The Return of the Fallen Angels Book Club (A Hollis Morgan Mystery 3) (14 page)

“Er … yeah. That was a long time ago.” Brian sat on the edge of an ottoman. “What’s the urgency? Sorry I couldn’t meet with you earlier; I had to meet with my other attorney. You said it was important to talk.”

“Yeah, Brian, I think we’re coming to a fork in our road.” Hollis’ expression was serious. “If we are to continue as attorney-client I need to take over as co-executor. Because of your status as a charged murderer, you really can’t perform the due diligence that’s needed. Granted, there’s not much left to do. We’re either going to find something on Frances shortly, or we’re not. But I want to be able to close Jeffrey’s estate.”

“Actually, I think that’s a great idea. But what do you mean I won’t be able to perform?” Brian was starting to raise his voice, but he still accepted the sheet of paper Hollis pulled out, and without reading, quickly scribbled his name.

“What I mean is, why didn’t you tell me about the results of the GSR test? The police found gunshot residue on you, which is damning evidence that you’d recently fired a gun. Also, just the day before yesterday you neglected to mention that your brother Todd was adopted and in fact no longer incarcerated—but has been out of prison for the past two months. I’m your attorney; you’re supposed to tell me everything. And more importantly, you’re supposed to tell me the truth.”

Hollis moved to stand in front of him, and Brian backed away.

“You’re my probate attorney,” he mumbled.

Hollis looked at him a moment and sat down. “I won’t even be that if you don’t tell me the truth. I can’t advise you if I don’t have access to all the beneficiaries. I need to speak with your brother.”

“I spoke with him a few days ago. He said Dad had found him a decent place to live that he could afford. Todd … Todd doesn’t want anything.” Brian looked down at his hands in his lap.

Hollis was silent.

Brian looked at her. “Okay, honest, I didn’t know he was out until a little while ago. It was between him and Dad. I know I should have told you when I found out. But I wanted to get the trust wrapped up, and he said he didn’t want anything anyway. He wasn’t even expecting the first editions.”

“He’ll have to sign a statement. Those first editions could be valuable, or they could just be old.” She made a note. “We’ll have to rush to get them appraised, and then have him sign a release.”

Brian jumped up. “Why do we have to waste time and money getting them valued? Frances had it done a few years ago. Besides, didn’t you hear me? He said he didn’t want any part of Dad’s estate.”

Hollis deliberately lowered her voice. “He cannot sign away his rights to something when he doesn’t know the value.” She looked up at him. “He could change his mind.”

Brian ran his fingers through his hair but said nothing.

“So tell me, what was the real reason you didn’t tell me Todd was out on parole? Were you trying to keep me in the dark so you could rush the filing? Did Jeffrey tell you about Todd the night you argued?”

Brian’s jaw tightened.

“Your silence answered that question. If he doesn’t accept the books you’ll be able to sell them and keep the proceeds for your wedding.” Hollis peered at him. “Now answer this: why didn’t you tell me about the results of the GSR test?”

He shrugged. “Why? What does it matter to the trust?”

“How did you get traces on your shoes?”

Hunching his shoulders and dropping his chin, he mumbled something incoherent.

“What did you say?” Hollis snapped, on the verge of losing her temper.

“I said, I came back.”

“You mean, you argued with your dad, came back after someone killed him and then left him there for the cleaning crew to find?”

Brian fell on the sofa, sobbing hysterically.

Hollis shivered and looked at him with pity.

“I’ll take care of your brother’s paperwork.” Headed for the door, she picked up her briefcase and purse. “I should be able to file the trust on time,” she said over her shoulder as she went out the door.

J
ohn texted her that he would call at eight o’clock that night, and he was right on time.

“I miss you so much—even more than I thought I would,” she said, trying to keep the misery out of her voice.

“Hey, what’s the matter? You sound upset.”

“Not upset … well, maybe a little. My first two cases involve terrible people and it’s depressing as well as aggravating. I think I might be representing the bad guys.” Saying the words out loud was forcing Hollis to face her worst fears.

“Hollis Morgan in distress … now that’s a first. What would Jeffrey say?”

She smiled weakly. “I can’t believe he’s been gone over a month, and thank you for your water in the face comment. Sometimes I need to hear how I sound to others.”

“I miss you, too.”

Hollis shifted the conversation to his training. It was going well. He was learning how another branch of enforcement operated and it added an intriguing layer to his own experience. He was also fortunate that his peers were dedicated professionals who—at least for now—weren’t into power games and office politics.

“You’ll be back Wednesday evening, right?” she asked.

“Right.”

“I’ll be glad to have you home.”

Hollis got into the office early to finish up some paperwork. Next she called Todd’s parole officer for his contact information.

“How’s he handling his parole?”

“Very well.” His parole officer had a gravelly voice that sounded like he needed to clear his throat. “It’s still early, but he has a job he’s okay with and he’s staying away from bad influences.”

“What about his family contacts? Why didn’t he go to his dad’s funeral?”

