The Legacy (2 page)

 

After dropping Grandpa Tanaka off at home, Andy drove to Leigh's house. Leigh had walked to his home earlier, but now that it was dark, he insisted on taking her back. His thoughtfulness was one of the things she liked about him.

Leigh always enjoyed her time with the Tanakas and hated to see the day end, but now she had to go back to her own home, as dysfunctional as it might be. She took a deep breath. Hopefully her stepfather would have gone to bed. He had been drinking heavily during dinner, and she suspected he had continued long after she had left for the Tanaka's home. She didn't need any unpleasantness.

The closer they got to her house, the tighter her chest felt. One never knew about Frank's mood. He had been quiet at dinnertime, but if he had continued to drink…

The house was dark. Hopefully, both her parents had gone to bed. Life was much simpler when she didn't have to talk to either of them. Mom was always so distracted, so focused on her career. And Dad was ... unpredictable. Sometimes he was morose, bemoaning the cards he had been dealt. The unfairness, the sadness, the impossible odds he faced. And other times he would lash out, finding fault with everyone and everything. Leigh didn't blame her mother for immersing herself in work. But that often left Leigh alone with—

“It's about time you got home. Did you forget where you lived? Or were you practicing shacking up with that Jap kid?”

Oh no. He was awake, drunk, and mean. Not a good combination. She held on to the door handle, thankful she hadn't come all the way in. Though Frank had never hurt her, she didn't want to find out what he was capable of.

“Where's Mom?”

“Took off on another business trip. I'll bet that 'business' includes some young dude with a fancy suit and an expense account.”

Time to go. “I'll be right back, Dad.”

Quickly, she scrambled out the door and tore across the lawn, around the thick hedges separating their yard from the neighbor's. She heard her stepfather calling her from the front door. Thank goodness for the darkness. She ran along the hedge toward the neighbor's backyard.

From past experience, she knew there was an opening in the back hedge through which she could squeeze into another backyard and over to the next street. From there, she could walk over to Main Street, and then to the Shadyside Motel. Hopefully Jenna would be working the desk tonight.

She needed to get her own place. Now that she was out of school and working, she could afford it. But she had wanted to pay off her student loans. And Frank had asked her to stay. He needed help around the house, he had told her, especially since his wife was getting busier at work. Until recently he had been pleasant, especially when he was sober. And she'd wanted to help out. But she didn't want to live in fear.

She stepped into the motel office to find Jenna sprawled in a padded chair, snoring. A tiny black and white television was tuned to the local nightly news.

“Jenna, wake up.”

The snoring stopped, and Jenna's eyes blinked. A mop of shaggy, strawberry blonde hair shook as she woke up and tried to focus on her.

“Leigh, it's you! Did you get bored and come to keep me company?”

Leigh instantly felt guilty. She and Jenna had been good friends in high school, but after graduation they had gone in different directions. Jenna had married, and had two children in two years. Now divorced and living with her mother, she worked the third shift at the motel to make ends meet. The arrangement allowed her to be at home with her children during the day, when her mother worked.

“I guess I can stay and talk a while, Jenna,” she told her friend. “But I'm going to need a room for the night.”

Jenna frowned. “Again? Leigh, you've got to get out of there. One of these days your dad is going to force himself on you. You won't be able to get away. And it won't be pretty.”

Jenna was the only person who knew about her father's problem with alcohol and had first-hand knowledge of the way Frank took his troubles out on Leigh.

“I'm working on it, Jenna. It's just that Mom—”

“—will be able to take care of herself,” her friend insisted. “She's always gone, anyway. There are a couple of apartments open where Mom and the kids and I live. They're affordable, too. It'll be fun, Leigh. Why don't you check it out? Tomorrow.”

“I will, I promise.” She handed Jenna her credit card. “Here.”

“You want just the basic room, right?”

“Yeah, I just need a bed and four walls.”

Jenna rang up the charge and waited as Leigh signed the sales slip. She handed Leigh a card key. “Room 104. Right next door. So how are you going to get to work tomorrow?”

“I'll get up early and walk home. Dad should be sleeping by then, so I can change and go to work.”

“Grab a suitcase and a bunch of extra clothes. I don't think you should stay there anymore. I'd invite you to stay with us, but…”

“Oh, Jenna, I couldn't stay with you. I love your mom and the kids, but you've barely got enough room for the four of you. I'll find my own place. Tomorrow.”

