The Inheritance Part II

by Olivia Mayfield

  The Inheritance

  Part II

  Olivia Mayfield

  INTERMIX BOOKS, NEW YORK

  INTERMIX BOOKS

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (USA) LLC

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

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  A Penguin Random House Company

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  THE INHERITANCE PART II: THE WITNESS

  An InterMix Book / published by arrangement with the author

  PUBLISHING HISTORY

  InterMix eBook edition / October 2013

  Copyright © 2013 by Rhonda Helms.

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  ISBN: 978-1-101-62602-3

  INTERMIX

  InterMix Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group

  and New American Library, divisions of Penguin Group (USA) LLC,

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  INTERMIX and the “IM” design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) LLC

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  About the Author

  The Witness

  Chapter 7

  It took Maggie several moments to catch her breath. Luckily, David was a consummate professional—after murmuring for her to stay in place, he stepped out of the room and was quickly on the phone with the police department, notifying them of the situation in that calm, cool way that officers do. Then he left the house briefly, came back inside bearing a black gym bag, dug inside them for gloves and searched the room for what she presumed was evidence.

  “Do you know why someone would do this?” he asked. “Have you gotten any threats recently?”

  She swallowed. “No, not at all. But . . . I am looking into my sister’s case, as you know.” She paused for a moment to consider her words carefully—she hadn’t told David about the inheritance, and she wasn’t sure if she should yet. “I’ve been making some calls and looking into people who might know what happened to her. I wonder if I’ve scared someone.”

  He glanced up at her from his spot on the floor. “I’d like you to get me a list of who you’ve contacted so far. We can find out the whereabouts of those people during the time of the break-in.”

  “Okay.” She stared at her destroyed computer, the empty black computer bag gaping wide open. Her lungs squeezed impossibly tight. Idiot, she cursed herself. She should have secured her case notes better. But how could she have known someone would do this?

  Was it Bethany? Andrew?

  Maggie sighed. So much for their verbal agreement at the diner.

  Someone had wanted to screw with her progress. And that person now had her notes, the information in Cassandra’s diary—stuff only she had accessed from the evidence room. Was the intruder trying to make sure she didn’t succeed . . . or trying to hide something she might have inadvertently stumbled across? This break-in only reaffirmed that she needed to keep digging into her sister’s case, that she was on the right track, as scary as it seemed.

  Then another realization occurred, stealing the air from her lungs. The intruder had obviously been watching her. Waiting for her to leave the house before breaking in. Maybe that person was still out there right now, somewhere.

  A chill skittered across her skin, and she wrapped her arms tightly around her, her mind swirling. What should she do now? With a shaky hand, she reached into her pocket and started to dial her mom’s work number, then paused. Should she even tell her parents? Would she be dragging them into the middle of her trouble if she did?

  Or endangering them if she didn’t?

  Her chest squeezed.

  “Maggie,” David said, coming up to her. She whirled around, fixing her gaze on his furrowed brow and serious dark eyes. “Unfortunately, I haven’t found anything in the room that stands out as evidence, even with dusting for fingerprints. I’m still going to file a report, anyway, so we have a record of the incident. And I’ll check into that list of people. But I think we should first look at the rest of the house to make sure nothing else was disturbed or stolen.”

  She nodded numbly and followed him from room to room. All of the other bedrooms were fine. Kitchen, living room, family room, basement, her dad’s office, fine. She was the only one targeted in the house—that much was clear.

  “Do you think I should tell my parents?” she asked him.

  He paused, tilting his head. Then he nodded. “It’s their home. They need to know. For their own safety.”

  She sighed. “You’re right. I just . . . I feel like I’ve brought this here because of the case.” A swell of anger surged through her torso to her fingers and toes, and her skin grew flushed. She’d find out who had tried to sabotage her case. And when she did, she’d make sure justice was served.

  Thankfully she’d taken pictures of the diary, of the evidence box. She could recreate her notes without too much trouble. Buy another computer. Get another copy of the police records. Straighten up her room—later, though. Not right now. But it would all be okay eventually.

  It had to be. Because she was pissed. If someone was trying to discourage her from the case, the plan had backfired. Fresh determination made her pinch her lips, straighten her spine.

  “I think you’re fine now, but I’ll send a squad car by later to check on you. And you have my number if you need it.” David reached a hand up to cup her shoulder, peering down into her eyes. Warmth seeped into her skin as his thumb rubbed the edge of her collarbone. Worry creased his dark brow. “Are you doing okay? Really? This is a very scary thing to happen to a person, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you feel unsettled for a while.”

