Chapter Three: Ava

Wisconsin is nothing like the bustling kaleidoscope of Chicago’s streetscapes. I’ve never seen so many spruce trees clumped together, or birds for that matter. This is what it feels like to be amongst clean, unpolluted air. The sky is clearer, less dense smog from the pollution of cars, trains, buses, and taxis. I feel my heart rate slow down, and it’s stayed the same ever since I arrived on the plane. It’s a new feeling to be at ease, and Wisconsin is showing me just how stressed out I’ve been in Chicago.

The air is fresh as I wrap my black shawl tighter around my body. It’s an outdoor funeral, and I watch Jackson’s casket being buried in the ground; it feels surreal. Most people wear black to a funeral, so I assume it’s safe enough that I’ve worn a plain black dress, stockings and a shawl. And as I look out into the sea of mournful faces who knew Jackson Knight, I stand awkwardly as the priest pours out his blessing for his afterlife.

“Jackson Knight was a beloved member of the Raven’s Peak community, and at times of great peril, he helped keep this tight-knit community afloat.” The priest’s words fade out as I look around staring at all the people, searching for any sense of security, but there is none. Most of them look to be on the downside of sixty. Some are weeping, others’ expressions are deadpan, but overall, the mood is somber. There are men in suits, who appear out of place with the rest of the gathering. Many of them are staring in my direction, and I wish they weren’t.

A gust of unruly wind whips my hair around my face, and it’s about now I wish I had a friend who came with me, so I didn’t feel so strange. I’ve inherited a vast amount of land, and I have no idea what I’m going to do with it. I still can’t believe the call I received only days ago. I took off from work and school, only for Gunther to give me hell about it. Given what I’ve inherited, I don’t think the diner’s going to be in my immediate future soon.

As the funeral draws to a close, people I don’t know approach me, offering their condolences, and waves of feeling overwhelmed wash over me as the sharks begin to circle.

“Hi, I’m Nathan Close. I’m a property developer from New York, and sweetheart you’ve just inherited a massive fortune. I want to help you quadruple your money. How’s that sound?” A man in cheap gray suit fast talks, his teeth dripping with greed. He flashes me a business card, not giving me enough space to breathe.

Blinking rapidly, I step back, reluctantly taking the card, hoping he moves on, but he lingers like a bad smell. “Umm, thanks for the card, but I just got to Wisconsin, and I don’t know what I’m doing with the property yet,” I tell him truthfully.

“That’s exactly why you need to stay in contact with me. Raven’s Peak isn’t a place for you to keep. It’s basically wilderness so you should probably think about selling it off pretty quickly if you ask me.”

Stepping back to give myself space, I swipe tendrils of stray hairs from my face. “Umm, thanks for the card, I’ll get to you about it.”

“Great. Or I can call you. Give me your number.”

I swallow hard, coaxing the lump to go down in my throat. “No. Thanks. If I need to get in touch I will,” I reply assertively, and thankfully I’m saved by a white-haired woman offering her condolences.

But the prospecting doesn’t end there as I’m sequestered by a lady with a sharp nose, dressed in black. I thought she was part of the family and friends of Jackson, but I soon find out that’s not the case. “Hi, I’m Cheryl Braithwaite and I’m a Raven’s Peak native. I used to be a great friend of Jackson’s when he was alive. It’s nice to see you hear.”

“Er… okay, nice to meet you I guess.” Not that a funeral is the ideal place to meet somebody, but I’m left with no choice.

“Yeah, yeah it is,” the pushy woman says hurriedly. “What do you think about a spa and retreat on Raven’s Peak. It would be the perfect getaway for city dwellers. Don’t you think? I’ve got so many great ideas for the place.”

“I don’t—I don’t know about that,” I say quietly, surprised by the blatant disregard for Jackson’s death.

The lady’s eyes sparkle with greed, nudging me in the side. “We women have to stick together. This venture could really put you on the map. Do you know how much money you would be set to make?” she rasps, the whites of her eyes popping out, scaring me.

Who are these freaking people? Friends of Jackson’s? Because from where I’m standing, it’s almost as if they were waiting for him to keel over.

“Listen, I just arrived. This is all new to me, and I’m sure I’ll find my feet.”

“You can’t possibly think you’re going to handle this property yourself.” she scoffs, wriggling her arms over her chest, her judgmental eyes carving a hole in mine.

“I’m sure I will figure out how to manage,” I state, all of the attention foreign to me.

She shoves a card in my face as I’m bombarded by more men and women wanting to share their personal thoughts and endeavors they have for Raven’s Peak with me.

“Ah, I think you should give Ms. Knight some breathing room to grieve. That’s enough.” A charming voice sinks through the loud voices giving me an anchor and a way out. Frowning, I study the man who is dressed casually in black slacks and a khaki shirt. His voice sounds oddly familiar.

