The Return of the Fallen Angels Book Club (A Hollis Morgan Mystery 3) (11 page)

“Are you all packed and ready to leave?” Hollis asked, playing with the stem of her wine glass.

“Not really. I have some last-minute running around to do. My flight leaves at seven in the morning on Monday. There’s a layover in Chicago. I’ll get into DC early evening.”

“Will you give me a call when you get in?”

“Yeah, if you want me to.” He looked over his shoulder then back at Hollis. “Look, I don’t know what phase we’re going through. I’m not sure I like it. I think we need this little break—not for me, but for you.”

She dropped her gaze to her hands. “John I—”

“Hear me out. I think you know where I stand. I want you in my life. But it’s not a one-way street. Use the next week to figure out where you stand. I know you love me, but I need to know that you want me in your life.” He picked up his fork. “Now, let’s eat. I’m starving.”

Hollis smiled slowly. “So am I.” Her face turned somber. “I really do love you.”

He looked at her. “I know.”

The next day, Hollis prepared for the meeting with Shelby and the real estate agent. Listings were income for Kevin, and a listing for a home in the desirable hills of San Lucian was rare. She was able to get a hold of Shelby without any problem, and she agreed to be there on time to sign the papers. Hollis had ordered two more sets of keys made. She gave one to Shelby, another to the agent, and kept the third.

Kevin came with the papers for Shelby to sign and left with the understanding he would do whatever it took to get the house sold quickly. He promised to be at Hollis’ beck and call and left them like a man on a mission.

“Shelby, you and I need to check out the house before it goes on the market,” Hollis said. “When are you going back to LA?”

“I’m not—not until the week before classes start. I’ve decided to stay with my girlfriend in San Lucian. Her place is where I … I was before. Rosa and I went to school together. The location is more convenient than Rena’s and hopefully my house will sell quickly. I’ll go back to Rena’s later on to get my things.”

“When can you go to the house for a walk-through?”

“Can we make it next week? I want to go to Santa Cruz this weekend. I’ll be back late Monday. I can meet you there on Tuesday morning.”

“Okay. See you there at eleven o’clock.”

Hollis gathered her papers and went back to her office.

She punched the number for Frances Wallace, who answered before the first ring ended.

Her voice was warm. “Yes, Ms. Morgan, I remember you from the memorial and from my husband talking about you.”

“I was hoping to speak with you sometime in the next couple of days about Jeffrey.” Hollis had chosen her words with care. “He started our book club—”

“Yes, I know. It was an achievement he was proud of.” She paused. “I’m going out of town for a few days. I know tomorrow is a Saturday, but I’m available to speak with you then.”

Hollis took her address and agreed to see her mid-morning.

She spent the rest of the day preparing briefs on cases George had left for her assessment. She found herself warming to the task. It was satisfying handling matters that could be resolved quickly and unemotionally.

It was a few minutes before five when Hollis gathered her things to go home. John was making final preparations to leave for his training program. She felt an ache in her chest. She was going to miss him.

She pushed the down button on the elevator. If she timed it right, she could go downstairs and check on Vince before he left for the day. She hadn’t seen him since he started his GED prep classes.

“Vince, are you down here?”

The layout of the firm’s mailroom defied logic. It was a small maze of open white-plastic boxes along a series of tables that twisted in adjoining L-shapes next to a large bin where the mail was dropped off by the postal service.

“Hey Hollis.” Vince came from a small hallway with his jacket in hand. “I was just getting ready to leave. Is everything okay?”

She reached out to give him a hug, but at the last moment remembered his aversion to being touched. Instead she held out her hand and he grazed it with his own.

“Everything is fine. I came down to see how things were going with you. We’re getting great mail service upstairs and I wanted to see the man in charge.”

Vince blushed.

“Thanks,” he said. “I’m really trying. I like it here.”

“How’s your mom?”

He frowned. “She was doin’ real good until a couple of days ago. She was real happy we was gettin’ an apartment. I found this one near the airport. It’s only a converted motel room and it’s a little noisy, but it’s better than the shelter. I’ll have the money for it with this next paycheck. Anyways … anyways, one of the people at the shelter made her mad and she … she used a little.”

