Part Two – Finding Happiness

Six months passed so very quickly in the Bates mansion. Christmas decorations went up and then Christmas too passed. Nancy spent a glorious New Year with Steve and attended all the big galas being thrown around the city. It was another mild Vancouver winter and rain seemed to be the only thing that could put a damper on Nancy’s mood.

Over the holidays she had the staff from the Country Club attend a soiree in their honour with their children. She handed out presents and delighted in the screams of joy from them. Angela had picked out the gifts and soon electronics from phones to gaming consoles festooned the floor with overly excited children.

Nancy had pulled Devin aside during the day and presented him with an envelope. He opened it and read the letter of offer inside. With his wife by his side, she had read it and fainted. He shook his head at Nancy once his wife had recovered and accepted the job as the new head of the Country Club, replacing Evan Carter. Carter was being brought up on charges of sexual harassment in the workplace.

The staff in the mansion couldn’t have been happier for their employer. Nancy was everywhere in the house the past few months. Furniture was replaced. Decorations moved or changed. Nancy was meeting many different charities and socialites. Her schedule was full, and she loved it.

Ben had secured a record deal with a local Vancouver company and had written a song for Nancy that she played all the time. She had even thrown a party in the house with Ben as the main attraction, and his following grew in leaps and bounds.

Steve and her were an item. The gossip ran fast and thick. Nancy ignored it all and was simply lost in all her own excitement. When they had finally slept together, it had been a wonderful evening. Full of excitement and new discoveries. Afterward, she had taken Alice aside and held her hands apart by several inches and Alice had gasped.

Angela was proving her worth. Her studies were progressing wonderfully and to Nancy’s surprise, she had opted to take business instead of technology. She had a knack for business and assured Nancy all was well. The boards for the business had become used to queries from Angela and quickly learned to follow through quickly or face the wrath of a rejuvenated Nancy. Angela and her were spending more and more time together and Nancy found she craved those times. They lived in the same house, but their schedules rarely overlapped. Nancy found herself making up reasons to be with her.

Throughout, Nancy sensed a distance from Angela. She was holding back from her. She always had an excuse to leave and Nancy would watch her hurry away and wonder what she had done wrong. She had noticed that Angela always sat next to her and often her hand would find a way to touch her in small ways. The back of her hand, a shoulder, an arm. She thrilled at the touch but found Angela would move away if she reciprocated.

Tonight, Steve was coming over for a romantic dinner. Valentine’s Day was a little over two weeks away and Steve seemed preoccupied about it. Alice informed her she was sure he was going to propose but Nancy didn’t believe it for a moment. Steve and she had something wonderful, but Nancy knew she could never make that commitment. She adored Steve but she knew she didn’t love him. She was certain Steve knew that. She had never expressed that sentiment to him.

She was sitting in the big room looking out past grey skies at the Gulf. Vancouver can be a dreary place in the late winter and early spring. Clouds from the Pacific would dump their heavy rain load across Vancouver Island and Vancouver as they rose up over the Rockies to the East. It could be a depressing time, but Nancy felt buoyed. Her house was vibrant and alive again and her spirits rose with it.

She felt a presence and looked back to see Lan entering the room. “Afternoon, Lan.”

“Afternoon, miss. The chef reports she has a wonderful meal prepared for you this evening. She only wants to know where you wish to hold it.”

Nancy nodded. “Please tell her we will have it in my bedroom. At the table beside the French doors to the balcony. And please tell her I will accept whatever wines she feels pair with the meal. One wine per dish, please. I want this evening to be memorable.”

Lan nodded and left.

Nancy sighed contentedly. She felt a twinge in her chest and gasped. They were happening more frequently, and she often felt short of breath. She would break out in a sweat at the oddest times. Her doctors had examined her and drawn blood, and they all reported there was nothing wrong with her. In a moment it passed, and Nancy wiped her brow. One of her doctors suggested she start to work out and had left when she had laughed at him. He wasn’t wrong though, was he? she thought.

“There you are!” boomed a male voice, startling Nancy out of her reverie. She rose and smiled as Steve strode into the room. He was dressed casually, and he looked smart. He took her breath away with his clean, handsome looks. He could please her in bed like no other, although if she were truthful with herself, she had only ever been with George before. They had both been new to sex and stumbled in the bed. Steve, on the other hand, was experienced, and he was patient and taught her things that still made her blush thinking of them.

She had time to wonder how Steve had become such a common presence in her home when she was swept up in his arms and being kissed passionately. He always curled her toes, and she was surprised to find herself lifting one foot behind her like some damsel. She laughed into his mouth and he broke the kiss and grinned down at her.

“How’s my darling doing this afternoon?”

“Fine! Better now!”

He pulled a hand away from her lower back and looked at it. “You’re sweating again.”

She grimaced. “Yeah, sorry. It keeps coming and going.”

“Did you ask the doctors about menopause?”

She blushed and slapped his broad, strong chest. “Yes. And no. It’s not that. They ran all the usual tests, looking for proteins and whatnot. Angela tried to explain it to me. It’s all too much.”

Steve looked concerned. “If you haven’t got your health, then you haven’t got anything.”

She giggled at the quote. Steve had made her watch all sorts of crazy movies and she recognised the line. “Stop it. We are going to have dinner in the bedroom tonight. Is that alright?”

“Oh yes. I won’t have to carry you as far this time.”

She blushed, thinking of the time he had carried her naked through the house from the pool to her bedroom. She had been so frightened the staff would see and it had strangely excited her beyond measure. That had been the night she had taken him in her mouth. She had felt so naughty.