She started for the door but turned back to her friend. “Thanks for everything, Jenna.”

Jenna shrugged casually. “Anytime.”

Leigh found her way to her room. This was her third stay at the motel this month. At this rate, she should qualify for a “frequent renter” discount. She set the alarm on her phone, made sure it was turned on, and flopped down on the bed.

It had been a long day. It wouldn't take long to fall asleep. She would need to get up early to walk home. She would be wrinkled and rumpled, having no clothes to change into, and no brush for her hair, no makeup, or anything. But she would get through this. She would.

She was in that zone where reality was getting fuzzy when she heard the commotion on the other side of the wall.

“Where is my daughter?”

“Hello, Mr. Becker. What can I do for you?”

“Don't give me that garbage. Where is Leigh? She couldn't have gone much farther than this.” Frank was louder than he had been at the house. Not a good sign. Leigh grabbed her cell phone, ready to call the police.

“She must have found someplace else to go. I haven't seen her.” Leigh was amazed at Jenna's calm tone of voice.

“You're just protecting her. Let me see your records. I'll find her.”

“I can't let you do that, Mr. Becker.”

“Sure you can. I have a right to know where my daughter is.”

“Leigh is a legal adult. She can go where she wants. You'd better leave, before I call the police.”

With shaking hands, Leigh managed to dial 9-1-1. Her friend was tough, but her father was larger, and the alcohol made him meaner. The dispatcher listened sympathetically to her description of the scene and assured her help was on the way.

The conversation was getting louder, but Jenna held her own. When had she gotten so tough? Had motherhood done that to her?

“No, Mr. Becker, you're not coming back here to look at my computer records. This is company property.”

“I don't give a hoot about company property. You're hiding my daughter, and I'm going to find her if I have to knock on every door in this flea-bitten hotel.”

“If you start doing that, I'll definitely have to call the police.”

“I have the right to find my daughter.”

“And the people here have the right to a decent night's sleep without someone banging on their door.”

“You always were a mouthy little kid. I'm just gonna go look for that girl of mine.”

“Is there a problem here?”

Leigh sighed in relief for her friend. The police had gotten here fast. She sat on the bed, frozen in place, and listened to Jenna's explanation to the officer, her father's loud protests, and the policeman escorting him out to the squad car. Good. If they kept him overnight, she wouldn't have any trouble in the morning when she went home to change and get her car for work.

She lay back and allowed the comforting blackness to overtake her.

* * * *

The alarm on Leigh's cell phone chirped in her ear long before she was ready to wake up. Groggily, she turned it off and got up. She had a chilly walk home, and it would take her a good half hour. Better get going. She grabbed her purse, checked quickly to make sure she had everything she came with, and went back through the lobby. Jenna was just finishing her shift.

“Hey, Leigh,” her friend greeted her. “I was about ready to wake you. I've got a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?”

Jenna held out a set of keys. “I had the police leave your dad's car and his keys here, since they took him away. I told them I knew his family and would have one of them come by to pick up his car, so they gave them to me. Now you won't have to walk all the way home.”

“Thanks, Jenna. For—everything. I heard you last night. I don't know how you managed to keep your cool.”

Jenna shrugged. “It was nothing. I pushed the security button as soon as I saw his car pull up. They sent someone right away.”

“So that's how they got here so quickly! The dispatcher didn't sound surprised when I asked her to send someone here.”

“Yeah, well, it's not the first time.”

Leigh stilled. “You've had to call them before?”

“Yeah. He came here looking for you last time, too.”

“Oh Jenna, I'm so sorry.”

“Hey, it's my job. You just make sure you take care of yourself. Pack a bag while you're at home and look for your own place. If not at my complex, then someplace else. You've gotta get out of there.”

“I know. I'll do that. Thanks.”

She took her father's car home, parked it in its spot in the garage, and went inside to get ready for work. Heeding her friend's advice, she packed a suitcase and grabbed a laundry basket to fill with her favorite personal items. It was going to be a long day.

* * * *

Andy perched on the seat of his bench press, catching his breath after his morning workout. Something wasn't right with Leigh. He couldn't pinpoint the problem, but her entire demeanor had changed during the drive back to her parents' house last night.