Hollis hoped her face didn’t reveal her disappointment.

“That’s why I’ve got to get back to her now. Nighttime is really rough for her. If I’m with her, she’s stays straight. She wants to stay clean.”

Vince turned off the lights and they walked toward the elevators.

“What about you?” Hollis asked. “How’s the GED going?”

“I knew you were going to ask me that,” he said, shaking his head with an almost-smile.

Hollis realized that when he finally let himself smile, he was going to be a good looking young man.

“Yeah, and so? What have you got to say for yourself?”

“I’m taking these classes at the adult school over in Oakland. Well, just one class right now until we move. There’re five subject areas, you know: math, social studies, writing, science, and reading.” Vince was walking backwards, waving his arms with animation. “The test for all five is about six hours. But they said it shouldn’t take me too long because I have a lot of high school credits. I can take the test at any time; I just need to brush up.”

They’d reached the lobby, and Hollis walked with him to the doors leading to the street.

“Vince, I’m glad for you. If you get stuck, just get in touch with me. Don’t forget to let me know how things are going.” Hollis left it at that and waved as he hurried away.

She continued to watch him. Halfway down the block, Vince turned and looked at her over his shoulder. He gave her a wave, with another almost-smile.

H
ollis didn’t know what she expected to see when she drove up to Jeffrey’s home. His office at work was decorated simply, with minimum furniture, no family pictures, and the only adornment being a single plastic-encased poster of a cat clinging to a tree branch.

His home was completely different. Located in a modest but gated community, the Mediterranean single-story house was nestled in a cul de sac of similar style homes. Lush green lawns and boxwood shrubs marked the boundaries of each property. The Wallace house was a soothing ochre color with climbing purple and red bougainvillea. The curved walkway to the wooden front door was cobbled and interspersed with small mounds of moss. A ‘for sale’ sign stood solidly next to the walkway.

Very nice.

Frances Wallace greeted her at the door. Her sleek white-on-white jersey pants outfit suited her perfectly. She was a striking woman, and Hollis couldn’t help but wonder what had attracted her to the rather ordinary and not at all flashy Jeffrey. A great guy, but one who few would describe as handsome or charming.

“Thank you for coming out on a Saturday.” Frances directed Hollis toward the living room.

Hollis declined her offer of coffee or tea. “But water would be nice.”

Frances quickly returned with a pitcher of water and two glasses containing ice cubes and lemon slices.

“You have a lovely home,” Hollis said, looking around at the tastefully decorated open space living and dining room.

She smiled. “Thank you. I did it myself. Jeffrey didn’t care for … for ….” She dabbed at her eyes with the sides of her hands.

“I’m sorry,” Hollis said, looking around for a box of tissues.

Frances pulled one from her sleeve.

“No,
I’m
sorry. Usually I’m okay, but every once in a while …. Anyway, how can I help you?”

Hollis poured a glass of water. “Your stepson Brian asked my firm to help him get your trust processed. He was concerned that his … his suspect status might cause a delay.” She paused. “So I agreed to assist.”

Frances straightened her back. Tears dried, she put on eyeglasses and from behind a sofa pillow pulled out a tablet and pen. “Good. I want the trust filed with the death certificate as soon as possible. I have the numbers of our bank accounts and the policy numbers from the insurance.” She handed Hollis a sheet of paper.

The transformation in five seconds from grieving widow to business administrator threw Hollis, but for only a moment. Her years as a paralegal had prepared her for a wide range of reactions from family members. Frances had run the whole emotional gamut right before her eyes.

Hollis looked down at the paper. “We have a hearing date within three weeks.”

“No sooner?” Frances asked.

Hollis ignored her question. “Do the police really think Brian killed his father?”

The question had the effect she’d been aiming for. Frances looked as if the cold water had been poured over her head.

“Why … why I … I know. It’s crazy, isn’t’ it? Brian couldn’t have killed Jeffrey. They always argued. I told the police. I mean the police seemed to think it was done with violent intent. But Brian couldn’t have, don’t you think? I try not to think about how Jeffrey died.” She used her tissue to dab her forehead and reached for a glass of water.

