“Maybe you can go there anytime, Hollis, but I can’t,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to go there. I’ve never been.”
She mentally kicked herself for her insensitivity. “Then that’s where we’ll go. Are there any friends you want to invite?”
“You’re my only real friend,” he said. “Do you think Stephanie would come?”
Hollis grimaced at the thought of Stephanie’s reaction to going to an all-you-can-eat restaurant—for Vince. She would have to do a little arm twisting.
“I’ll ask her. I’m sure she will. But, what about young people your own age?”
He said, “No, not really.” He took a long pause. “But who knows, maybe I’ll make friends at Laney College.”
Hollis caught her breath then squealed. “Vince Colton, you come upstairs right now!”
A wide smile spread across her face. In less than five minutes, Vince stood in front of her desk. She came around to give him an embrace.
“I don’t care if you don’t like them,” she said. “You are getting a big hug.”
She gave him a robust squeeze.
Vince said, “It’s okay. I don’t mind.” He stiffened and accepted her hug.
“Are you going to apply to Laney?” Hollis asked. “Community colleges are a great way to get an advanced education. Have you spoken to a counselor? Do you need me to help you?”
Vince laughed. It was a wonderful, hearty sound.
She startled. She had never heard him laugh before.
He moved closer, keeping his arms to his side. “You’ve been great to me. I will never be able to thank you enough, but I think you’d want me to take it from here.”
Hollis nodded. And for the first time in the short year she’d known him, she knew he was going to be okay.
That evening, the Fallen Angels came to a pause in their deliberations. They sat somberly in the same room that had witnessed so many of their discussions over the years.
Richard said, “I guess I always thought we would solve Jeffrey’s murder and somehow pay him back.” He passed his hand over his head. “Now, they may never find out who really did it.”
“I thought we were getting close,” Miller said, finishing a pale pink origami crane. “I always thought it was Todd.” He paused. “That is, once I knew there was a Todd.”
Gene shrugged. “I wanted to find the killer for Jeffrey, too. I thought if we worked together we could accomplish what the police couldn’t.”
Sitting next to him, Rena leaned over to pat him on the shoulder.
Hollis looked around at each of them in turn. “So, are we giving up?”
“What do you expect us to do?” Richard said. “The police are trying to link Jeffrey’s murder to Todd’s. You have to file the trust, and once that’s done, what reason do we still have to poke around?”
Gene said in a quiet voice, “Hollis, I know you don’t think the murders are linked—that Jeffrey’s killer is still out there—but we’ve all neglected our jobs and violated some privacy law or another to come up with a lot of puzzle pieces that don’t quite fit together. We gave it our best shot, and frankly, I’m just out of ideas.”
She stood. “Then let’s go through everything we know one more time.”
They all groaned.
Ignoring them, Hollis walked around the table. “Why was Todd killed? Why is Frances so happy and so anxious? Why is Brian, who should be concerned, not scared? Why is the trust for a modest estate such a big deal? What happened three months ago that caused Frances to file for divorce?”
“You don’t suppose Frances caught Jeffrey with Patrice Leoni, do you?” Rena asked.
Richard shook his head. “Oh no, Rena, don’t encourage her. Besides, the police must have eliminated that angle weeks ago.”
Rena said, “Maybe Frances kept quiet about knowing. She was proud and hurt. She would divorce him and go on with her life. After Jeffrey was murdered, there was nothing else for her to do. She may be a little greedy and insensitive, but I believe her. She wants the trust done with.”
Hollis looked doubtful. “Nah, it’s possible, but I don’t see her keeping that kind of knowledge to herself.”
Gene drummed his fingers on the table. “Rena may have a point. There may be something to the mistress angle.”
She ignored them both. “It’s about the trust. The trust is at the center of it all. We need to go back to square one.”
“Don’t you guys get it?” Gene looked at the others. “Hollis is not going to let us go home. They’ll find our bodies here, rotting from mental overdrive.” He took out a pad of paper. “Okay, one last time. Let’s tackle each question separately.”
