Free Ready or Not (Aggie's Inheritance) by Chautona Havig Page B

disturbance and a trespasser. I ’ d suggest you leave my house immediately. ” Aggie worked hard to remain firm, when all she wanted to do was escape into her room and collapse. The woman ’ s histrionics were enough to drive even a stronger person to despair.
    “ Your house! Your house, ” she repeated livid. “ This house has been in the Stuart family for three generations! It ’ s an historical landmark, not that you ’ d know or care with the way that you treat it! I refuse to set foot out of this house without seeing that Cari is all right. ”
    Geraldine sat in the nearest chair without bothering with a handkerchief. Aggie almost laughed at the look on the irate woman ’ s face. It was identical to the look given to her by Cari just moments ago. Aggie went into the kitchen and grabbed a black trash bag. Slowly, she stuffed each piece of the discarded wrappings now littering the living room into the bag and tied the top when it was full.
    Ron Milliken came to her side, put his arm around her, and spoke low into her ear. “ Aggie, your mother isn ’ t feeling well. I can see her trying not to let her hands shake, and I know her heart is pounding. I can hear it. This isn ’ t safe for her, and I refuse to leave you alone with Geraldine, but the second the police arrive, I am going to put your mother in the car, make my statement, and get her home. It ’ s been too much for her. ”
    Aggie glanced at her mother and then sighed. She should have known better than to try to have a party at the house. They should have gone north to her parents ’ house. They would have missed the Stuarts, and the party would have been calm and pleasant. Aggie sometimes felt that she could do nothing right. She was in a boxing match, and she ’ d never have a chance to win. Geraldine Stuart knew how to, not only ruin a beautiful day, but also how to make others accept the guilt for it.
    The scene was emotional and ugly when the officers arrived. Aggie had a file folder full of court documents and other legal papers naming her as guardian and legal occupant of the house. While it hurt him to do it, Ron Milliken spoke to the officer, gave his statement and a cell phone number, and then drove away as quickly as possible.
    The older officer, with a firm tone and a no-nonsense stance, stood before the irate woman and said, “ Mrs. Stuart, according to these papers, this young lady has the right to evict you from her property. You will leave immediately, or I will have to arrest you for trespassing. ”
    The woman screamed and actually swore at one point. Aggie thought for a moment she would throw herself on the floor and pound it with her fists like an out of control two-year-old. Geraldine argued every step of the way, as Douglas Stuart and the officer escorted her to their vehicle. She demanded to see that Cari was all right, claiming that Aggie had beaten the child for wanting to open a gift. The officer turned to speak to Aggie about the claim and found the young woman standing there, holding the prettiest little girl he ’ d ever seen.
    “ That your granddaughter, ma ’ am? ” The officer had obviously lost all patience with the situation.
    “ I don ’ t know! ” the woman spat. “ She has an identical twin. They are almost ‘ super-identical, ’ whatever that means. There isn ’ t a single physical identifying mark to tell them apart, and they pretend to be each other all of the time. That ’ s probably Lorna. ”
    “ Miss, ” the officer turned to Aggie with sympathetic eyes, “ I hate to do this, but to save us all a lot of trouble, and me more paperwork than you can imagine, would you please go get the other twin. As much as I don ’ t want to give this woman the satisfaction, I think it ’ d be best. ”
    Aggie walked Cari around to the side of the house where a female officer talked to and comforted the other children. “ I need Lorna- - the little one that looks like Cari. ” Aggie pointed to the child