And now look at me, she thought, amused. Steve has introduced me to so many more sordid acts. And I adore it!

Tonight, she was giving up her one last line in the sand. She was frightened and excited. Thinking about it made her passion rise, and she kissed Steve hard.

Before she knew it, she had grabbed his hand and pulled him down the hallway to her bedroom.

“What’s this?” protested Steve, and Nancy giggled to hear the fake tone.

“Shut up!” she ordered once inside. She slammed her door shut and pointed to her bed. “Pants off and lie back!”

Steve scrambled to tear his jeans off. His boxers flew with them and she saw his massive penis spring forward and bounce over his heavy scrotum. When she had first seen it, she had almost screamed. It was twice the size of her husband’s. She didn’t think they could be so huge. It was almost the size of her forearm. Steve had said it was a curse, but she didn’t think so. He had to be gentle with her, but she liked it that way.

Steve flopped onto the bed and Nancy crawled up on top of him. She straddled his hips and pressed her groin hard against his shaft. He winced. “Jeans! Ouch!”

“I’m so sorry!” she apologised and slipped lower. “Here let me kiss it better…”

She planted a kiss on the bulbous head of his cock. She could feel the heat radiating from it. The same heat that filled her and gave her such pleasure. Thick veins ran along the thick shaft and she ran the tip of her tongue along them, bringing a hiss of pleasure from Steve. She was getting better at it.

She knew what he liked. He had been such a gentle teacher to her. He had opened her eyes to pleasure and how to give and receive it. The first time she had done this she didn’t think she could. He had asked, and she had felt it her duty to try. Now she loved doing it. It excited her. Having him do this to her had been what tipped her over.

She ran a light touch of the tip of her tongue between his heavy testicles. Pushing them gently aside as she probed harder until she touched the shaft behind them. She flicked her tongue and then flattened it and ran it lightly up and over his testicles. She could hear him panting. He was quiet in bed, but she knew how to read the signs now. She watched his testicles move on their own inside his scrotum, rising and then falling again. She licked again and watched them dance. She was doing that. She was making that happen, and she smiled in joy.

She grasped his thick, muscled thighs and pushed them out and away and Steve helped. She licked lower and touched the space between his balls and his anus with her sharp tongue and heard him gasp. She reached up and grasped his thick shaft lightly and stroked it slowly. She ran a finger over his bulbous head and felt the slick wetness of his pre-cum and smiled into his taint.

She pulled her head back a little and stared at all of him exposed. Months ago, she would never have done this in a thousand years. Now, she knew the pleasure of it. She knew that two people who respected each other and cared for each other could do this act and relish in it. She felt the wetness between her legs. Her body was rewarding her for being such a naughty girl.

Not for the first time, she wondered what Angela’s ass would look like before her. She used to fight these thoughts, but now thoughts of Angela were always in her mind. Dirty thoughts. She knew she craved the taste of Angela. Needed to know what she tasted like. She had wondered the same thing about her long-lost friend. She believed Angela would taste the same as she would have. She would love to have the opportunity.

Nancy had learned one thing about this act. Nervous and tentative licks were great but diving in with a hunger would get Steve to ejaculate in no time at all. And it was his ejaculate she wanted right now. As soon as his lips touched hers in the Gallery, her thoughts had turned to it. And I always get what I want, she thought.

She attacked his taint and balls with her tongue and mouth. She loved the texture, the way his body moved to her touch, the sounds that escaped him, small though they may be. She stroked his shaft lightly, and she continued to run a finger up and over his cockhole, lubricating the tip and sending shivers through Steve.

She sucked a testicle gently into her mouth, making Steve jerk on the bed and then groan aloud. She popped it free and watched his testicle climb higher and pull in tight against him, and she quickly rose and engulfed his gleaming and engorged cockhead in her mouth and swirled her tongue over it.

Steve cried out and Nancy held on to the spasming penis and felt the first hot gush of his cum flood her mouth. She swallowed around the thick head; a task not so easy to do. The first time she had choked badly on it. Cum had shot out her nose, burning, and Steve had been devastated. They laughed about it now but at the time she had been horrified. Horrified that she had let him down.

Now she was becoming a professional, and she proudly swallowed the thick cum and felt it slide down her throat. Her cum. She made it happen. She claimed it and owned it. The next ejaculation hit the roof of her mouth. She moved it in her mouth and swallowed it with ease. Sometimes he ejaculated three times, and she almost squealed when the third hit the back of her mouth. She swallowed this down and sucked gently on the spongy head, pulling more of his sweet and salty cum into her hungry mouth.

Steve became a dead weight on the bed. Nancy kept sucking and licking gently. She ran a thumb up the underside of his shaft and watched more cum pool and spill out his cock hole. She licked it up and gave it another gentle suck inside her mouth. She played with his cock as it slowly shrank and became soft. She loved watching this. It would go from this massive rigid monster to something somehow so much smaller and so soft and gentle. When it shrank all the way down, she sucked the cum that continued to spill from it away and then crawled up to try to kiss Steve. He always resisted with a grimace. She couldn’t understand why he didn’t like it. Cum was delicious, she thought. I love my juices. He should love his, too.

He resisted again, but she managed to kiss the corner of his mouth and he wiped it away quickly. “Stop it!”

She giggled and lay on his chest. It was surprisingly comfortable. The first time they had slept together, she had slept on top of him and she had had the best sleep of her life. She woke still on top of his broad chest in the morning with Lan making a sound in her bedroom and asking if she wanted breakfast served in bed.

She had been horribly embarrassed until she had noticed her staff smiling at her more and nodding their heads. They had approved, and she was happy. She felt liberated.