Interesting.

Hollis took a sip.

“I don’t think this will be an issue, but I understand you filed for divorce about three months ago,” Hollis said quietly.

“Er … yes. That doesn’t affect the trust, does it? I mean timing wise.” She took a long drink of water and appeared to gaze out the bay window overlooking the backyard. “We loved each other, but we were different people. He helped me during a bad time and I fell in love with his sincerity. But it wasn’t enough for the long game.”

Hollis pretended to look at the file she brought with her. Her thoughts focused on speculating why Frances felt the need to lie, especially since she was so bad at it. “So, you’ve put the house up for sale?”

“Yes …. I did put it on the market. It’s way too much house just for me. I might move to Nevada. It’s cheaper to live there and your money goes further.”

I bet it does.

Hollis looked down at her file again. “Well, I guess that’s all the questions I have for now. Can I call you again if something else pops up? I know you want this settled as fast as possible.”

“Yes, yes, please do what you can.” Frances picked up the tissue but didn’t use it. “It’s very lonely here without Jeffrey.”

“Yes, I can imagine,” Hollis said. “Do you have any questions for me?”

“This might sound terrible, but I don’t know anyone else to ask.” Frances licked her lips. “If Brian is convicted, does he still get his share of the trust?”

Hollis looked her in the eyes. “If he’s found guilty and a reason for the murder ….” Hollis swallowed. “If a motive for the murder was to benefit from the estate, then no.”

Frances sat up a little straighter. “Then let’s hope things turn out for the best.”

Hollis nodded, but she was pretty sure she and Frances would disagree on the meaning of ‘for the best.’

The weekend went by slowly. Hollis and John spent a quiet weekend reading, doing laundry, eating in, and watching the
Doctor Who
marathon. Then it was Monday morning, and she missed him the moment she knew his flight had taken off. He called her from the airport while she was still at home, and again after she had just arrived at work. The calls were welcome but their conversations felt awkward and stiff. The last one was an improvement.

“Good luck with the training,” she said.

“Good luck to you, too.”

She whispered, “I love you.”

“I know.”

Mosley had left a message that the tracer he put on her phone hadn’t come up with any results. The caller was definitely using a throwaway phone.

Hollis wasn’t as much afraid as she was annoyed. She was pretty sure the calls were being made by Shelby’s siblings. If they thought they could intimidate her the same way they meant to intimidate Shelby, they were going to be sorely disappointed.

After working steadily all morning, she made herself a cup of tea. She had a little time before meeting with the Fallen Angels, and her thoughts drifted to Frances’ comment about Jeffrey helping her out of bad times. Hollis wanted to know what the bad times were.

She punched in Brian’s number.

“Hi, Hollis, thanks for calling. Gene and I had lunch yesterday, and he told me you were going to meet with Frances. Did you learn anything?” he asked.

“Brian, do you recall Frances’ situation before she and your father were wed?”

“Not really. I didn’t know he had met someone until just before they got married. I was still in high school.” He was silent for a moment before adding, “She was working at another job. She quit about two years ago to start her own consulting business.”

“She said your father helped her through bad times. Do you know what she was referring to?”

“No.”

Hollis took a deep breath. “Brian, what did you and your father argue about that day?”

He didn’t respond right away, then he said, “That answer is going to take a while. Look, I’ve got to get ready for a meeting with my attorney in an hour. How about after that?” There was little emotion in Brian’s voice, as if he was making an effort to maintain his cool, but she could hear him breathing heavily.

“I’ve got a meeting after that. How about late afternoon?”

“Okay. Do you mind coming here to the house? I haven’t been feeling well today.”

“Sure, not a problem.” Hollis looked at her watch. “I’ll come by right after my meeting. Will five o’clock be all right?”

“See you then.” He hung up.

This time Hollis was the first to arrive at the library. She spread out her notes in the middle of the table and was in the midst of making small stacks when Gene walked in.

“Do you think we have any kind of handle on this thing?” he asked, sitting next to her.

Hollis shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. Greed and opportunism are not crimes. It’s sad to think that this is Jeffrey’s legacy, but people have killed for less.”

