Watson by Kathi Barton (ebook reader txt) 📕

Wats opened the envelope, and something fell out. Picking up the napkin that was covered in blood, he put it on his lap and read a few lines to himself before turning to Booker. He asked him if he was sure he wanted to hear it.

“Yes. Now that I know by the look on your face that it’s as bad as I thought it would be. Go ahead. I’m assuming that’s my mother’s blood. Go on, Wats. I won’t hold it against you for what the bitch said to me.” Booker grinned. “Go on, buddy. Read it to me.”

“Dear worthless piece of shit.” He looked at Booker when he laughed. “I’m dead now, and it’s all your fault. Your father’s too, but he will have to wonder for the rest of his life why I have come to despise him so much. I’m willing to bet that he will never date again because he’ll come to realize that I was the best thing ever for him. I hope he fails as much as I know you will.”

“She certainly has a very high opinion of herself, don’t you think?” They both laughed, and it felt good. “Believe it or not, Dad just asked me yesterday if I had a problem with him dating. I told him hell no, to go for it. I think like the others, my dad has been lonely for a very long time.”

“I agree with you there. I know my dad is having a blast helping Uncle Clayton run for mayor. I think between the two of them, they’ll get this town back on track.” He glanced at the letter again. “Are you ready for more?” Booker nodded. “I’m going to kill myself. Not because I feel guilty about anything I’ve done. I do regret killing Eita. My heart does ache so badly for what I did to her. She would have taken us all as far as the White House if she’d been alive. No, I’m taking my own life because I want you to think about it for the rest of your life. How you, my only son, treated me so badly when I needed you most. Actually, all your life you have been such a terrible person. I hope to God you fail at every turn. That you never marry—not that anyone would have you, but I want you to fail at that as well. The marriage your father and I had was perfect, but you never took the time to learn from me—you ungrateful bastard. I wish every day that I had aborted you along with the other unwanted trash that I had and remained a childless woman. I know I would have enjoyed my life so much more without you in it. You’re to take this napkin that I had to steal from the jail that you left me in and keep it on your person for the rest of your days. I want you to think about what you’ve done to me, your own mother, every time you see it. Then she signs it with her name. What do you want to do with this?”

“I’m going to burn it with the napkin.” He stood up just as the door was opening behind them again. The realtor said the bank wished to speak to him. “I’m a very busy man, Ms. James. If he’s not willing to come to my terms, then I’m sorry, I really am, but I’m not going to dick around when I know for a fact that there are several other houses on the market that I can get for a good deal less than the asking price. This is a buyers’ market right now, and I intend to get as much bang for my buck as I can.”

“Mr. Waller said that if you pay off the back taxes, he’ll throw in the land, as it has no access other than the land around this house. No one wants to buy it, and the house when all they want to do is plant some corn.” She smiled at him. “I told him you were going to walk away from this deal over a few bucks that he would be able to write off at the end of the year. Is that all right?”

“Yes. And you figure out what your commissions would have been for the asking price of the house, and I’ll gladly pay that to you.” She told him that was nice but not necessary. “No, it’s not, but that’s the way I work. You went to bat for me, even though you lied to me about the other offers, and I appreciate that.”

“I’m sorry, sir. That’s what I was told to tell you.” He told her she’d more than likely sell more houses if she was honest with people. “I might just do that from now on. I really don’t care for lying to people that are spending that much money for a home they might just hate because of me. Thank you, sir. Very much.”

“Anytime.” Booker looked at him. “I have to head to the bank, I’m sure, so why don’t the two of us have some lunch, then see what sort of trouble we can get into? I heard through Abby that you’re dating Rayne. I like her. We’ve been friends for a very long time. I don’t want to threaten you or anything, but please don’t hurt her.”

“I don’t plan on it. She is going to my home today to see if she can stand to live there. Not that I don’t think she’ll love it as much as I do, but that would be up to her where we live. If this goes that far. I’m not sure what we’re doing right now, to be honest. I’ve spoken to North about her grandda coming to live with us and leaving the house he just put in empty. He told me it didn’t matter to him one way or the other,