She shook herself and rolled off Steve, and then slapped his chest. “No falling asleep. Wake up!”

She heard a knock at her bedroom door and, without thinking, called out for whoever it was to enter.

She heard Steve make a gurgled sound and realised he was lying with his pants off and his cock exposed.

The door swung open, and Angela was standing there. Her eyes went straight to Steve’s cock and glued themselves there. Nancy could see her eyes widen and then move along its impressive length, even soft as it was. Then Nancy saw the look of disgust that crossed her face before she ran apologising from the room, closing the door behind her with a bang.

“Oh, shit,” said Nancy.

“Shit, indeed,” echoed Steve.

A little while later, Nancy asked Angela to join them in the Gallery. She entered meekly and stood near where Steve and she were seated. Nancy patted the seat beside her.

“Come sit, Angela,” she said.

Angela sat and looked at the floor. Nancy could see how embarrassed she was. She reached out and pulled her into an embrace. She held her tight and at once noticed just how good it felt. Like she belonged there. She felt Angela melt in her arms and decided to keep holding her. She stroked her back and felt Angela nestle a little closer.

“I’m sorry you had to see that. It was my fault. I wasn’t thinking. Please forgive me?”

She felt Angela nod against her chest. Nancy realised that Angela had her face pressed up against her breast and she felt a thrill run through her. She cleared her thoughts. Without knowing, her hand which was stroking Angela’s back rose, and she ran her fingers through her hair. It was a very intimate moment, and it was not lost on Steve. He looked at both of them in surprise.

“It won’t happen again. I’m sorry.”

Angela nodded again and then slowly pulled back. Nancy released her and her fingers trailed and seemed to not want to let go. Nancy placed her hands in her lap. Angela’s face was a deep red of embarrassment. Nancy felt the heat from her own cheeks.

Steve spoke into the silence. “I’m sorry, too.”

Angela glanced at him and then away.

Nancy sighed. “I’ve asked Lan to bring us something to drink. Something to settle our nerves, it should be… ah, thank God, here she is.”

Lan entered with a small tray. She set it down and handed Angela an energy drink, still in the can like she preferred. She handed Steve a scotch and then handed Nancy a warm glass of milk. Her favourite since George had passed. Lan had given her the first glass in those first days after he died. It helped her sleep and helped settle her nerves. She took the glass gratefully and sipped it. “Thank you, Lan.”

Lan smiled-a rare occurrence. “My pleasure, miss.” She left them alone.

“This is awkward. Somebody say something,” complained Nancy.

Angela stirred and looked at Steve. “Can I ask what you do?”

Steve stared at her. “What do you mean?”

“What do you do for a living? I have no idea.”

Nancy started in her seat. She didn’t either. Steve had hinted at inherited wealth. But she truly didn’t know. She looked at him expectantly.

“Um, well. My money comes from an inheritance. Old money, as we say in the States. I’ve invested it. I do okay for myself.”

Angela looked thoughtful. “I see. You’re nowhere on the Net. I can’t find you.”

Steve smiled. “I make sure of that.”

Angela started. “How?”

“How?”

“Yes, how? That’s impossible these days unless you’re in a crime syndicate or the FBI or….” she trailed off in thought. Nancy stared at her. Angela shook her head. “Never mind silly me. I’m so sorry I barged in on you. Can I ask a question, Steve?” Nancy frowned at how Angela said his name. She had drawn it out.

Steve looked nervous. He nodded. “That is a massive cock you have. Like, I’ve seen cocks before. Shit, the Internet is full of them. Being a girl means men send you pics of their dicks like ALL THE TIME. I consider myself an expert. That is a massive cock you have. Did you ever do porn?”

Steve jerked in his seat. “Porn? What? No!” Nancy watched him get angry. “That’s a horrible thing to say!”

Angela shrugged and Nancy was appalled at her behaviour.

“Angela! Apologise! That was rude!”

Angela shrugged again and then apologised. “Sorry. Look I have to go do some schoolwork. I have a paper due in three days and I am really behind.” She looked at Nancy. “See you later?”

Nancy reached out and grasped her hand. “Of course, Angela. I always have time for you, you know that.”

Angela pinched her lips together and nodded. She looked so sad and vulnerable that Nancy felt the desire to give her a kiss and then pushed the thought away and smiled at her instead. Angela rose and left carrying her drink with her. She turned right and Nancy knew she was headed to the office, which Angela had pretty much claimed as her own.

Nancy turned to Steve. “I don’t know what’s got into her.”

Steve was still watching where Angela had left. “Either do I…”

* * *

The next evening, Nancy walked with a little discomfort. Last night had been memorable and eye-opening. Steve had taken her anal virginity. He had been so patient and so understanding. It had really hurt, but she had pushed through it. For a moment it had felt great, but mostly it had been painful. Steve apologised and said maybe it wasn’t for her. She had quickly agreed.

Then he suggested they try it again another time, and she had grudgingly agreed.

Nancy was curious about Angela. Her actions over the last couple of days had been strange. She flitted about and left rooms in a hurry and refused to talk to anyone in the household. Finally, Nancy had had enough and sent her on an errand just to get rid of her for a while.

The house was usually quiet this time of night. She insisted the staff not work past supper and they almost all left for their house on the grounds. Some lived with their families in Vancouver and Nancy subsidised their rent to make up for not being able to enjoy the free accommodation. Angela was the only one who lived in the house proper.

When she turned into the hallway, she saw a flicker of light from the office. Curious to see who could be in there she hurried her pace. Her shoes clicked on the hardwood floors. The flicker stopped and Nancy was surprised to see Lan emerge.