More than once he'd opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, but the words just wouldn't come out. It had always been like that. Ever since the first day of kindergarten when the teacher asked him what his name was, his vocal chords seemed frozen. The teacher had asked again and Leigh said, “This is my friend, Andy.” From then on he let Leigh do a lot of his talking. But he couldn't expect her to read his mind. And she was on his mind a lot.

Leigh had always been strong. She'd worked hard and excelled at everything she did—academics, sports, music, and theater. She was always the best. Maybe it was because she was an only child, and her successful parents expected it.

And now he wanted to be there for her. But what could she possibly see in him? He was a wimp, a numbers cruncher, a nerd. He was a loner, working out in his personal gym rather than participating in team sports.

He and Leigh had always been friends. Best friends looked out for each other. But now his caring was starting to move beyond simple friendship.

Was it possible they could become more than friends?

 

Leigh dragged herself into the newspaper building, already exhausted. Her car was loaded with her suitcase and several boxes and bags of her belongings. She hadn't packed everything, because she wasn't sure when the police would release her dad. She didn't intend to be there when he got home. Plus, she didn't want to be late for work.

She would worry about missing items later. Right now, she needed to concentrate on her job. Copy editing required focus and a clear head.

But clearing her head was a daunting task. Early in the morning she had called her mother's cell phone, but Kirsten hadn't picked up. She left a voice mail message, but it had gone unanswered. Where was she?

It was midmorning when she noticed it. People walking by offered sympathetic looks, a pat on the shoulder, even an extra cup of coffee. It took a while to figure out why.

Suzy Kramer, the crime beat reporter, came to see her. Suzy had gone to high school with Leigh's mother and was the biggest gossip on the staff. Suzy settled herself into a chair next to Leigh's desk and leaned toward her.

“Leigh, dear, I just spoke to the police chief. You know I have to publish all the department's arrests. Well, I saw that your father was—in residence there at the station. I just wanted you to know that we're all here for you, if you need anything.”

Leigh fought back a wave of nausea. Of course. She had forgotten the paper published everything the police did. It was one of the disadvantages of living in a smaller town. Apparently, the first time Jenna had called the police on her dad, they had just warned him and escorted him home. But this time, they'd taken him in. There would have been a written police report.

She nodded her thanks to Suzy. Inwardly, she wondered if Jenna was going to press charges. He did threaten her. But she didn't think he would have actually hurt her. He had never hurt her or her mother.

Not yet.

The day loomed even longer ahead of her.

* * * *

Andy sat at his desk at Tanaka Farms, his elbows propped on the desktop, his head resting in his hands. He hadn't been able to make sense of the numbers in front of him. His mind kept going back to yesterday's discovery. The entire family had grown up with stories of their illustrious ancestor, the fierce samurai warrior and founder of the original Tanaka Farms. Now, they had a tangible, direct connection with him.

But something niggled at Andy's mind. After his initial excitement, his grandfather had grown silent. It was as if something had deflated his enthusiasm. His grandfather had always been a happy man. He'd have to find out what the problem was.

“Problem, Andy?”

Andy turned to greet his father. James Tanaka was a nationally known horticulturist and often appeared on television newscasts as an authority on flowers. With his white lab coat over his tall, muscular stature and his wavy, graying locks, he was the perfect spokesman for the trade. He had his share of adoration from women admirers, but his heart belonged to his high school sweetheart, Lily.

“Sorry, Dad. Just worried.”

“Anything I can help with?”

Andy shrugged. Even with his family, he spoke as little as possible.

James turned to go, but Andy had a question for him.

“Dad, did you and Mr. Becker have an argument?”

James was usually an outgoing, open man, but now his face closed. “Why do you ask? Did he say something?”

“No. But you don't see him any more. Leigh says he just mopes around the house all day.”

James weighed his words. “Sometimes old friends drift apart. Often, there's no real reason. You get busy, and gradually the things you used to do all the time don't get done. That's life.” He shrugged, and walked off.

Andy stared at his father's retreating figure. He hadn't answered the question. It wasn't like him to be so evasive. James was one of the most open and direct people Andy knew.

He worried about Leigh, too. He couldn't forget the way she had taken a deep breath before opening the car door. It was like she'd had to talk herself into going inside her home. Something was up. He'd better check it out this evening.