“Oh, Gil.” She didn’t sound frustrated anymore. “I love you too.”
“Second, I need to know if there was anything about Patricia that worried you that you didn’t share with us. I know it’s been a long time ago, Mom, and I promise I’ll explain this later.”
“Define worry.”
Gil blew out a breath. His mom loved words, literature, and stories, and she had a vocabulary to rival the dictionary. She insisted that choosing the correct word mattered. He didn’t have time to get into the finer points of worry versus anxiety versus concern. “Mom, was there anything about Patricia that would make you think that if she had a shot at millions of dollars, it would be enough to tempt her to hurt Ivy?”
Her gasp was no surprise. He’d been blunt, and he’d done it on purpose.
“Anyone could be tempted by millions.” Also no surprise. His mom could see all sides to any situation. “But I’m sorry to say that I believe Patricia would be particularly susceptible.”
Thatwasa surprise.
“Don’t misunderstand me. Patricia loved Ivy in her own way, but not in a selfless way. She was always scheming how to make some cash, and if it meant Ivy had to be left alone or, say, with us, Patricia was fine with that. She cared more about getting more than she did about Ivy.”
“Can you elaborate?”
“I don’t like this, Gil. I’ve always been honest with you about Patricia, but this feels like gossip and slander.”
“Mom, I respect that about you. Always have. But that’s not what this is. I’m not asking you to bad-mouth Patricia. I’m asking you to tell me everything you can because I need to know for an investigation. It’s important, or I wouldn’t ask.”
She blew out a long sigh, then asked, “How much do you remember about Ivy’s situation when you were kids?”
“That she spent the night with us a lot when Patricia worked. And sometimes you sent home food.”
“I’ve been thinking about all this since Emily called and told me everything she learned last weekend. The more I ponder it, I wonder if I handled it correctly.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t think you realize how difficult their situation was when we met them. They had nothing. At the time, we believed Patricia was doing everything she could, but it was never enough. We helped financially, with food, and of course by taking care of Ivy. We were very invested in their success, so as you can imagine, your dad and I weren’t happy about the move to Oregon. I lost sleep worrying about Ivy and how long it would take before Patricia fell in love with some wretch who wanted her to work while he partied and drank all her money.”
“She did that?”
“Several times when y’all were little. To her credit, she kept thosemen away from Ivy, but she and I had words more than once over her relationship choices. She loved Ivy, but not enough to make better choices in men. At least not until Wade Collins showed up. I didn’t believe he was as good as she claimed, but he won me over at the wedding.”
“I didn’t know you went to their wedding.”
“That’s because I never told you. We could barely afford for me to go alone. There was no way we could afford for you and Emily to join me, but I wanted to see for myself that everything was okay. I was thrilled to see how happy they seemed. Wade was a good provider, and it was obvious he doted on Patricia and Ivy. And they returned the affection. At least Ivy did.”
“Patricia didn’t?”
“I have no proof, but in my opinion, what she felt for Wade wasn’t love. She liked him. She liked having a roof over her head, money in the bank, enough to eat, and more. She was willing to be the doting wife if she got that, plus someone to help with Ivy, in the mix. I know the sun rises and sets with Ivy for you, sweetheart, but Ivy was a challenging child.”
“She was not.”
His mom’s chuckle floated through the speaker. “She was wonderful. But precocious. So smart that at five years old she thought she knew better than any adult. Her mind is fascinating. Oh, I cannot wait to talk to her again.”
Gil could see where this was going. He kept his voice gentle but serious. “Focus, Mom.”
She let out a small huff but didn’t argue. “Right. As Ivy got older, her abilities, her memory, her intelligence required a great deal of activity and stimulation to keep her occupied. Ivy was a reader, just like you and Emily, but when she finished a book, she wanted to build replicas of the castles or weapons or airplanes thathad been in the story. She could be quite persistent, and she nearly drove Patricia nuts. Wade, with his engineering background, was a perfect fit for Ivy’s ever-increasing need for mental challenges.”
“So you think she married him so her life would be easier on every level.”
“It’s harsh, but yes. I do. And if I’d had any doubt, the way she handled him losing his arm only confirmed it. I’m afraid from all I knew of the situation, Patricia didn’t give Wade any of the love and support that a devoted spouse would give. I always suspected that the only reason she stayed with him was because she anticipated a big settlement to come from it.”
Gil forced himself not to interrupt. Was it possible that more people knew about the money than Ivy realized?
“Of course, the settlement, whatever it was, was never disclosed. And even during her trial, the details weren’t mentioned. I assumed it wasn’t that much money. If she’d had access to millions, there’s no way she would have left him. Or gone on the crime spree she went on with Ivy that summer. She would have become the perfect doting wife if it meant she had that kind of cash.”
