by Liliana Hart
“But Buck had the last laugh. She didn’t accept the quarterly payments, but he made her the beneficiary in his will. The kids would inherit the business and several investments. But the bulk of his estate would go to Heather. I know the details because I drew up his will.”
“Did he plan on paying them indefinitely?” Agatha asked.
Her smile was sly, and there was a twinkle in her pale blue eyes. “No,” she said. “In fact, Buck was planning on dropping quite the bombshell on each of them. It seems little Candy has vicious claws, and she was tired of him having any connection, especially a financial connection, with the women of his past. She gave him an ultimatum.”
“Did she know Heather was included in Buck’s will?” Hank asked.
“She did,” Ava said. “And I have no idea how she found out. The only person who has ever known the contents of Buck’s will for the past fifty years is Buck and me. I’ve made the adjustments that need to be made through the year, but the contents have always been sealed. And I don’t believe my brother would’ve shared them with Candy. He never shared that information with any of his wives.”
“What’d she do when she found out?” Agatha asked.
“It wasn’t pretty,” Ava said, and there was a gleeful look in her eyes as she recounted the event. “She was mad as a hornet when she came storming into my office. She called me all kinds of vile names and demanded that I immediately remove Heather’s name from “Our will” as she kept calling it. She tried to insinuate that Buck was too old to make decisions of this magnitude, and she was going to press for diminished capacity.
“I told her she was crazy as a bedbug, and then she really got mad. She told me it was my fault and that she was going to complain to the bar association for giving advice to a client that wasn’t in his best interest, and that I was no longer competent to practice law. I enjoyed her show of temper for about ten or fifteen minutes, at least until she started breaking things, and then I told her to get out. I have to admit I would’ve liked to have popped her one right in her nose job. She told me, rather dramatically I might add, that I was going to be sorry. And then she stormed out and slammed the door behind her.”
“She actually threatened you?” Agatha asked. She reached out and touched Ava’s hand sympathetically.
Hank noticed the move and was happy that he and Agatha worked so well together. He had highly trained partners in the past that had failed to read the situation while questioning someone. But he knew that Agatha anticipated the conversation was moving closer to attorney/client privilege and confidentiality expectations. Making that personal contact was a great move for helping to ease Ava into more details.
“She sure did, but she doesn’t scare me. I was on the team that helped put Happy Clarke in prison back in nineteen sixty-seven. Candy hasn’t got anything on the mafia when it comes to intimidation tactics.”
“Wow,” Agatha said. “I’d love to hear all of that story one day.”
“Any time,” she said.
“What do you think happened to Buck?” Hank asked. “He could’ve died from natural causes.”
“Fiddlesticks,” she said. “Buck had just had a physical and a checkup. “I told him inviting all those women to the party was a mistake, but he just laughed and said it would be great entertainment. Even better than the fireworks. He was murdered. No doubt in my mind. The question is, who did it?”
“I don’t suppose we could get the particulars of the will where Heather is concerned?” Agatha asked.
“You’re a friend of Heather’s?” Ava asked, shrewdly.
“She’s my best friend. And she’s been sitting in jail since last night. If Ritzo and Kraken can do it, she’ll end up taking the fall for Buck’s murder.”
“Oh, they can do it,” she said. “I’ve seen it happen. Which is why I knew your name was familiar,” she said, looking at Hank. “I know you’ve donated a lot of your time to the Innocence Project.”
“Yes,” he said. “But this time I’m going to take them down. They’ve tarnished the badge for too long.”
“Well then,” she said, clasping her hands together. “I don’t see why I can’t give you a copy of the will, considering Heather is the beneficiary. We’ll call you her representatives to make it a little less sticky since she’s in jail. I’ve been an attorney a long time, but I never allowed myself to get jaded by the system or bilk my clients for money for no reason. I believe in justice. I’ll send a copy of the will to your email.”
“We appreciate it,” Hank said.
“You don’t happen to have that cookie recipe,” Agatha said, eating the crumbs off her napkin. They’d managed to finish off all of the cookies during their conversation.
“The will I’ll give you,” Ava said. “But the cookie recipe is a family secret.”
“Understood,” Agatha said. “May I use your bathroom before we go? I can’t make it past the speed humps again.”
“If you go fast enough you barely even feel them,” Ava said. “The bathroom is through that door there.”
They said their goodbyes a few minutes later, and Stewart showed them back out the side door.
Agatha waited until they were in the car before she asked, “What do you think?”
“It’s hard not to like a woman who’s gone toe to toe with one of the most infamous mobsters in the country.”
“I want to be like her when I grow up,” Agatha said, settling back for the drive to Rusty Gun.
Chapter Thirteen
“We’re closer to Candy’s home than we are to ours,” Agatha said to Hank. “Why don’t we drop by and see if she’ll talk to us? She hasn’t shut up to anyone who would listen since Buck died. Maybe she’ll give us the same courtesy.”
“Maybe,” Hank agreed. “I doubt she’s home though. And how in the heck are we supposed to get in? They’ve probably still got the crime scene tape up.”
