He looked at her directly. “It could cost me my job, you know?”
“I would never do that,” she said gently. “I’m perfectly happy here at Nan’s house. It’s not like the potential money would change me.”
His gaze searched hers, and then he nodded slowly. “It’ll go to probate, and you wouldn’t get it for a long time anyway.”
“What’s a long time?”
“Nine months for probate, once it actually gets started,” he said, “and the executor of her estate would do that. So potentially you’re looking at a year.”
She sat back down on the kitchen chair, raised both hands, and said, “See? It’s not like I could buy groceries with it this week anyway.”
He burst out laughing. “Let’s take it one step at a time.” He walked rapidly to the front door, turned back to look at her, and said, “Remember now. Don’t tell anyone about it either.”
“I won’t,” she said.
“And make sure you don’t pass it around.”
She looked at him in surprise and shrugged. “There just doesn’t seem to be enough there that would explain why Mathew would want it,” she said. “Accusations but no facts. I just don’t get the feeling that this is what he was after.”
Mack looked at the key in his hand and nodded. “I guess a couple reasons come to mind,” he said, “and none of them are good.”
She looked at him in surprise. “Like what?”
“He might have known about the will. He might have known about her confession letter. He might think it holds other secrets that aren’t there. It might not be what he is looking for, but it still could be something he would utilize.”
“Maybe,” she said doubtfully, following Mack to the front door, “but I don’t know why he would care.”
Mack, at that, stopped, looked at her, and said, “You’re still so innocent.”
She stiffened and glared at him.
He smiled. “It’s very endearing.”
“Oh, please,” she said, rolling her eyes. “So why are you thinking I’m missing the point?”
“Because it’s a really big one and something that I really don’t want to contemplate.”
“Now what?” she asked.
“What if you’re not there,” he said, “what if you aren’t there to inherit?”
She shrugged. “Then I’m sure it’ll go to somebody in her family.”
He nodded. “Okay, I get that,” he said, “and what if you are there. What if you inherit, and then you die?”
For a moment there was just silence, as she stared at him. “You’re thinking Mathew might kill me in order to get his hands on … what though? This money is peanuts to him.”
“I don’t think it’s so much the peanuts,” he said slowly, “but maybe whatever else she has in her possession, like in her safe deposit box, hidden in her home, or wherever it is that she’s got the stuff stashed that he is looking for. He’s been pretty patient. Look at the game he is playing here already.”
At that, she winced. “Okay, I can see that,” she said. “Is there any way he can move the probate faster, so I would inherit earlier?”
“No, not necessarily,” he said, “but I don’t know estate law, and he certainly has a team of lawyers, so I’m guessing the answer to that question is maybe. But, what if he is friendly, gets back in your life to some degree, and wants to help you sort out this mess? And he finds out where her stash of goods is, then goes after it himself, because that’s what he is really after.”
“So we’re back to thinking that he’s here because of her, and he’s only coming around me because he thinks that she gave me something.”
He waggled the USB key. “She did.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, as she contemplated it. “I guess,” she said quietly. “There’s another easier answer too. What if he can make another will, dated later than that one, with his name on it. Using the same document and just change out the details?”
He smiled gently. “And I can see that he might want to try to at least alter this document, so that your name isn’t on there. That would certainly be easy enough to do. It depends on whether she had a chance to file it or not.”
“And could he change that one?”
“He’d just file one between the time that she filed this one and her death.”
“As if she would have immediately changed her mind and filed another one?”
“It happens,” he said, as he stood on the front step and looked out at all the neighbors. “Families are weird, and, when they find out they are or are not in a will, they can change. People have changed their wills in a heartbeat, just from finding out something about somebody or what somebody did to someone else,” he said. “So I wouldn’t put it past him.”
“In other words, we still have a lot of digging to do,” she said. “And now you’re making me even more freaked out about my ex.”
“You should be,” he said seriously. “I didn’t like you going out with him last night. I really didn’t like to see that he came here this morning, and now? After seeing this? I think you’re in even more danger.”
“What about Robin’s ex-husband?” Doreen asked.
“That’s another reason I’m going to the office,” he said, now pocketing this latest USB. “I will contact Vancouver and see if I can get that file and get some follow-up to look for any current history on him.”
“Good idea,” she muttered. She beamed and said, “And, of course, you’ll tell me all about what you find out, won’t you?”
“In your dreams,” he said cheerfully, as he quickly jogged down the steps to his truck.
“I helped you,” she called out.
“And I’m helping you too.” He walked to the driver’s side, hopped into the truck, then, leaning through the open window, said, “Remember to stay safe.”
And he turned on the engine and backed out of the driveway, as she watched him go. As soon as he was out of sight, she immediately went down the steps, and, with the animals at her side, snuffling through the tall grass, she searched among the plants.
Almost immediately Richard stepped out and asked, “What are you doing?”
She sat back on her heels, looked up at him, and said, “Checking out the marigolds. Why?”
He crossed his arms and frowned at her. “I heard him. He pretty well said, Stay out of trouble.”
“Weeding my marigolds is hardly trouble.”
He looked at her suspiciously. “Anything that’s a plant seems to cause you trouble.”
She burst out laughing. “Hey,” she said, “I’ve been doing a lot for plants around here.”
“Yeah, sure,” he said, with a grumble. “Remember. stay out of trouble.” And he stepped back inside and slammed the door. As she sat here on her heels, wondering at the craziness of her neighborhood, she had to wonder if he was worried about her staying out of trouble for her sake or his own.
“I bet it’s just because he doesn’t want the Japanese tourists back again,” she muttered to Mugs.