“Lan? Why are you here?”

“Sorry, miss, I was just cleaning up and looking for spare dishes. Angela sometimes leaves things lying around.”

Nancy frowned. That didn’t sound like Angela. She was about to ask about the flickering light but then decided to shut her mouth. “Oh, okay. Thank you for the milk this evening. It really helps. You should run along. Get some rest and have some time to yourself.”

“Yes, miss. Sorry to startle you.”

Nancy nodded and Lan hurried away. She’s not carrying anything, she realised.

Nancy waited until she heard her leave by the side entrance and went into the office. She looked around the room from the entrance. She hadn’t been in here for a long time. She remembered watching Angela masturbate to a seedy image of herself. Remembered her calling out her name in pleasure. Nancy felt the same thrill run through her.

I have to understand this infatuation with Angela! She chided herself. She’s always in my thoughts! Morning and night.

But it was Angela’s behaviour that had her worried. She was off-kilter, and Nancy was concerned. She moved through the room and looked for anything out of place before turning to the computer. The screen was black, but she could hear the soft noise from the fans turning. She sat in the seat and felt her ass sink into it. George always had good taste, she thought.

Carefully she grasped the mouse and jumped a little when the screen lit up.

“Windows,” she said into the empty room. “This is called windows.” She looked around the screen at all the little icons but couldn’t make much sense of them. Nancy wasn’t computer illiterate, but they weren’t something she prided herself on.

Angela had tried to teach her some of it a couple of months back and Nancy strained to remember what she had said. After a moment she recognised a couple of icons and clicked one that seemed to be resting on the bottom of the screen.

The screen filed and Nancy didn’t know what she was looking at. It looked like something out of a movie. It was text but written in some language she didn’t understand. She opened another icon and then spent some time looking at bank accounts and business accounts. Everything seemed fine and Nancy breathed a sigh of relief.

Then she noticed a folder on the screen called ‘Nancy’. She clicked it and a password prompt appeared. She frowned. This wasn’t hers and she didn’t know the password. She made a mental note and shut down the computer. She stood and then braced herself as her head went dizzy. Sweat erupted all over her body and she suddenly needed to throw up. She breathed deeply until it passed, and she staggered out to her bedroom.

As soon as she entered nausea returned stronger than before and she rushed to the bathroom to throw up. After emptying her stomach, she sat next to the toilet with her cheek pressed up against the cool porcelain. That was the second time that week.

* * *

The next morning, Nancy felt too exhausted to get out of bed. Lan came by and checked in on her and then asked the staff to leave her be. Lan came back with another glass of warm milk and Nancy thanked her and dismissed her for the day.

She slept on and off. The milk helped, but then the sweating started, and she heaved most of the milk up in the bathroom. She was off today. She couldn’t sleep. She felt terrible and nothing seemed to help. Her head pounded painfully.

At one point, Angela came by to check on her. She stood in the doorway wringing her hands and pleaded to speak to her. Nancy kept sending her away and each time she returned, she grew angrier.

“For God’s sake, Angela. I’m not well! Can’t you see that? Leave me the fuck alone!”

She saw the fright and pain in her eyes before she fled crying and she collapsed back in bed. Perhaps I need a doctor, she thought, and sleep took her.

When she woke, it was dark outside. When her senses returned, she realised she wasn’t alone in bed. Startled she cried out and then jerked in bed when she saw it was Angela lying on top of the bed beside her.

She fumbled for the nightside table light switch and turned it on and sat up in bed. The bedsheet slipped down to her waist, exposing her breasts.

“Angela! Angela! Wake up!”

Angela stirred and woke. “Wuh?”

“Angela, what are you doing in my bed?”

Angela jolted awake and sat up. She looked over at Nancy, saw she was naked, and her eyes fastened to her breasts. Her breath drew in sharply and she continued to stare at them.

Nancy started to feel self-conscious but for some reason refused to cover up. She knew Angela had masturbated to her images. Now she had the real thing in front of her.

Angela tore her eyes away and looked at Nancy. “I’m so worried about you. You’re getting worse! I cleaned up your bathroom. You were really sick in there!”

Nancy looked away embarrassed. “The doctors can’t find anything wrong. Scans, blood work, everything. Fine.”

“But you’re not!”

“Hush. I’ll be fine. What are you doing in here?”

“I’ve been trying to talk to you all day! You kept sending me away! Yelling at me!”

“I know, I’m sorry. I’m out of sorts.”

“I know, Nancy. I’m sorry.”

It thrilled her to hear her name spoken. “What is it you are so desperate to say?”

Angela glanced at her breasts once again and licked her lips. “I… I have concerns. About your investments. It looks like you’ve invested in a shell company.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t make investments. George did all that.”

“This happened after his death, so it had to be you. It was only a couple of months ago!”

Nancy was confused. She still felt terrible and her head was pounding. “What company?”

Angela named it and Nancy said she had never heard of it.

“It’s not a good thing. I looked into it. It's like one of those shell corporations. Used to move money around and avoid taxes. I didn’t see it at first. All the ledgers show the correct amounts, but this is a tax shelter thing. One of your businesses is paying this shell company money. Like a lot of money. Say you owe taxes. Instead of paying those taxes, you send the amount you owe to the shell company as payment for services and that shell is in a country that doesn’t pay taxes. A tax haven. I’m not explaining this well. But your company has done that! A lot of money. Hundreds of millions of dollars!”

Nancy wasn’t following any of it. Her health was dragging her down. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to be alone and fall asleep again. “This makes no sense.”

“You have to listen to me!”