Agatha held her arm up and so the red rubber bracelet could be seen on her arm. With the chaos following Buck’s death, I bet they haven’t dismantled the entrance point for the party.”
“Hmm,” Hank said.
Agatha smiled as she recognized the sound Hank made whenever he was thinking through scenarios. But his interest was piqued.
Instead of taking the exit that would’ve led them back to Rusty Gun, he took the exit leading them toward Dallas.
“Coil texted while we were talking to Ava,” Agatha said. “I reached out to him earlier to see what he could find out about the bracelets and the guest list. I read off the brand name on the bracelet, and Coil said he knew the guy who owned the company. Someone name Joel.”
“Well, that’s great news.”
“Kind of,” she said. “Apparently it’s not a problem for the guy to access the data, but the collection device is still at the party.”
“Maybe we can borrow it if we manage to get on the property.”
“Borrow it?” Agatha said, grinning. “Why Hank Davidson, I think I’ve become a bad influence on you.”
He just grunted and kept his eyes on the road, but she could’ve sworn she saw his mouth twitch.
“I still don’t understand why Ritzo and Kraken would focus in on Heather when all the ex-wives were on the property,” she said. “They didn’t even consider talking to them.”
“Seriously?” Hank asked. “Heather is going to inherit a whole bunch of money. And Candy knew it. That gives Heather means, motive, and opportunity.”
“Would Heather lose the inheritance if she was arrested for murder?” Agatha asked.
“It could certainly be contested and tied up in the courts,” Hank said. “And if she were found guilty, she could lose it.”
It was an hour and a half drive to Dallas, and it would be dark by the time they got there. Probably a good thing since their being on the property wasn’t exactly above board. She laid her seat back and closed her eyes, while Hank put in his ear buds and listened to his latest A.C. Riddle mystery on audiobook.
Hank turned his headlights off as they turned onto the long road that led to Buck’s ranch. It was a private road, so there was no traffic. There were a couple of trucks parked in the field where they’d set up games and the fireworks, but other than that, there didn’t seem to be anyone else around.
“What about the staff?” Agatha asked. “Maybe we should knock on the door, just in case.”
“We can,” Hank said while reaching for a red-lens flashlight to help from being detected. “But I think that would get us scooted out of here in a hurry. Let’s just see what we see.”
“I didn’t exactly dress for B and E,” she said, looking down at her shirt and ballet flats.”
“I’ve got a go-bag in the trunk,” Hank said. “I think I’ve got a black jacket in there.”
Agatha met Hank at his open trunk, and he was digging into a black bag. He pulled out a black long sleeve shirt and pulled it on over his white dress shirt and weapon. Then he handed her a black Gortex jacket that was several sizes too large, but it’s not like she could expect him to carry her size in the trunk of his car.
She put it on and zipped it up, and then rolled up the sleeves so they didn’t hang down past her hands.
“There are going to be motion-activated perimeter lights all around,” Hank said, “So we can either try to avoid them, or just go ahead and let them pop on. It’s not unusual for these kinds of lights to get activated, so I wouldn’t particularly worry about it. Any number of things could set them off, from wild animals to a strong gust of wind.”
They moved quickly down the half mile path toward the house and the scanner that was set up to open the gate so they could get onto the property.
“Looks like I’m getting my run in today anyway,” she said, panting as they approached the gates.
Her adrenaline was pumping, and she was more out of breath than she should’ve been because of it. Her hands were sweaty, and she wiped her palms on her slacks. It was just now starting to dawn on her what they were about to do.
“Oh, man,” she said.
“Second thoughts?” Hank whispered.
She shook her head and then realized Hank probably couldn’t see her, so she said, “No.”
She reminded herself that Heather was worth breaking and entering for. Though it wouldn’t do Heather a whole lot of good if she was occupying the cell next to her.
They approached the gate and the box where she could scan her bracelet.
“Wait,” she said, pulling her arm back before the chip could be scanned.
“What?” Hank asked.
“This will show that I was here tonight. How in the world will I explain that?”
“We’re taking the box when we leave, and in the slight chance of the data being stored in a cloud, just tell whoever asks that the bracelet fell off at the party.”
“Wow,” she said dryly. “You had that one ready to go.”
“I’ve had a little practice at this,” he said.
She nodded and then scanned the bracelet over the plate where it glowed red. And then it turned green and there was the sound of a lock clicking as the gate unlatched. The challenge was for them to both squeeze through the small gate. They embraced and then scooted through as one. No problem.
“Now what?” she whispered.
“Let’s get the box and get out of here.”
“Don’t you want to look around? Maybe try to get back in the room where Buck was found?”
“Actually, going inside the house adds an extra layer to this,” he said.
“I want to see what’s in the drawer,” she whispered. She felt his forearm tense, and she realized he was reaching for his weapon. Fear spiked inside of her, and she could feel her pulse thumping in her throat. “What is it?”
“I heard someone,” Hank said. “Follow me and stay close.”
It was then she heard it too. Precise, almost angry footsteps across a manicured gravel pathway.