“Who are you to say?” one of the men chimes in, and before I can say anything, the dark-haired man intercepts.

“She’s in a state of grieving and being overwhelmed. She can’t possibly make a decision about the property right now.”

Begrudgingly the piranhas peter off, scattering back to the funeral and some of them leave.

“Thanks. I appreciate that.”

The handsome man offers me his hand with a sympathetic smile, and I accept his warm firm handshake. “Hi, I’m Aiden Smith. I’m the one that rang you about all of this.” He circles his finger referring to the madness that is the funeral.

“Ah, I thought I recognized your voice. Thanks for that. I was drowning,” I mumble, slowly taking Aiden in. He’s around six feet tall and gives off the vibe that he’s been a native to Raven’s Peak his whole life.

He chuckles. “Yep. I’m the lawyer that rang you. This place is a part of your family. Your father used to love coming here growing up.”

“He did? He never mentioned it to me,” I remark, a flock of birds finding comfort in the branches of a nearby tree. There’s something soothing about the place I can’t put my finger on. It’s as if I can think and breathe again here.

“Oh, he didn’t? I’m surprised, but when you take a gander at the property, you’ll find all the photos on the shelves.”

“Wow,” I reply, mystified as to why my father never told me about his best kept secret. “It feels good here. Something….” I look around, the chill of the air cutting through my shawl. Next time I’ll remember to wear warmer clothes. Chicago is chilly, but this is a different type of chill to the bones—fresher.

“It’s the wild of it all. Nothing like the big smoke of Chicago huh?”

“No. It’s like being in a different world.”

“You know you can visit the family home anytime you want.” My eyes widen, thrilled with the prospect of seeing the place where my late father grew up. Dad passed when I was eighteen, and the wound of grief might have closed a little, but in my heart remains an ache that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get rid of. First my mother from a rare illness when I was under ten, then him. Vaguely, I recall our memories together, and they were sweet, but it was my father who instilled in me the drive, responsibility, and determination to see things through.

“Wow. That’s amazing. And I would love to. He didn’t speak about Jackson so much.” Whenever I asked my father about his family, he always subtly changed the subject, telling me it wasn’t important who they were.

“All you need to know is I’m the black sheep of the family and they’re religious zealots. There’s no point you going to see them. You won’t learn anything of good use from them.”

I didn’t question my father at the time, and now I wish I would have. All I knew is that they were religious, and he wasn’t. I know he didn’t keep in contact with them, and they drifted away from each other. My father was all I had, and I took mostly what he said at face value.

“That’s interesting, but maybe not that unusual. Jackson’s been a long-time client of mine, and he was a real character, I guess you could say. I can take you there now if you don’t have any plans after the funeral. Sorry about all the crazy people propositioning you. It’s quite the place Jackson owned.”

“Right.” I take a quick look around the open field and the fresh plot of Jackson Knight. A few older people are lingering and sobbing, which I find strange given I don’t know of him at all. “I can’t wait to see it.”

“Alright, then, it’s settled. I’m ready when you are, Ava. I’m local, born and bred, so I can point out some of the highlights of Raven’s Peak while you’re here.”

“Okay.” Stealing a deep breath, I follow Aiden to his navy-blue BMW and sink into the passenger side, glad to be out of the cold. As we pull off, we travel down a gravel road back to the main highway, if you could call it that. It’s more of a sealed back road, lined either side by wild forest and a low foggy mist giving it a Twilight appeal.

“We are just outside the city limits of Raven’s Peak. The Peak cemetery is the only one in town. The nearest one is located in Mont Cleary, which is about twenty minutes over the hill.”

I find Aiden’s commentary fascinating and want to know as much about Raven’s Peak as I can. Ravens fly above the car and I point to one breaking into a smile. “Is that the reason it’s called Raven’s Peak. I think I’ve seen at least twenty of them already.”

Aiden chuckles, tapping the wheel as the forest gives way to open, green and gold fields. I take in the sporadic sightings of lodge style cabins along the way, wondering what it would be like to live such a life. “You would be right. There’s no big legend behind it. I’m sorry, but if you ask, it’s named that because there’s a magic here—namely by way of natural resources.”

“Hmm, interesting. You said Mont Cleary is over the hill? Mountains?”

Aiden ducks his head, pointing forward to a large, ominous peak causing me to gasp seeing the mountain ridge that doesn’t seem to end in front of us. This place is straight out of a postcard, and for a moment I’m speechless in admiration.

“Wow. That’s Raven’s Peak?”

Aiden nods. “Yep, that’s Raven’s Peak. Welcome.”

“This is so amazing. Wild like you say,” I respond in quiet admiration of the place.

“Sure is, but what’s funny about Raven’s Peak, even with a population of under three thousand, is it has a world of natural resources right there in those mountains. Look out on the right, we’re coming up to the family estate now.”