He wrote at the top of one page: ‘Why was Todd killed?’
“If we’re brainstorming, suppose it was just a mugging?” Miller said. “But I’m going to cancel my own idea. His death was personal.”
Richard frowned and shook his head. “He knew something about Jeffrey’s killing and he had to be silenced.”
Rena rubbed her forehead. “But if we assume—like Hollis said—that it has to do with the trust, Todd didn’t want anything to do with it. He was ready to walk away from the first editions. But Brian wanted the money from the sale of those books.”
“Once Jeffrey was killed, only two people benefited from the trust,” Gene said, “Frances and Brian.”
“Excuse me,” Richard said. “But remember, there was nothing in the trust to make it worth killing for.”
“Wait,” Miller said, “what if the first editions are more valuable than we thought? What if the first appraiser missed something?”
Rena picked up Gene’s pad and tore off another sheet of paper. She made a circle of arrows. “If Todd was killed for the first editions, then either Frances or Brian could have wanted the cash that wasn’t coming through the trust.”
Hollis sat up. “I don’t know. Those first editions were there from the beginning. It’s an idea, but it doesn’t feel … I just don’t think that’s it. I wonder if Todd found out that Frances was hiding assets.”
“Uh-oh,” Richard said, gathering his jacket and cap. “We’re going in another circle. Look, I’ve got to get home. We’ve got company coming over.”
Miller glanced at his cellphone. “I need to get going, too.”
Gene considered Hollis with concern. “Is there any way you could get another appraiser to look at those first editions on Monday?”
They all paused for her response.
“I guess.” Hollis hesitated. “Brian has them. I can ask if I can show them to someone else. Say, Rena, while I’m checking with Brian, can you contact Nate and find out what, or if, there is word on the street about Todd?”
“Sure. What are you thinking?”
Hollis frowned. “I’m thinking Todd was silenced. I’m thinking they—whoever ‘they’ are—didn’t want him to tell me something. It may have been about the first editions, but he said it was about the trust. But, to close the question, I’ll follow up with an appraiser and eliminate the first editions from our consideration.”
“Good,” Richard said. “If you come up with anything, we can get together Tuesday night.”
Rena put on her jacket. “That’s cutting it awfully close to hearing time. Will that work?”
Hollis nodded. “We can always meet after the hearing if there is anything we can do to find Jeffrey’s killer. Just because the trust is filed doesn’t mean we have to give up.”
They all left except Gene, who held back.
“You okay? I didn’t want to scare you, but I’m glad you’re still filing the trust next week. I was worried you might be in danger if you didn’t file it on time. If you’re being followed—”
“I’m fine.” Hollis held up her hand in mild protest. “Gene, you know I don’t scare that easy. I’m going to hang in there. I get the feeling I’m making at least one somebody very nervous. It’s time I stopped looking for what makes sense and go for what makes crazy.”
Chapter 32
&n
bsp; Brian sounded irritated when Hollis called to ask to see the first editions.
“I don’t understand,” he said. “They’ve already been valued by an approved expert. I have a certificate. Why do you need to see them again?”
Hollis hedged. “I’d like to have them in court with me on Thursday so that I can show the judge that at the time probate was filed, the asset was intact.”
He grudgingly acquiesced. “Well then, I guess I don’t have much choice. Come by whenever you want. I’m going to be home all day.”
It was a gloomy first day of summer. Hollis parked in the driveway and picked up what looked like three days of newspapers scattered on the path to the front door. She waited for Brian to answer, and when he did, she gasped at his appearance. Unless he had multiples of his favorite outfit, these were the same clothes he had on days earlier when she visited.
Something was wrong, but she didn’t have much time.
She could feel the adrenaline pumping into her chest, and she put her shaking hand in her pocket. Brian was too far into his own world and didn’t appear to notice.