Nancy’s patience and energy were spent. “No, I don’t. I have experts who do that for me. What do you know about any of this? You’ve only just started taking classes! Leave me be! Get out!”

“Please, listen to me…”

“GET OUT!”

Angela looked like she had been slapped. She fled the bedroom crying. Instead of shame, Nancy only felt relief and flopped back in bed and closed her eyes. In minutes, she was asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Nancy woke to a banging on her door. She struggled to wake and found it difficult. She struggled to rise when her bedroom door opened. She stared at her husband’s friend Will Sikes. He was still wearing his overcoat and had a briefcase and a crushed hat in his hands.

“Nancy! Get up! What’s wrong with you?”

“Will? What… what are you?” she struggled to sit up, but her strength left her.

“Money is missing from the company! Hundreds of millions of dollars! Where is Angela? She’s gone and everyone suspects her!”

“Angela? She was just here, in my bed…”

“In your bed? You’re delirious. Lan! Lan! Where is that woman? LAN! Ah, Beatrice, call the doctor. Nancy is…”

He was interrupted by Nancy leaning over the bed and vomiting blood.

“Oh, my God! Call 9-1-1! Now!”

The room spun, and Nancy fell into a deep hole and kept falling until blackness took her.

* * *

Nancy emerged from darkness to a world filled with bright lights and noises. A face hovered over hers and she felt her eyelids being opened one after another and a bright light shone into them.

“I need two IVs, stat. Saline and alteplase. Looks like a stroke…”

Nancy lost consciousness again and woke to searing pain along her entire body.

“Get it out! It’s not thrombolysis. Not a stroke! What the fuck is happening to her? Page a blood specialist. Get him here, NOW!”

Nancy faded again.

This time when she woke, she felt surprisingly calm and pain-free. Her head felt clear. She blinked her eyes open and found herself staring out her Gallery window at the Gulf. She looked down and saw she was in a hospital bed with machines and tubes hooked up to her.

She looked back out the window and let the sound of the beeps from the machines lull her to sleep.

She woke again to find Alice and Will standing beside her. It was dark outside. They smiled down at her.

“Am I dead?”

Alice laughed and maybe cried at the same time. “No, love. But it was close. Your heart stopped. They resuscitated you.”

Nancy looked at Will for confirmation and he nodded. He looked upset.

“What’s happening?”

Will answered her. “I’m not allowed to say yet. There’s a special investigative detective here. He allowed us to speak to you when you woke. Says we aren’t suspects. He’s right behind us watching.”

Nancy looked past them and saw a dashing young man in a beige overcoat standing in the entrance. He still wore his hat, and he tipped it at her. She giggled.

“That’s the drugs. You’re on a special mix to dull the pain. Your body was…” Will stopped speaking when the detective cleared his throat. “I’m not supposed to say. Just relax. Get better.”

“But what was wrong with me? Surely you can tell me that?”

“Go ahead,” she heard the detective say.

Alice grabbed her hand. “Poison. You’ve been poisoned. But you’ll get better. The doctors all agree…” She stopped when the detective made another noise.

Will and Alice kissed her cheeks and then left. She watched them leave, and the detective approached.

“Evening, ma’am. I’m Chief Constable Yannick Murdoch of the Vancouver Police Department. I have a couple of questions if you feel up to it.”

Nancy nodded.

“Do you know where Angela Hickman might be?”

Nancy shook her head. “Why? Where is she? What happened?”

“Ma’am, please. Stay calm. How about Lan Chang? Do you know where she might go?”

“Lan? She lives in the staff house next door.”

“I see.”

“Beatrice says you hired Angela, is that correct?”

Nancy nodded. “Why? What is it you think she did?”

“Your husband hired Lan Chang?”

“Yes. Shortly before he passed. What is going on?”

The Chief Constable was writing in a little black notebook with a short stubby pencil. “There has been a theft of several hundred million dollars from your business.”

Nancy recalled Angela telling her that in her delirium. “Angela said that. I didn’t believe her…”

“I’m sorry did you say Angela warned you about it?”

“Yes, I was terribly sick. In bed. I woke to find her lying next to me. She said all these crazy things. Tried to warn me.” Nancy recalled how she had yelled at her. She choked back a sob. “Oh my God! I yelled at her! Told her to get out!”

“Calm yourself, Mrs Bates. We’re looking for her right now. Who else besides Miss Hickman had access to the computer in the office?”

“Just me and Angela. No one else knew the passwords.”

“Thank you. You should rest. Get some sleep.”

“Wait, I was poisoned? By whom? With what?”

“We’re trying to figure that out now. The doctors identified it and the drugs going into you will flush it out. You’ll make a full recovery.”

Nancy sagged in relief. “Thank you, Inspector.”

Yannick chuckled. “Chief Constable.”

“Sorry. Where is my boyfriend?”

“Steve Fagin?”

“Yes, where is he?”

“Gone. We are looking for him, too.”

“Gone? How? Is he alright?”

“Ma’am. There is no Steve Fagin. He isn’t who he said he was. We have some queries out on him. His picture is everywhere with you. We’ll figure it out soon enough. Now get some rest.”

Nancy started to cry.

Yannick hesitated and then sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand. “Calm yourself, Mrs Bates. You’ll get through this. First, you need rest and regain your strength. Leave the rest to us.” He pressed his thumb into her palm and stroked it. She calmed immediately and her eyes closed.

* * *

A week later, Nancy was in a wheelchair and sipping a cup of tea. She felt much stronger and had tried to get out of the wheelchair once before, but she had almost fallen out of it. Her doctor now stayed by her side. He was enjoying his own tea with some pastries the chef had prepared specially for him. Nancy doubted he would ever leave now.

