Mirror Image

Two

Lacey sat in the breakfast nook listening to her parents. Now that she was in her senior year, they were trusting her with more of the details of their law practice. She knew it was a privilege to be in on private things about their work. She even swore on the old family bible to keep what they talked about quiet.

"The owner of the estate is moving in this weekend. School starts on Monday. They haven't left much time for Zena to adjust to anything. Dr. Henderson is guardian and trustee to her estate, also her father. He hasn't said much about how Stella died." Her mother sounded concerned.

"I've made sure Matt has our contact numbers. From what he's told me things are pretty rocky for them right now. Zena is unhappy about everything." Dad's cheerful attitude had Lacey wondering.

"Is that the haunted house estate?" she asked.

"It was never haunted. Just pretty much in a state of waiting. We've kept it up as part of the inheritance package Mrs. Pettigrew put in place in her will. Your grandfather dealt with that one." Mom told her.

"Stella Henderson never wanted to live here but informed us she would leave it to her daughter. Now the unthinkable happened. Her jet went into the side of a mountain in Colorado. The reasons will be years before we know. The NTSB takes forever to get their reports out to the public."

"That's a pretty amazing inheritance. With all the time I've spent up there doing upkeep on the flower gardens, I swear there's a ghost in that house. I keep hearing weird creaking and other noises whenever I've been inside," Lacey said.

Mom laughed and Dad said, "I'm sure it feels that way. It's an old house. A historical site. One of the first families that settled here centuries ago built the beginnings of it."

Lacey cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher after her parents left for the office. This was her last weekend of freedom before school started. She spent the summer training hard with Terry and the rest of the gymnastics team. She couldn't wait to get back with the cheer squad and work out the new routines for the homecoming football game. There wasn't much time to get ready.

When she wasn't tumbling and dealing with the balance beam, her weakest event, she was up at the estate. The flower gardens were her domain. She showed interest in them when she was twelve and the head gardener took her under his wing when she started her first job the year she turned fourteen. Would her special roses still be there for her? And would Mr. and Mrs. Chiccaro still be taking care of it? It was a big place. Way too big for two people to rattle around in.

Her cell phone buzzed, and she fished it out of her back pocket. Her cut offs were snug, and the fringes tickled her powerful thigh muscles. The heat of the last days of August had her wondering what she would wear to the first day of classes on Monday. It was Terry.

"Hey, what do you want to do today? You told me you've got the day off from practice and work."

"Do you have the car? Cause Mom and Dad took both of theirs. Something about court in Concord and needing to go to the hospital to do a will for someone."

"No, but I have the motorcycle. So, I can get into town."

Terry lived on an acreage with his parents. She loved it out there and spent as much time at their place as he did in hers. It was like having two sets of parents though, and they didn't get away with much.

"Maybe you can stay here overnight then? I caught a break. No gardening this weekend. Someone is moving into the Pettigrew mansion." Lacey knew she was safe saying that much. People were already buzzing about the moving van sitting in the circular driveway.

"I know, three of Dad's goat milk customers told him already. I wonder who it is?" Her best friend sounded curious.

"We'll probably find out at school on Monday. I'll bet Percy will know."

Their aerial team partner often complained his mother always had the latest gossip. He never had a chance to meet a newcomer before she'd already told him what to think about them. Terry and Percy were the ones who threw her into the air so she could do the spectacular spins and somersaults to make the crowds cheer. Lacey knew she could count on their catch no matter how badly she screwed it up.

"What about spending some time at the beach?" Terry asked.

"Yeah, I could do with some time in the sun. I'll bring the sunscreen and towels." She already had her bikini on under her clothes.

"Mom packed me lunch for the day. She's cutting me loose. All my chores are done already, and Dad agrees, we need some time off before school starts."

"See you in half an hour?" Lacey knew exactly how long it would take him to get into town.

"See you then."

She hung up with Terry and ran up to gather her supplies. The beach wasn't on a lake shore, but on the inner curve of the river that ran through the park by city hall. The town had brought in sand and planted a few trees for shade. It was the in place to gather when it got hot during the summer. She could use some time in the water. The current was lazy and the water deep enough to keep you safe if you dove in from the low cliff.