“What she and my father did. And I hold him more responsible than her. He owed me better. But then why should I be surprised. He put himself first my entire life.”
“I’m really sorry. I hope this doesn’t cause you more problems.”
“I’m sure the cops will love it. I’ll have even more reasons to be happy the man is dead. I’m guessing they’ll see the whole headless thing as insulting in some way.”
“It was a rather gruesome thing to have happened. I just can’t help but think it’s someone crazy, you know?”
“Yeah, that was my thinking as well, but what kind of crazy do you have to be to pull a stunt like that?”
“I don’t know. You heard about what happened last year, right? Maybe someone thought they’d copy it and it would be a lark. It’s not like your dad was killed at the festival.”
“That other guy wasn’t either. Man, the more I think about it, this whole thing is just weird. Look, I appreciate you coming by and letting me know about the will, but if you don’t mind, I think I’m going to get good and drunk until I pass out.”
“Please call me if you need anything. Here’s the number for an attorney. If the police come after you again, call him. I’ve already explained the situation to him and told him I was going to give you his card.”
“Thanks, Judith.”
The front door opened and Judith came out. I picked up my binoculars and watched as she wiped her nose with her finger. Her eyes were red.
“She looks upset,” Gertie said.
“With good reason,” I said. “Let’s head back to the car so I can play this for you.”
We got everything loaded up and off from the Laundromat with incident. I kept looking behind us, waiting to see Liam, or Carter, or maybe a team of assassins. We never got away this easy. It was a little unnerving.
“What now?” Ida Belle asked as she stopped at the highway access road.
“We can’t go home yet,” Gertie said. “We won’t have had time to go to New Orleans, shop, and get back. Heck, we’ve barely had time to get to New Orleans.”
“Maybe we should go ahead and go,” I said.
“But I don’t need new underwear,” Gertie said. “I found this website called Sexy at Sixty and—”
“Nope!” Ida Belle said and held up her hand. “You are not sixty and even if you were, I still don’t want to hear about being sexy.”
“We don’t have to go shopping,” I said. “You know I’d prefer we didn’t, anyway. I was thinking maybe we could check out the parking lot where Gil was killed while there’s no one around. Then maybe late lunch and a movie.”
“Oh, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a movie,” Gertie said. “What’s playing?”
“Not Getting Caught by Carter,” Ida Belle said. “It’s really popular.”
I queued up the audio and played it as Ida Belle drove. When it was over they both looked troubled.
“No wonder Judith looked upset when she left,” Gertie said.
“I’m a little upset myself,” Ida Belle said. “This inheritance thing has a serious impact on our faked carjacking theory.”
“But Liam didn’t know about the inheritance,” Gertie said.
“Are you sure?” Ida Belle asked. “Because maybe he just pretended to be surprised because he didn’t want Judith to know that he knew about the change, especially since the cops are certain to ask her about it since she was a witness.”
“Crap,” Gertie said.
“Things are definitely getting messier,” I said. “Since Judith said Gil had tried to contact Liam recently, it might be that he told Liam about the change in his will, using it to try to prompt a meeting.”
“Or it could be that Tiffany was told or found out about the change and told Liam,” Ida Belle said.
“Or didn’t tell him but figured she’d try to pursue that angle again so she’d still have the whole lot in her kitty,” I said.
“That’s a really low opinion of the girl,” Ida Belle said, “but you’re right. People have done worse for less.”
“So how do we sort it out?” Gertie asked.
“I don’t know that we can necessarily,” I said. “I suppose the attorney might know what Gil’s intentions were with regard to telling Liam and Tiffany about the change, but he wouldn’t talk to us. Did Gil have any other friends that he might confide in?”
They both shook their heads.
“Not that I’m aware of,” Ida Belle said. “Judith was his only friend in town. Everyone else seemed more surface level. That being said, I don’t know anything about his acting buddies in New Orleans.”
I nodded. “I think a trip to New Orleans is in order tomorrow to meet those actors and see what we can find out. Rehearsal is Monday nights, right?”
“Another trip to New Orleans?” Gertie asked. “How many bras do I need?”
I waved a hand in dismissal. “I want to look at a hot tub and they’re not open today. We’re good.”
“Is Carter really going to buy that we drove all the way to New Orleans to look at a hot tub?” Gertie asked.
“He will when I buy it,” I said. “If it’s everything they advertised, I’m going to put that thing on order.”
Gertie hooted and Ida Belle grinned.
“I guess you can’t argue with a sales receipt,” Ida Belle said.
“Especially not when you’re going to benefit from the purchase,” Gertie said. “I can’t wait. That hot tub sitting the other day worked wonders for my back but good Lord, the stress of listening to Nora is not something I can endure very often. She’s kinda the opposite of relaxing, even with all the drugs.”
Ida Belle nodded. “Plus you have to be suspect about anything she gives you to eat or drink. I would definitely BYOB if Nora’s involved.”
“Nora is what, sixty or so?” I asked.
“Try ten years younger,” Gertie said. “That’s what drugs and booze will do to you.”
“And all those random men,” Ida Belle said.
“Men keep you young,” Gertie said.
“Says the woman who’s not married,” Ida Belle said.
I laughed. “Okay, so I have to ask, did she work before she fell into a career of finding the best drugs and men all over the world? Was she married to a dealer who passed and left her his fortune? Because her house is well kept and professionally landscaped, her car is new, and all that travel isn’t cheap.”
Ida Belle grinned. “You’re not going to believe me.”
“Try me,” I said.
“She invented some sort of pipe for weed that went viral,” Ida Belle said. “I don’t pretend to know anything about it, but she patented it and licensed the patent to some company who sends her money off every sale.”
I stared. “Good God. She probably has enough money to buy Amsterdam. What’s she still doing in Sinful?”
“People in Sinful leave her alone,” Ida Belle said. “If she lived somewhere else, there wouldn’t be people she could trust around, and probably everyone would be hitting her up for money.”