She was frustrated with a lack of knowledge. The Chief Constable insisted on keeping everything secret. He was a fascinating man and Nancy could sense his intelligence. He kept checking in on her and she found that comforting.

Steve, Angela, and Lan were all missing. She felt betrayed by Steve, hurt by Angela, and abandoned by Lan. She didn’t know what was happening. No one was allowed to speak to her, and she didn’t know why.

She heard a commotion at the front door and the doctor rose to see what was happening. He looked out and then backed up. He looked at Nancy.

“The police are escorting several people into the house. They’re headed up the stairs!” The doctor rushed to her side.

Chief Constable Yannick Murdoch entered with a young police officer holding a laptop. Behind him were more police officers escorting Steve, Lan, and Angela.

Nancy saw Angela and her heart swelled. “Angela!” she cried out and Angela looked away ashamed.

“Angela! I’m sorry I yelled at you!”

Angela looked up at the words. She looked terrible. She looked like she did that day Nancy found her. She had been living on the streets again.

Steve refused to look at her, and Lan was scowling.

Yannick approached Nancy. “Sorry for the theatrics. I wanted to reveal the truth to everyone present. Everything will be explained shortly. Please be patient.”

Nancy nodded and watched as Will Sikes and Alice Berry entered the room looking about. They spotted Angela, Lan, and Steve and voices were raised. The police intervened and soon order was restored.

Will Sikes marched up to Yannick. “What in the devil is going on? This is most unsettling.”

“Will, you knew my methods when you asked for me. Just a moment more and I’ll explain everything.”

They waited a moment longer until Beatrice, Devin, and Nancy’s chef arrived looking confused. When they saw all the people gathered and the police, they too asked what was happening. Yannick shouted everyone down.

“Silence! Please! Silence! Constable Crabtree if you would?”

The constable pulled out a whistle and blew it once, getting everyone to quiet down.

“Thank you, constable. Now. We have a mystery to solve. Two events have occurred. One, hundreds of millions of dollars were stolen from the Bates company, through an offshore shell corporation. Second, there was a murder attempt on Nancy Bates.”

The noise in the room rose once again, and the constable blew the whistle again. Nancy noticed Angela stayed quiet and kept looking at her. She looked distraught.

Alice spoke into the silence. “It was Angela! She had access to the accounts!”

Angela looked stricken. “I didn’t!”

Alice talked over her. “And you poisoned her? Poison? My Nancy!? How dare you?”

Angela looked like she was about to collapse. Nancy heard her whisper over the noise. “I could never. I love her...”

Nancy felt a stab in her heart and she desperately needed to hold Angela.

Yannick yelled for silence. “No MORE outbreaks. Silence!”

He glared at everyone.

“This has been an interesting chain of events and much has been revealed. First, there is also one charge of murder to this list.”

Nancy whispered the word. “Murder? Who?”

“Your husband.”

Nancy gasped. “He died of cancer!”

Yannick looked sad. “He had cancer, that is certain. His death was accelerated by the same poison that nearly took you. Your husband had gone through so many tests that we still had samples of his blood. Once we knew what to look for with you, we found it right away. He was killed by aconite poisoning.”

Will spoke this time. “Aconite poisoning? What’s that?”

Yannick strode to the window and looked at the garden surrounding the grounds. “Aconite is also called wolf’s-bane, or the queen of poisons. Right out of your very own garden, Mrs Bates. Planted shortly before your husband’s death. It flourishes here in BC. You should remove it. It's very dangerous.

“Wolf’s-bane is a plant. The root is used as medicine; however, wolf’s-bane contains some poisonous chemicals. In Hong Kong, aconite is the most common cause of severe poisoning from herbs. In Asia, toxicity is usually related to the use of aconite in traditional medicines. In western countries, aconite poisoning is usually associated with consuming the plant, accidentally.

“It's not very common at all. With your husband, everything pointed to his cancer. Someone couldn’t wait and accelerated that process. With you, it was a slow and deliberate poisoning. Done in such a way that your health decline became a common and known issue. No one would suspect and when your blood tests kept coming back clean, the murderer knew they would get away with it. They accelerated the process.

“You were likely poisoned the first time while grieving the loss of your husband. A minuscule dose. Delivered meticulously over time so no one would suspect.”

Nancy looked up at Angela. “Then it couldn’t be my Angela!”

Yannick smiled at her. “No. Angela is not a suspect. Add that she tried to warn you of the theft, it clears her of any wrongdoing. Constable. Release Angela Hickman.”

The constable let go of Angela and she stood there looking baffled.

“Come to me, Angela,” whispered Nancy. Angela looked at her with doubt in her eyes. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. Come here. Please. Sit by me.”

Angela walked slowly over to Nancy. Nancy could see the hope that was trying to break free.

“There is always a brighter future, Angela. We’ll see it together, you and me.”

Angela stood in front of Nancy.

“Come closer,” whispered Nancy. “Lean down, I can’t get up yet.”

Angela knelt and leaned forward. Nancy watched a tear trace down her face and suddenly she remembered her friend all those years ago.

“I had a friend when I was young. We grew up together. She died of cancer. I watched as cancer took my love away. I had lost all hope and only felt despair. I was with her in the end. Her parents understood and allowed me to be there. As she lay dying her last words were to me. She said, ‘There is always hope. A bright future for you if you are strong enough to take it’. With her parents there I didn’t dare kiss her again. I wanted to. She did too. But I didn’t. And I regret that so deeply. My Brigitte died that day before me, and I was too afraid to express my love.

