Chapter 10: Dinner Out

Dinner was at a local steak house. Frank said, over the appetizer, “I can’t believe the size of your house, Sue. I mean, I know I saw it before, back when we laid Harry to rest, but I didn’t really look it over. It’s huge!” Ronnie nodded in agreement.

“We only bought it a couple of years before that. It’s only eight or nine years old. Harry was really doing well at his company right before the end and wanted to move up. We even had to delay the closing a week to travel to Baltimore for Mom and Dad’s funeral.” Ronnie nodded in understanding. Their parents had died in an auto crash four years past. “Well, at the time it was pretty steep. That’s why I took that job as a receptionist.”

“Still, five bedrooms! The payments must be killing you. I don’t know what they pay receptionists here, but in Baltimore you couldn’t begin to make the mortgage,” he said.

“No payments. Harry had life insurance on the mortgage. Same for the cars. I did get rid of one of them. I’ll probably trade-in the Taurus this year.”

Frank got an odd look on his face. “Harry took out the life insurance on his loans, huh? All of them? Credit cards, too?”

Sue nodded. “Everything. It was like he knew he was about to check out. We had money coming in from everywhere after the funeral. I really only work to pay grocery bills and such, and to keep busy. He really left us well off. Why?”

“Well, he probably did know,” her brother-in-law said.

“What do you mean?” asked his wife.

Frank didn’t answer immediately. “Did Harry travel much for his company?”

Sue answered, “Sure, some, not much though, why? What’s that got to do with his insurance?”

“Well, I’m just speculating is all, but I would bet that one of those trips had nothing to do with the company. I’m betting that a few years before he died, he had a problem with his heart, pain, a mild heart attack, something like that. So, Harry, who always struck me as a really bright guy, decided to find out just how bad things were. He took a ‘business trip’ somewhere there was a big name-brand hospital with a name-brand heart specialist, and a pocketful of cash. He gave them a fake name and Social Security number and had a full work-up done. My bet, the specialist told him he was a ticking time bomb with a very short clock. So, Harry, who as I said, was very bright, went out and did the best he could by his family in the time he had left. He bought a new house, ran up the credit cards, took out loans, and got a ton of cheap term life insurance,” Frank said analytically.

“Jesus, Frank, you sound like a fucking insurance salesman!” protested his wife disgustedly.

Sue surprised her by patting Frank’s hand. “I think you’re right, Frank. We had insurance checks coming out of the woodwork after he died. I’d have preferred my husband, though. If he knew just how bad he was, couldn’t he have gotten on the list for a heart transplant or something?”

Frank shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe. Maybe the problem was too serious, or not serious enough at the time, or he was a lousy candidate, or something. We’ll never know, now. I’d have liked to have him around, too. He knew some great dirty jokes.” Frank smiled at this. “To change the subject, how’s Harry’s Dad doing? Ronnie told me about your mother-in-law.”

“I don’t know, all right, I guess. He just sits around the house. He’s very depressed. They were very close. I’m worried about him. I was planning to go over there tomorrow afternoon if you don’t mind,” she admitted.

“Nonsense, don’t worry about us. I’ll go with you. Frank can watch the kids,” replied Ronnie.

“Sure, hell, invite him over! Maybe he needs to get out of the house a bit,” agreed Frank.

After dinner, the trio declined coffee and dessert, deciding on coffee and brandy back home. Once they got inside, Ronnie and Sue headed to the kitchen, sending Frank to the library to start the gas fireplace up. Sue started a pot of coffee brewing as her sister set cups and saucers on a tray.

“So, are Taylor and her boyfriend a real item?” asked Ronnie.

Sue rolled her eyes at the ceiling. “God, I don’t know. They seem to think so, anyway. They say it’s true love. Or lust anyway, there’s nothing that you, me, or Frank can teach them about that, anyway.”

Ronnie giggled. “What’s the phrase? Sexually active, are they?”

“Hyperactive, if you ask me. They spend more time screwing than Harry and I did on our honeymoon!”

“And she still finds time to take care of you and Harry Junior, too? Busy girl!” said Ronnie.