“Do you mind if I use your phone?” Hollis asked with only a slight tremor in her voice. “My battery is dead, and I need to check my messages. I have a tentative appointment after I leave here.”
He pointed to a handset on the coffee table.
Hollis tapped in the numbers and gave Brian a tentative smile.
“I’ll go get the books,” Brian said, shuffling down the hallway.
Hollis quickly put the phone down, went into the dining room, and headed toward the cat poster, now jammed behind several boxes. Moving a container aside, she slipped her hand behind the plastic casing and felt for the gun resting on the bottom. Removing the Smith & Wesson, she returned to the living room and set the gun on the table in front of her.
Brian froze and set the books down. He appeared stricken, and his already pale face, bloodless.
“How did you know where to look? I’d hidden it here first, but ….” His voice was faint. “The police just gave me access to Dad’s office furnishings two days ago.”
Hollis didn’t think this was a good time to say she’d finally understood Brian’s guilty behavior. She knew he hated that poster. It was likely some symbol of a father–son dynamic she would never understand. Jeffrey had kept it on his wall for a reason. Mosley had noticed it too.
“You should have gotten rid of the gun,” she said. “It was an accident, wasn’t it? Do you want to tell me what happened?”
Brian looked at her, but he didn’t see her. From his gaze, it was clear his thoughts had gone back in time to the confrontation that had changed his life. He stared at the gun.
“In the end, you’re right, it was just an accident,” he murmured.
“But how could it be an accident, when you brought a gun to your father’s office?”
He looked at her. “Dad was more proud of his parolees than he was of his own children. He spent all hours of the day and night making sure his ‘caseload’ was doing okay.” Brian raised his fingers in air quotes. “He made sure you guys had extra help and attention, but me and Todd … we got the crumbs.”
Hollis frowned. He hadn’t answered her question. “Uh, Brian, what kind of problems did you need his attention for?”
He ignored her question again. “When I was a kid, I used to think that if I went to prison and got out, I could possibly have his attention all the time.”
She moved closer. “So, what happened that night?”
“We were going to go out to dinner after he got off work, but he said something had come up and he’d have to reschedule.” Brian’s eyes glistened. “I wanted to tell him I was getting married. You know, a father and son talk, but he was too busy. He told me to hang in there.”
Like the poster.
Hollis swallowed. “Do you really have a fiancée? Maybe he didn’t believe—”
“Yeah … well, no … not now. It was over. But he didn’t know that.” He ran his hand over his head. “She didn’t think I was much, either. That’s why I wanted my own business. She’d have changed her mind. If I could have talked with him ….”
“I’m sure if he had known you were going to tell—”
“So, I came by his office anyway.” Brian paused. “I brought the gun. I don’t know why …. I think I just wanted to scare him. To get him to see what he’d driven me to.”
Hollis swallowed. “Did you fight?”
Brian nodded. “He told me I was acting like a child. I needed to grow up. He said all I wanted him to do was provide a shortcut. ‘A reason not to work for something,’ he said. He said it was a good thing I wasn’t getting married. She was smarter than he’d given her credit for. He couldn’t imagine why I thought I was ready to get married when I was so … so immature.”
She winced.
Brian sat back in his chair. “That’s when I shot him. He made me so angry. He looked at me as if seeing me for the first time. His hands clutched his stomach and the blood just started to pour out …. Then he fell to the floor.” Brian’s voice had dropped to a whisper. “I held him and told him I was sorry. But he was gone, just like that.”
Hollis said nothing.
“I was scared and ran away. I took the gun with me. I’d bought it at a gun show. I didn’t have a permit, so it couldn’t be traced to me. I came straight home, hid it in my neighbor’s yard, and then showered after I threw away the clothes I wore. I knew about gunshot residue, so I made sure it was gone. I guess I missed my shoes.” Brian turned away.
“You left your dad there for the cleaning crew to find?” She couldn’t stop the words from leaving her lips. “You were wrong. He didn’t die right away. May be you could have saved him.”