“Kiss me, Angela. I won’t be afraid anymore with you beside me. Kiss me…”

And Nancy felt Angela’s lips on hers. Her hands snaked around her neck and pulled her forward in the wheelchair. Nancy wrapped her arms around her and pulled her in tight. Tears sprung from her eyes in her joy. They broke the kiss and smiled through blurry eyes at each other. “I love you, too, Angela.”

Angela nodded and Nancy heard a whoop come out of Beatrice and laughed. Angela moved and sat on the armrest of the wheelchair and held Nancy’s hand. The first things Nancy and Angela saw were the staff and Devin wiping their eyes and looking happy for them. Beatrice was beaming at both of them. Alice was looking ashamed.

Nancy nodded and smiled up at Angela.

Yannick cleared his throat and Nancy saw the wet gleam in his eyes. “That was very touching. Congratulations. Now, where were we?” He checked his notebook. “Right. The poisoning. But before we deal with that, let us talk about Steve Fagin.”

Steve jolted in the arms of the constables, but they held him firm.

“Or should I say, Rocco Holmes? That is your legal name? The one you changed it to when you became a porn star?”

“Porn star!” exclaimed Nancy.

“Yes, a washed-up porn star. He came into fame in his twenties. Known for a rather unusually large penis. He is wanted across the States and we have extradition orders to send him south to California. He owes quite a lot of money and it turns out he is quite the con man. He has swindled millions of dollars out of dowagers and the like. Male or female. It didn’t matter to him. He is the suspect in multiple suspicious deaths. He marries them and kills them for the inheritance.”

Nancy stared at Steve who refused to look at her.

Angela squeezed her hand. “I figured it out that day. I asked him where his money came from and he said inheritance. I tried to find him on the Internet but couldn’t find a Steve Fagin who looked like him. Then I did I used an app to image – it finds similar pictures on the internet and wham – Steve showed up as Rocco Holmes. Same big dick and everything.”

Nancy had a revelation and looked at her doctor. He patted the air. “It’s okay. We tested for all STIs. You’re clean.”

“Thank God. Chief Constable? Can we please get him the fuck out of my house?”

Yannick nodded and motioned to the constables who walked him out and away.

Yannick stood before Lan. “And there remained only one. Lan Chang. A native of Hong Kong. Immigrated to Canada through illegal means, established her identity and went after Bates Enterprises. Premeditated since she was a child. She grew up in a poor area of Hong Kong. Her father worked for Bates Enterprises. When England left when the lease ended, Bates pulled out of Hong Kong. It surprised nobody. Bates tried to find employment for all their employees. Her father refused help and lost his job and his family fell into ruin.”

“Lies!” yelled Lan. Her face transformed from a demure woman into a crazed woman. “Bates killed my father. Striped him of his dignity and left him and our family to die!”

Yannick turned to the young constable beside him. “Please?”

The constable opened his laptop and placed it where everyone could see it. He opened a video and played it. It was an office with two Chinese occupants.

“Mr Chang, please. Bates Enterprise can help you. We have a job lined up for you in Guangzhou. Same salary. The benefits will be lost, but we cannot help that. Please reconsider.”

Mr Chang made a strange sound and shook his head.

“We do not like where Hong Kong is heading. Democracy will evaporate quickly. Bates must leave but we do not wish to abandon our employees. Please?”

Mr Chang rose and left the office.

The video ended.

“Lies!” screamed Lan. “My father was abandoned by Bates! He deserved to die! And so did you, you BITCH!” She screamed the last at Nancy.

“Actually, your father refused to leave Hong Kong because he was in debt to the Triad faction in Hong Kong. Any attempt to leave would have been dire for him. He only wanted a job in Hong Kong. When Bates Enterprises couldn’t help with that, he grew angry at them and blamed them for his own problems. Your father lied to you, Lan Chang.”

“Lies!”

“Your husband, Mrs Bates, hired her knowing who her father was. He did not realise she was seeking vengeance for something he did not do. She planted the wolf’s-bane and planned to kill you and him. He was the easy victim, but we suspect she started poisoning you soon after his death. Was there anything, in particular, she gave you?”

Nancy nodded and felt the horror of it. “Yes, she started bringing me warm milk to calm me. Once or twice a week. It was always so lovely. Did she put the poison there?”

“Most assuredly. Micro doses. But over the last couple of weeks, she upped it. Angela was discovering the other thing she was up to. She had gained access to your company records and financial control. She placed a keylogger on the computer in your husband’s office. She gained access and started moving funds a little at a time. Angela discovered this and tried to warn you. Unfortunately, Lan recognised the threat and gave you a deadly dose.”

“Deadly? How did I survive?”

“Luck, Mrs Bates. The hospital thought you were suffering a cardiac event, most likely a stroke. They gave you an anti-clotting agent, and it made things worse. A smart young doctor called in a blood specialist and luckily for you, it was a doctor who had worked in Hong Kong for a time. He recognised the signs and flushed your system. Here’s a little karma for you, he used to work for Bates Enterprise in Hong Kong. Your husband found him a place in Vancouver and helped him secure his credentials here. In a way, your husband saved your life.”

Nancy nodded and held Angela’s hand to her mouth and kissed it. “Thank you.”

Will Sikes stirred. “And the money?”

Yannick smiled at him. “Recovered. Our expert here,” and he indicated the young constable “was able to trace the money through a rather ingenious trigger placed there by someone.” Nancy smiled when Will cheered. Yannick turned to Angela. “Your doing?”

Angela nodded and smiled and then laughed. “I didn’t think it would work!”