“Like I said, he wanted to stay away from bad influences.”

She moved on to the next item on her list. It took only a few minutes to get a PeopleSearch run on Todd. It wasn’t very long. There was nothing about his natural parents. He was adopted at age three by Jeffrey and his first wife. He didn’t start getting into any real trouble until after he graduated from high school. He was an accessory to the robbery and the mugging of a man who must have been the fence for their stolen goods. It landed him in prison, where he had resided for the past five years. Ready to meet him, she called and left a message on his voicemail.

It was while she was in the law library that Todd called and left a message on her phone agreeing to meet her for lunch the next day. From his clear and articulate voice, Hollis was re-arranging the picture she had painted of him.

She waited to approach George. He was leaving for four days to go to Los Angeles to argue a complicated probate case. Hollis wanted to update him on her two cases before he left.

“Hollis, you don’t live a boring life, do you?” he said. “I would focus on wrapping up this Wallace matter.”

“I have to admit they’re an irritating bunch, but George, I know there’s something I’m missing. Jeffrey’s killing was personal, not random.” She rubbed her forehead. “I thought my family was dysfunctional, but Jeffrey’s is right up there. No wonder he understood where I was coming from.”

George shook his head. “Just don’t get sucked in. You’re a probate attorney, not a criminal lawyer or a family therapist.”

Hollis shook his words off. “Jeffrey Wallace was murdered. He’s the only reason I’m an attorney. I can’t walk away from him.” Her voice drifted. “The problem is, we have too many suspects. Everyone has a motive, means and opportunity.”

“Maybe, but the police don’t think so. They think they have their man. Your job—although I do agree it’s awkward with your client out on bail—is to process the Wallace trust. Unless you can point to some reason why that trust should not be filed, you have to do what you were retained to do.”

Hollis nodded, even though she knew she wasn’t going to take his advice.

“Now, about your Patterson case, I saw your note that the house goes on the market today. Are you expecting trouble from Shelby’s relatives?”

“I asked the sheriff’s office to send a car by every so often, but they couldn’t give me a commitment. The broker is bringing an associate for safety in numbers. He’ll contact me after he holds the open house to let me know how things went.” Hollis flipped through her notes. “Shelby is staying up here with her friend until it’s sold.”

“Nothing else from her father?”

“After last week’s meltdown? No, Dad and company may be ready to see the light.” Even as she said the words, Hollis had her doubts.

But she could hope.

Rena stood looking out of the library’s community room window waiting for the rest of the Fallen Angels to arrive. Hollis saw her from the glass door and hesitated to interrupt her reverie. She paused a moment longer and then came into the room.

“Hey, you okay?” Hollis asked.

Rena blinked a few times and smiled. “Yes, I’m fine
.
Just remembering a conversation I had with Jeffrey.”

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about him, too,” Gene said as he entered the room. He dumped a stack of papers on top of the table.

Miller followed him. “The only thing I’ve been thinking about for the past week is my branch. We’re getting ready for a library merger. They’re closing a smaller one and we’re getting their books. We have to change the location codes on the books and in the system.”

“Gee, Miller, that’s fascinating,” Richard mocked, taking off his hat and jacket. “What’s with the papers, Gene?”

“Let’s get started and I’ll tell you,” he replied.

Hollis sat next to him in a vain attempt to sneak a peek.

“If you all remember, my assignment was to find out about Todd’s service time in prison.”

Richard said, “So what’s with all the paper? Did he have a pen pal?”

“No, he was a loner,” Gene said, handing out pages around the table. “He got his college degree while he was inside. These are copies of the papers he left behind for his fellow prisoners to use in their pursuit of a higher education.”

Hollis looked through the pages. “You said he was a loner, but did he align himself with any group?”

Gene shook his head. “Not that I could tell. He did his time and got out on good behavior.”

“Well, unfortunately his good behavior didn’t extend to his credit,” Richard said. “His FICO score is the lowest possible. Interesting, but not really surprising, is the fact that he has collection accounts from the time before he was in prison.”

Miller looked up from a paper crane. “Can you charge items from jail? Where do you have it sent?”

“Times have changed,” Rena answered. “You can’t use a credit card. But you can have an inmate account and it varies from prison to prison how much cash you can receive a month.”

They all thought about that a moment, recalling their own prison terms.

“That might be the reason for the low FICO score.” Hollis looked at her notes. “Rena, speaking of debt, what did you find out about Brian?”

“I ran out of time to check on Brian, but Todd Wallace appears clear. No one seems to know him. Now Frances, on the other hand, is another story.” Rena cleared her throat. “Like we already knew, word is she’s made it known she’s coming into some money—enough to put up her share of a casino partnership.”

Hollis frowned. “Did you find out when she began to negotiate a position as an owner?”

“About three months ago.”

There was that three months, again.

Miller pointed at her. “Hollis what did you find?”

