| For Love Or Money | ✔︎

Chapter Ten

Nancy quickly ran back outside. She was going to head for the rose garden, but stopped short just outside the door.

Nila was kneeling on the path, both hands grasping her head. Frightened sobs racked her body. Alongside her on the path were the shattered remnants of a brick. When Nancy looked up, she saw a gap in the masonry of a parapet surrounding the roof, three stories above. That had to be where the brick had fallen from.

The rear door of the house opened, and Karen and Philip ran outside to see what had happened. When they saw Nila on her knees, they stopped short, unsure how to react. Nancy noticed that neither of them offered to help.

Eleanor ran out behind her neice and nephew, followed by Bess, who went straight to Nancy's side. Above them, a second story window flew open, and a frightened and concerned Cecilia leaned out.

Nancy went to Nila and knelt beside her. "Are you all right ?" Nancy asked, helping her to her feet.

"Yes, I ---- I think so," Nila stammered. "That brick ---- it came out of nowhere ! I was just so ---- so stunned. It couldn't have missed me by more than a foot !"

"And it's a good thing it did," Nancy said soberly, kicking the remnants of the brick around with her toe. "If it had hit you, it could have killed you."

"We really ought to have Father hire a mason to check that brickwork," Karen said to Philip as they stood there, looking up toward the balcony around the roof. "Ever since he got sick, the house has been falling apart."

Nancy was shocked by their insensitivity. But was their blatant indifference evidence of something more sinister ? Bess's voice interrupted Nancy's thoughts.

"Here, let me help you inside," Bess offered, slipping a supporting arm around Nila and guiding her past Karen and Philip. They and Eleanor followed Bess and Nila inside.

Cecilia stared down at Nancy from the open window. "Why do you keep coming around here ?" She asked bluntly. "Haven't you caused enough trouble already ?" Without waiting for Nancy to answer, Cecilia drew back inside and lowered the window.

Left alone, Nancy stared up at the window and the roof above it. All at once the bushes behind her parted. Out stepped Jack, holding a length of rope in one hand and a golf club in the other. He held his eyes locked in a steely stare as he slowly approached her.

Nancy stumbled backwards, startled. Jack stopped and lowered his hands. Then, suddenly, a trace of a smile played on his lips. "Did you think I was going to kill you ?" He asked.

"It crossed my mind, to be honest," Nancy admitted.

"You've certainly given me a motive, for all the trouble you've caused between Karen and me."

"You're the one who caused the trouble, Jack," Nancy said, holding her ground. "I didn't gamble away Karen's money. And it hadn't been my intention to tell her, but she asked me point-blank what I'd learned about you. Should I have kept the truth from her ?"

"Her own brother didn't seem to have a problem with it," Jack growled.

"I'm not Philip," Nancy countered.

"No kidding," Jack said. Then he sighed, and his broad shoulders sagged. "I know," he said. "You're right. I'm not a perfect person, okay ? But I do love Karen. I just wanted the restaurant to be a big success. I thought if I could make one big win, I could expand, open some new outlets, really make a splash. I can't help if it things didn't pan out. I was unlucky."

Nancy shook her head. "A lot of times, we make our own luck, Jack," she said. "And you were playing a loser's game."

He gritted his teeth, blinking hard. "I suppose you're going to tell Karen it's my fault that the old man's cutting us out of his will, too," he said under his breath.