The young constable grinned at her. “It sure did. It was brilliant. You need to speak to the federal government about it. They are going to be very interested.”

Angela nodded happily.

Yannick turned to the constables guarding Lan. “Take her away.”

Yannick turned to the audience remaining in the Gallery. “Lan was the head housekeeper here. In some circles, she would be called the butler.”

Nancy groaned and Yannick grinned at her.

“Correct. The butler did it!”

Epilogue

It took Nancy a full week to recover. Angela never left her side the entire time. Nancy shared having seen her masturbate to her picture and Angela admitted to seeing her reflection on the monitor. Angela told Nancy she heard her cry out Brigitte’s name that night with her Magic Wand and she had been devastated, but she understood now. She then urged Nancy to forgive herself for not confessing her love to her friend before she died. Nancy had agreed to try.

The whole Bates household felt rejuvenated. The story hit the press, and the world went crazy for a little while, but Angela helped Nancy get through it and they emerged on the other side stronger together.

Nancy was finally able to walk around on her own. Angela hovered and was ready to catch her and Nancy chuckled. Angela walked beside her and realised Nancy was heading to the office.

When they entered Nancy asked Angela to open the folder named after her. Angela hesitated and Nancy kissed the top of her head as she sat in the chair.

“Go on. Show me.”

Angela clicked on the folder and typed in the password.

“What was the password?”

Angela hitched her breath. “I love you. All lower case, no spaces. One instead of an I.”

Nancy kissed her head again. “My nerd.”

The folder opened, and it was filled with pictures and videos. All of them were pictures of Nancy and usually of her doing something in the community.

“Please explain.”

Angela shifted in her chair. “It started when you were first married to George. You were twenty and this gorgeous beauty the whole world admired. A little girl from a small town striking it big. It was our royal wedding in Canada. I couldn’t get enough of you.” Angela kept clicking on the pictures and Nancy saw they captured the events she was speaking about. “I was a little eight-year-old girl, or nine. My room was plastered with images of you. I had never met you, but I loved you somehow. And your message from day one struck such a chord in me. The future is bright. You never wavered from that, and now knowing the source was Brigitte, I love it even more.

“My parents couldn’t take it anymore. My father confronted me and told me I couldn’t love you. But I did. I then told him I loved women. Which I did. He called me horrible names and my mother joined him! My mother!”

Angela cried for a time and Nancy rubbed her shoulders and soothed her. Angela wiped her face and continued clicking the pictures.

“I ran away. I was fifteen years old! I knew nothing about how the world worked. I went to a friend’s house and stayed with them for a while. I could tell they didn’t want me there. I was a lesbian. A threat to their daughter. But they tolerated me, barely. The father though…” Angela hitched her breath. “He tried to… I was only sixteen! I told his daughter, and she didn’t believe me. No one did.

“I ran again. Everywhere in Calgary, I ran into bigots and assholes. I tried to make it work. I got jobs and found a house full of runaways. We paid the rent and huddled together. It was good in some ways. I met my first girlfriend there. She was good to me. Pushed me to better myself. I got my high school diploma, worked, saved my money, and then went to Robertson. Then my girlfriend died in the winter from a fentanyl overdose. She froze in a fucking snowbank. I never wanted to be anywhere with snow or ice ever again.

“I ended up in Vancouver over a year ago. I watched you from afar. I was so excited to be in the same city as you. I never stalked you, though! Never. I read the papers and watched the news. Then your husband died, and I saw your grief. I nearly died that day watching you suffer. I had to send you a message. Something to make you stronger. So… so… I stole some paint. I had no money. I begged stores for old paint, but they laughed at me. So, I stole it. And then I found a building downtown that was perfect. A large canvass for my message to you.”

Nancy could barely hold her tears back. “What was the message?”

“Here. I took a picture before they arrested me. It’s the only one left of it.”

Angela clicked the last picture, and the screen filled with her art.

It was a crudely painted picture of Nancy and her husband, smiling. At the top, it read “The future is bright.” At the bottom, it read “You are never alone.”

Nancy felt her tears coursing down her face. “I wish I had seen that back then. Thank you, Angela.”

Angela sniffled. “My girlfriend and I used to talk about you all the time. I never thought in a million years I could be here right now with you.”

“Do you know what today is, my dearest Angela?”

Angela shook her head.

“It’s Valentine’s Day. Come with me.”

Nancy took her hand and led her to her bedroom. They passed Beatrice who smiled at them. Inside the bedroom candles were placed and lit everywhere, providing the only light. Rose petals were strewn across the floor and across the bed. Angela gasped when she saw it.

Nancy turned her around and kissed her on the threshold. They kissed for a long time. As lovers. Nancy saw only Angela. Brigitte was resting peacefully in her mind and George still held a large portion of her heart. But now, this woman in her arms was who she had been searching for all her life. A brave, strong, and smart woman who she knew shared her passion for life and the beauty and hope it offered. Every time she had been knocked down; she had risen stronger. She was her hope in that bright future.

Somewhere in the house, live jazz music started to play. The opening notes of “I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good” wafted through the house, played by the Ben Stills Trio.

“I’m going to marry you, Angela. Will you accept?”

Angela nodded, tears of joy cascading down her face.

“You and I will go pick out rings tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“I love you, Angela. You complete me. Your whole life, horrible as it was, led you to me.”

Angela could only nod and let Nancy bring her over to the bed.

“I’ve never slept with a woman before. But my whole soul wants this. Teach me?”

Angela laughed and nodded.

“You’re my Valentine, Angela. The future is bright and with you, I have such hope!”

The End