.

Julie was the last to leave the room, right behind Jed and Josh. Josh caught Jed’s

arm at the door. “What the hell’s gotten into Seth? He’s on a hair-trigger today.”

Jed looked ahead to Wally and Seth, who were already leaving the café, before he

turned to Josh and Julie. “He doesn’t want anyone to know, but Martha found a lump.

She’s scheduled for a biopsy next week.”

Fifteen minutes later, they were in Doc’s house, the home that all but Wally were

raised in. It felt strange for Julie to walk into the house without calling out to

her father. She gathered from her brothers’ faces that they felt the same. Concentrate

on the job at hand, she thought. Now isn’t the time for grief. Dad was seventy-one

and tired of living without Mom.

Seth turned on the computer, rummaged through the top drawer of the computer desk,

and extracted a yellow pad.

Julie slid into the chair in front of the keyboard and waited for Seth to decide

if he had the right paper.

“Try ‘25Walter.’ See if that gets us anywhere,” he said.

Julie typed it in. “Wrong password” popped onto the screen.

Seth thought a moment. “Okay, try ‘2stanley.’”

Again, the computer refused the password. “What are you reading?” Julie asked him.

“Dad’s clues. He was too cautious to write his passwords down. He described them.

We’re looking for ‘anniversary of the old fool.’” Seth showed her the pad.

“So, who’s the old fool, and when was his anniversary?” she asked.

Silence.

Josh’s face lit up. “I’m ready for another piece of pie. How about you guys?”

Seth snorted, but for once didn’t gripe. “Let’s wait until after two. The noon rush

will be over, and the old lady might have time to talk.” He groaned and hit himself

on the forehead with the flat of his hand. “Did anybody leave her a tip?”

The heirs walked into the Coffee Cup Café at two fifteen. The only customers in the

place were two gray-haired ladies having coffee. Gert, now wearing a sweater over

her white blouse, was resting in one of the booths, eating a bit of pie.

She smiled wryly. “Back so soon, kids? Was the pie that good?”

Josh, apparently not trusting Seth’s temper, took the lead. “The pie was fantastic,

but we wondered if you’d have time to help us out? Dad’s computer passwords are riddles

about the town and people he knew. We’ve been away too long to know the answers.”

The old lady nodded slowly. “I’ll try to help, but my heart medicine wipes me out

in the afternoon. Your dad was a crafty old geezer.” She sat up and took a sip of

coffee. “What’s the first riddle?”

Julie took the seat opposite her. “We think it’s ‘the old fool’s anniversary. ’”

“Everybody calls me, ‘Gert,’ by the way.” Gert buried her face in her hands and thought.

“There was a couple your parents vacationed with a few times. She was a nice lady,

older than her husband and rich, at least for this area, but not very bright and

too trusting. Suzy, yeah, her name was Suzy. Your dad never forgave her husband for

dumping her for a younger woman, a little gold digger from a farm on the hills south

of town.

“What was that jerk’s name? Anyway, he took half of Suzy’s money, married the little

hussy, and left town.”

Gert stared into space, straining to remember. “Suzy fell for some creep who took

the rest of her money. Left her broke and sick. She crawled into a bottle and died

in a mental hospital five years later.”

Gert massaged her temples, took another sip of coffee, and thought. “Andy, that was

her first husband’s name. Andy’s new wife took him the same way he took Suzy, only

faster. Miserable goddamned jackass, and it served him right. He was back in town

and broke in ten years.” Gert nodded to Julie, “Andy, Andy’s the name you’re looking

for.”

“How does ‘anniversary’ come in?” Julie asked.

Gert pursed her lips and stared at her empty dessert plate for a few seconds before

looking up in triumph. “That’s it. That’s what pissed your mom and dad off so much.

Andy walked out on Suzy on their thirtieth wedding anniversary. Try the number thirty

and ‘Andy’ or ‘Andy’ and ‘thirty’. See if that does it.”

The heirs looked at each other. Seth nodded to Jed and Josh, and the four men started

for the door.

“That sounds like Dad,” Julie said. “Can we give you a tip for your help?”

Gert shook her head, emphatically. “Nah. I always liked your parents. Your mom was

only a year ahead of me in high school. She set me straight about a soldier at the

base who was sweet-talking me, the lying bastard. Your mom and grandma were the only

women in town who didn’t turn their backs on me when I showed up pregnant. Just get

out of here for a while, and let me take my nap. Come back around five, and let me

know if it works.”

Gert put her feet up, leaned back, and closed her eyes without waiting for a response.