The sealed back road winds to a T-junction where Aiden turns right to a large, locked timber gate with a keypad. Craning my neck out the window through the fog, I marvel at the huge expanse of open land, floored by the sight of the property I’ve inherited. I watch as he punches in a number and the gate swings inward, giving me a closer look at the house.

The house is cozy, and the brick is a mixture of colorful stone and timber with a wraparound porch, including land as far as the eye can see. All around the border of the home is an evergreen forest and a sense of peace and tranquility that instantly gives me an understanding of why my father enjoyed his childhood here. “This is majestic. I can’t believe it.”

“Uh-huh. That’s a word for it. All ten thousand acres,” Aiden remarks, his eyes shimmering with pride as we park out front of the oval driveway.

Slowly, I ascend the porch stairs, studying every nook and cranny of the place as I go. I touch the railing and the exterior, loving the huge timber bay windows, wondering how much sunlight bathes the lounge in the morning. “The place might be over a hundred years old, but it’s been kept in good condition by Jackson. If there were ever any repairs to be done to the fencing or for security purposes Jackson would see to it,” Aiden explains.

He steps ahead, opening the door to an immediate open space. There’s no long corridor, just two open spaces left and right. One seems to be set up as a sunroom and the other has a set of stairs dipping into another entertaining area. Automatically, I feel at home, and from the outside the place looks like a small thimble compared to the rest of the land, but inside it’s deceptively large and long.

“Right. Is it two story?”

“Yes, but the second set of stairs to the upstairs level is behind the kitchen, which is ahead of you,” Aiden points out.

“Did Jackson live here?” I ask, noticing the lack of presence in the house.

“Hmm, he wasn’t here all that much. It was more of his holiday base, but he always made sure everything was kept in pristine condition.”

I finger the childhood photos on the shelf, miffed at my father standing by the side of a stern-looking man and a blonde woman with kind eyes. “Wow. It’s so big on the inside. Is this Jackson in his younger years?” I ask, holding up the picture.

“Yes. He was quite the looker in his day.” Aiden smirks as I regard him.

“Who is the lady?”

“Your grandmother. Her and Jackson were married for forty-two years until she divorced him and ran away with a musician to Portugal. Quite the story, but it was at that point Jackson vowed to never get married again.”

“Wow! She’s pretty. Doesn’t really seem like his type.”

Aiden chuckles scrutinizing the photo and placing it back on the shelf. “No. She seems too carefree for Jackson, maybe that’s why he married her.”

As we sail through each room, my heart swells feeling some affinity for the property and finding myself wanting to stay awhile longer and enjoy it. “Aiden,” I say, turning around with a smile, “do you think I can stay a night or two here?”

Aiden stops near the kitchen counter regarding me for a moment. “I don’t see why not. This all belongs to you now, Ava.”

My heart beats loudly in my chest as I shake my head looking around and out of the large kitchen window drinking in the sprawl of expansive land. “It’s impossible to dream this up. I’m still in shock.”

“I would be too. Raven’s Peak is a gold mine for lithium and mountain freshwater reserves. There’s a lot of potential here.”

Can I make money out of the place? If I can, why didn’t Jackson take advantage of it? That’s why so many people are interested in this place.

Keeping my thoughts to myself, I want to give myself time to explore and mull over my options, but Aiden’s probing eyes lead me to reveal what I’m thinking.

“Do you think any of the natural resources here could be turned into a business, Aiden?”

Aiden nods his head, tapping the marble kitchen bench top. “Yes. Of course they can, and that’s exactly what Jackson wanted. He was just waiting for the right timing. He was a busy man with many ventures on the go at the same time.

“Okay.” Smiling, I feel uplifted for the first time in a long time. No more shitty diner guests for me. “I’m going to stay.”

“Good. Enjoy yourself. I only live not too far in town, so give me a call if you need anything. The fridge is fully stocked, and all the amenities are here as well.”

“Okay. Thanks Aiden.” I wait until he leaves, still getting my bearings. After a glass of water, I set up my laptop, wanting to catch up on the law classes I missed. I try the kitchen first, but then remember the open study at the front of the house deciding to park myself there instead.

Just as I imagined the sun streams in through the bay window as I engross myself in my studies, the sun keeping me warm. As I type every keystroke, I start to feel more at home than ever—more so than Chicago—and I’m dumbfounded that Jackson only spent a limited amount of time at the house.

I don’t know what makes me look up, but I do, and that’s when I notice a black SUV idling beyond the gate of the house. Prickles of heat rise on the back of my neck as I wait to see if it’s going to move, but to my surprise, it doesn’t. The vehicle idles in one spot for a long minute. I don’t want to be paranoid, but all the attention earlier was bad enough.

He said I could call him. I think about Aiden’s help, but decide against it, opting to close the curtains instead. That SUV is giving me the creeps.