Brian finally turned to look at her and seemed to realize who she was. His smile was forlorn.
“Yeah. Aren’t I a piece of work?” He paced back and forth. “I wanted the Fallen Angels to find something wrong with the trust. Dad was so proud of all of you. I thought you could figure it out. But you guys could never find anything. Frances didn’t love Dad. My attorney told me she’d already started to divorce him. Then when I … when I …. I guess she figured she didn’t have to. I know she’s hiding something. I’d rather give every dollar to the Public Library Foundation than let her have a dime.”
“Look, Brian, let me help you with this. You don’t have to worry about the trust. Even if the trust gets recorded on Thursday, it doesn’t mean that we can’t keep looking for more assets. You need to deal with the … the other thing. Let me ….”
Tears formed in his eyes. “You know, I think it’s best if you leave … now.”
She shivered. “Brian, you need help—someone to talk to. I’ll come with you to turn yourself in. You don’t have to drive there by yourself.”
He gave a sad chuckle. “I have no intention of turning myself in.”
He wasn’t lying.
Hollis looked into his eyes. She wasn’t afraid of Brian; he’d already shown his weakness.
“Let me call your lawyer. He’s probably dealt with … things like this. He can advise you what to do next. There are all kinds of circumstances for … for manslaughter, maybe ….”
“Thanks for trying to help, but please leave me alone.”
Hollis started to protest, when he stood up, picked up the gun, and gestured her toward the front door.
She walked slowly to give herself time to think, but Brian reached the door first and held it open. She stepped out onto the porch and turned to face him, but he slammed the door behind her. She got out her phone and punched 911.
A shot rang out.
Chapter 33
Brian’s suicide was only a blip in the paper the next day. Hollis had already texted the Fallen Angels to let them know. Richard and Miller responded with relief that Jeffrey’s murder had been resolved. Gene was concerned that she was okay, and Rena invited her to her house for a drink. They all still wanted to get together on Wednesday before the
hearing—for closure.
At home, Hollis turned on the public radio jazz station as loud as she dared and lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling and waiting for the numbness to subside.
“Goodbye, Jeffrey.” The words came softly to her lips.
She was glad John was attending training in Chicago. She couldn’t explain the frustration and sadness that clung to her over the realities of Jeffrey’s and Brian’s deaths. Hollis didn’t want him to think it had anything to do with their moving in together, so she told him in an unemotional tone what had happened. From his soothing tone, she could tell he knew what she was going through.
On Sunday, she visited Rena, who was home alone with Christopher while Mark was visiting his family out of state.
“Here’s to you and John. I am so happy for you both.” Rena poured a glass of her favorite Malbec.
They raised their glasses and sipped.
Rena shook her head. “I don’t know which is sadder—that Jeffrey was killed by his own son, or that his son killed himself because he felt so much guilt and despair.”
Hollis mused, “First Jeffrey, then Todd, and now Brian. The only one left standing is Frances.”
“Well, one thing’s for certain: Frances didn’t kill Jeffrey.” Rena took a sip of wine. “And remember, she was at work when Todd was murdered.”
“Yes, I know—how convenient. All along Brian believed she was hiding assets and he always hoped we’d find them … in time.” She paused. “Frances can’t contain herself until the hearing on Thursday. I had to reassure her again this morning during her allocated five seconds of grief that her stepson’s death would not slow things down.”
Rena nodded with understanding. “But there’s really nothing to keep the trust from filing on time, even I’m sick of her asking about it. Why does she think there’d be a problem?”
“Because I think she knows there’s something out there that can stop it,” Hollis said. “There’s something she knows that she doesn’t want me to find out. That’s why she keeps checking in with me.”
Hollis stared into her glass of wine. She knew she was in a race with Frances, but the stakes were elusive. A clock was ticking and Frances was heading for the goal line. Had she already said something that should have tipped Hollis off?
The Return of the Fallen Angels Book Club (A Hollis Morgan Mystery 3) Page 23