She recounted her conversations with Brian and Todd’s attorney. When she got to the part about Todd walking away from the trust and maybe even the first editions, she pointed out that she didn’t believe Brian’s answers. “He starts to mumble when he lies or when he knows he’s in the wrong.”

“Your lie detector is pretty good,” Gene said. “But why would he want to appear otherwise? It’s not like he’s in line to get a chunk of change. The first editions are only valued at around fifteen grand. I can see Frances grasping for every asset she can find. But the more we dig up, the more I have to agree with Brian: there’s something more to this trust that isn’t on paper.”

“I don’t know about you big spenders, but fifteen thousand would mean a lot to me,” Rena said.

Miller reached across the table and gave her a high five.

“I think Brian’s still thinking about it too,” Hollis said. “It didn’t sound to me like Todd was totally committed to walking away. I’ll know more when I meet with him tomorrow.” Hollis scratched her head. “Everyone in that family is hedging their bets—no pun intended. It’s like a conspiracy to cover up or at least not to reveal the real truth—Frances wants it all, Brian wants it fast, and Todd insists he wants out. They’re all in on it.”

When Hollis got to the café, she spotted Todd immediately. He was absorbed in his menu as if it were the
Wall Street Journal
. Dressed in tan slacks and a light beige V-neck sweater, he appeared modest and understated. He had blue eyes and sandy brown hair—on the longish side and shaped to his head. When he noticed Hollis approaching the table, he stood. He was tall; probably an inch or two over six feet.

They exchanged greetings and quickly put in their lunch orders.

“My lunch break isn’t long,” he said. “I agreed to meet with you because Brian said you wouldn’t take his word for it that I don’t want anything from my father’s estate.” He held his cup of coffee with two hands as if to warm them.

Hollis looked into his eyes. “I read the valuation done by Frances a few years ago. If the books are in fair to good condition, they could be worth up to fifteen thousand dollars—more if they’re in excellent condition.”

“I’m not going to lie; obviously I could use the money, but right now I’m thinking twice about claiming them.”

“Why?”

“Dad and I had a deal. I broke the deal and went to prison for it.” He looked past Hollis. “I’d feel like a hypocrite.”

Hollis felt a pang of recognition. “I knew your dad, too. He was my parole officer for five years and then after that I’d like to think he was my friend.” She frowned. “He would want to know that his estate … the things he gathered throughout his lifetime weren’t squandered and gambled … er … tossed away.”

Todd gave a short laugh. “I see you’ve met Frances.” He turned serious. “Brian told me you were an ex-felon.” His eyes narrowed and then he looked away. “I just want to put my time in for parole and get on with my life. As for what’s going on between Brian and Frances … well, I just don’t want to get in the middle of it.”

“I know what you mean; I’ve been there.” Hollis smiled as the waitress put their plates in front of them. After she left, she asked, “Did you see your father before he died?”

He stiffened. “Why are you asking me that?”

Hollis noted his reaction. “Oh, I guess because I would like to have visited him one more time before he died.” She took a sip of tea. “Although you know how he hated sentiment.”

“Oh, yeah … yeah, he hated sentiment.” Todd took a large bite of his sandwich and swallowed before continuing. “Er … yeah, he and I talked before … before ….” He took another bite and chewed hurriedly. “My prints weren’t in his office. The police already questioned me.”

“When was the last time you spoke with your dad?”

“The week before he was killed.”

“How long—”

“Hi, Hollis, I saw you from the corner.” Stephanie weaved through the scattered tables to stand next to theirs. Even in her lab coat with her hair pulled back into a bun, she looked professional and attractive. She bent down and gave Hollis a peck on the cheek, then looked up at Todd. “Didn’t mean to interrupt. Just came by to say hello.”

“No, no, stay.” Todd stood and pulled out a chair. “I’ve got to head back to work. My lunch break is almost over.” He reached out his hand. “My name is Todd.”

Hollis smiled to herself. It was clear Todd wanted an escape route. “This is my good friend Stephanie. Stephanie, this is Todd. I’m helping his family.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I am interrupting.” She smiled. “Call me when you get home. Nice to meet you, Todd.”

She turned to leave.

“Do you come here often?” Todd asked hurriedly. “I mean I come here a lot. I haven’t seen you before. I’d remember. I mean ….”

Hollis looked at him with amazement as he responded to her curvy friend. Stephanie laughed.

“Todd,” Hollis said, “don’t you have to be at work? I’ll be in touch about the papers you have to sign.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve got to go.” He stood and pushed his chair in. “See you around, Stephanie.”

He wrapped the rest of his sandwich in a napkin, passed through the tables, and dashed out the entrance.

“Isn’t he a little young for you?” Hollis asked with raised eyebrows.

“I’m younger than you.”

Hollis smirked. “By seven weeks.”

Stephanie rested her chin in her upraised palm. “You know, Hollis, I think I’ve seen him somewhere before. It’ll come to me; I never forget a face.”

“Let me know if you remember,” Hollis said. She didn’t think it warranted revealing that there was a mug shot out there with his face on it. “Did you want to get together this weekend?”