Hank grabbed her and hurried her toward the shadows, finally picking her up so they didn’t make too much noise. They followed the edge of the fence at the back of the house, and the smell of chlorine from the pool grew stronger. She could see the glint of the water in the moonlight, but the house was completely dark.
Her breaths were coming in hard pants when they stopped near the gazebo. “Who is it?”
“How would I know?” he said.
Lights began to turn on, section by section. They were still safe, but if they kept turning on lights they’d eventually be seen.
“It’s them,” Agatha hissed. “Ritzo and Kraken.”
“I can only imagine what they’re up to alone in the dark,” Hank whispered. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they broke into Heather’s house while she’s in lockup so they could pilfer and then plant a few things around the crime scene.”
The reality of this entire farce was becoming too real and too much to deal with. At what point would the cavalry arrive? Good is supposed to conquer evil. How could these two detectives exercise so much power without accountability?
“I really hate them,” she said.
Hank’s grip tightened on her arm, but it was too late. They’d heard something and turned to look in their direction.
“What do we do?” she asked.
“We just go further into the field.”
“The security lights will expose us,” she said.
They were crouched down behind the gazebo, and her thighs were beginning to burn. They could see over the railing and the light was at the detective’s backs. They were still a good distance away, but it wouldn’t be long before they were right on top of them.
“We need to hide,” she said.
“Where? We can’t stay here. They’re heading this way.”
“The hot tub.”
“You want to hold your breath in a hot tub?” Hank asked.
Ritzo was a few steps ahead of Kraken. He held a flashlight. The powerful beam scanned back and forth across the open area. It wouldn’t be long until they wouldn’t be able to run or hide without getting exposed. She had to do something.
“If I remember right, the hot tub isn’t filled to the brim.”
“Here’s to hoping your memory is right and their ears are dull,” Hank said.
Hank grabbed her hand and they moved toward the Olympic sized pool with the ridiculous fountain of the mermaids in the middle. Unfortunately, the fountain wasn’t on. There was a stone wall that led down into a lagoon style hot tub.
Agatha could hear the two men talking. Their voices were unsure and angry. She could tell that they were there just like she and Hank—without permission. The difference was what each duo was willing to do to avoid detection.
“Stay low, and on this cement,” Hank said softly. “They’ll see footprints in the grass.”
Agatha was amazed that Hank’s mind was processing information so fast, and under such duress. She was doing good not to fall over in a dead faint.
“They’re moving in,” she said. “What are we going to do?”
“Go,” he said. “Now.”
The urgency was unmistakable. They ran in the dark toward the hot tub, and Agatha rolled into the lagoon-style hot tub. She saw Hank take his gun out and set it within arm’s reach before he did the same.
The water was warm, and they moved to the inside edge and waited, breaths as quiet as they could manage. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark, but it was even darker inside the hot tub with the lush foliage surrounding them. She barely heard the sound of him releasing his magazine from his pistol, and he took a couple of bullets out before he put the magazine back in.
Agatha stared in wide-eyed confusion as he took the bullets in his hand and threw them as far as he could in the opposite direction.
“Over there,” she heard one of the detectives say. And then she breathed out a sigh of relief and settled in to wait for their chance to escape.
Chapter Fourteen
Monday
* * *
Hank wante
d to stay in bed. The night before definitely wasn’t on his top ten list of great date nights. They’d been stuck in that hot tub for more than an hour before they’d been able to escape and make their way back to the car.
Hank rolled out of bed and went into the kitchen so he could enjoy his breakfast of a banana and an Ensure. He was just as much a creature of habit as Agatha was.
Coil had text messaged him earlier to say he was stopping by, and Hank had given him an abbreviated run-down of what they’d learned so far. He’d told Coil he’d be out back having breakfast. He liked sitting at the little table on his patio, watching the birds and looking at his roses. It was peaceful. And retired people were supposed to do stuff like that instead of hiding from the cops in a hot tub.
Hank had been thinking about Buck’s will. Candy, Ritzo, and Kraken had to be in on it together. It made perfect sense. Candy somehow found out about the will, which means she’d know that if Heather went to prison, she could contest it and become Buck’s beneficiary since she was his legal wife at time of death. All Candy had to do was promise Ritzo and Kraken a cut of the money, and then their investigation would turn toward Heather and stay there.
“It’s me,” Coil called out and opened the back gate.
“Come on back,” Hank said. “There’s fresh coffee inside.”
Coil nodded and went into the kitchen and then came back a couple of minutes later with a mug of coffee. He wore his habitual uniform of jeans and a western-style shirt, this one in tan, and his badge and gun were at his waist.
“Heard you got a little wet last night,” Coil said as he folded his long, wiry body into the chair next to Hank.
“It was an interesting night,” Hank said. “I’d prefer not to have another one like it. Retired people aren’t supposed to do stuff like that.”
“Technically, no one is supposed to do stuff like that. It’s against the law.”
Hank smiled and acknowledged him with his bottle of Ensure. “I was hoping you’d be able to help us out with the next step in this mess. I’m guessing the police chief and the mayor are still staying out of reach?”