“So you think Brian did it?”

She frowned. She had avoided asking herself that question. “I don’t know.”

Richard and Miller arrived together. The mood in the room was subdued.

“Why the glum faces?” Rena dropped her purse and a stack of papers on the table. “I’m not that late.”

Everyone chuckled.

“You seem pretty perky,” Gene said. “What’s that about?”

Rena pulled out a piece of blue paper.

“ ’Cause I gots news.”

Gene smiled. “Do tell.”

“If you remember, my assignment was to find out if Frances was in good standing with her gambling debts.” Rena glanced at each of them in turn. “Well, not only does ol’ Frances have excellent credit, she’s talking to some people about buying into a casino.”

Richard sucked on his front tooth and started going through the stack of pages next to him. “You’re kidding me. I read over those trust papers and tax returns. There isn’t
that
much money.” He tossed the papers in the middle of the table.

Hollis frowned. “When did she start talking to these people?”

Rena nodded, “About three months ago.”

Three months—that time period again. Hollis flashed to a conversation she had with Brian about how Frances had filed for divorce three months ago.

Hollis looked over at Richard. “Were you able to get access to their bank accounts?”

Richard nodded. “Nothing special. About fifteen grand in the savings account, a substantial government 401k for him, and a modest investment portfolio in her name.”

“How do you find out these things?” Rena asked.

“I got the account numbers from the trust and asked a friend to get me the balances.” Richard took off his glasses.

Miller had already started on a sea green origami crane. “How big is Jeffrey’s insurance policy?”

Richard replied, “Five hundred thousand. It’s a lot, but it doesn’t seem enough to finance a casino. They still have a mortgage.” He raised one eyebrow. “Of course, depending on the policy, it could climb to one mil.”

“I’ve got to think that the insurance beneficiary would have been the first place the police would have looked for a suspect,” Gene said. “They arrested Brian, not Frances.”

“Gene, how did your meeting with Brian go?” Hollis asked.

Gene shrugged. “He either has academy award winning acting potential or he is sincerely trying to find out about his father’s estate. Either way, he doesn’t seem too concerned about being accused of murder. He also doesn’t seem that interested in finding out who did kill his father.”

“I noticed that too,” Hollis said.

Rena rubbed her forehead. “What’s his background?”

“He’s a supply manager for a wholesale company,” Gene said. “He graduated from San Francisco State and is at the same job he took right after college. He has a longtime girlfriend. He said they’re thinking of getting married next year. Pretty ordinary, actually.”

“That it?” Richard asked.

“Yeah, but I learned something interesting.” Gene frowned. “There was one odd moment. I asked if Frances had any children from her former marriages. She didn’t. Then I said something about growing up Jeffrey’s only child and he said he wasn’t. He has an older brother who left home when he was a teenager.”

“What was so odd about that?” Miller asked. “Although, he didn’t show up for his father’s funeral.”

Gene jutted an index finger into the air. “Exactly. I think Brian was holding something back.”

Hollis straightened. “What about?”

Gene shrugged. “I don’t know, just a sense. I’m not as good as you are with lie detecting.”

“Interesting,” she said. “I have a meeting with him this evening. I want to talk to him about his argument with Jeffrey. I never thought about doing this, but maybe I should run PeopleSearch on Brian.” Hollis was talking to herself more than the others. She wondered why she hadn’t considered it at their last meeting. But until now it hadn’t occurred to her that a public records search could possibly turn anything up. “It could answer a few questions.”

Richard stopped slouching and looked up. “It couldn’t hurt.”

“I agree, but where do we go from here?” Rena asked. “I’ve got a buyer’s trip coming up for the store, and I have to prepare. Are you going to need me for the next couple of days?”

Miller put away his origami papers. “Yeah, I need to get ready for our quarterly board meeting.”

“We have a little time before Brian wants to file the trust,” Hollis said. “Other than a lot of curious and suspicious findings, I don’t think we have any reason not to let it go forward.”

Richard gathered his folders. “Maybe there’s nothing to find.”

Hollis frowned. “On the other hand, there is just too much smoke.”