  She forced a smile to her face and nodded. “Don’t worry about me, please. I’m going to call my mom. And I’ll let you know if anything else happens.” At least she had someone in this town she could reach out to without questioning his motives. “Thanks for getting here so quickly and helping me with this,” she added. “I appreciate it.”

  David gave her one last look, his gaze holding hers for a few seconds. “Promise to call us if you need anything. At all. Day or night. It can be hard when your home has been violated. Just keep the alarm set and your phone nearby—we’re only a phone call away.” He gave her a small, sympathetic smile, then left.

  Maggie locked the door behind him then collapsed onto the couch, her sudden whirlwind of angry energy fle
eing her. This was just so messed up. Her brain was running so fast she couldn’t process everything yet.

  She dialed her mom’s number and explained what had happened in a matter-of-fact way, trying to keep her own voice steady and unexcited so her mom wouldn’t panic too much. “I’m safe, and this won’t harm my research. It’ll be fine,” she promised, despite her private misgivings.

  Her mom huffed a heavy sigh, weariness and concern pouring from her voice. “I’m glad you weren’t hurt, though this makes me that much angrier that you and your brother are being dragged into such a dangerous game.” Her tone shifted into the cool, clipped tones of In-control Mom. “Okay, we’re going to change the locks on the house—today. I’m calling someone as soon as we hang up. Maybe you should call your cop friend back over to stay there with you until things are safe.”

  “I’m not in danger, I promise.” She hoped, anyway. The furnace kicked on, and a whoosh of air filled the silence around her. Her heart fluttered against her rib cage and she clenched the phone tighter. She suddenly realized how very alone she was in here with David gone. That made her stand and grab her purse. Maybe she would go somewhere else, somewhere much more public, at least until her parents got home. “But I’m going to go out. I’ll see you when you get home.”

  “Maggie.” Her mom’s tone dropped and took on a ragged edge. “Please, be careful. It would kill me if . . .” Her words trailed off. They both knew what she wasn’t saying.

  “I know, Mom,” Maggie soothed. She fought to keep the shakes out of her voice. She had to stay strong. “I’m okay, I promise. I have a good head on my shoulders. I won’t get hurt.”

  After several more minutes of comforting her mom and swearing to keep her phone on and close by, Maggie hung up, gathered up the groceries, put them away and left after setting the alarm and locking the door and deadbolt. She glanced at her car, then decided against it. She needed to walk. She needed the cold air to help ground her a bit.

  On impulse, she dialed her brother’s number. He didn’t pick up.

  “Robert, we need to talk. Call me,” she said, then hung up and crammed the phone back into her pocket.

  Break-in aside, the two of them needed to have a heart-to-heart about this inheritance “contest” in general. She had to find out how he felt. To make sure this wasn’t going to cause more pain and separation to their family. Her mom was already going through hell again with Cassandra’s disappearance, as was her dad. She refused to contribute to that—or to let her brother contribute either.

  Cars dawdled by as she crossed the street and made her way down the block. She held her head high, her eyes straight ahead, though she kept all senses on high alert. It was possible whoever had broken in was still watching her. In such a public area, the person wouldn’t dare hurt her, though. And she wasn’t going to show fear or weakness, despite the small edge of panic vibrating through her body.

  From her pocket, her phone buzzed.

  “You called?” Robert said as soon as she answered. There was music blaring in the background and people talking and laughing.

  Was he seriously in a bar? She glanced at her watch. It was just past noon. Perhaps he was at a pub grabbing lunch or something.

  “There’s . . . some stuff going on,” she hedged, not wanting to tell him about the break-in while he was out on a lunch break. It could wait until later. “You and I need to sit down and talk. About all of this. What time are you done with . . . work? Can I come over to your place when you get home?”

  “Oh, uh, I’ll just meet you out,” he rushed to say. There was a twinge of something in his voice. Maybe awkwardness or self-consciousness. Probably about his apartment—their mom hadn’t been by there in a while, but she’d told Maggie what a dump it was. But that was her brother, still blowing his money on fast cars and fun nights out instead of spending responsibly. Some things never changed. “I get done at three, so we can meet after that. I’ll come over to Mom and Dad’s.”

  “That’s fine,” she said, glad to not be home alone. “I’ll see you then.”

  “Everything okay?”

  She paused in her step. A brisk breeze slammed into her, and she shivered. “Yeah, fine.” Why did he ask?

  “You sound . . . a little keyed up,” he said, as if he’d heard her unspoken question. There was genuine concern in his voice. Rare for Robert. “What’s going on?”

  “Oh, I’m fine,” she said in a fake light voice. “Nothing major. We can talk about it all when you get here,” she added, trying to sound more confident. “Thanks for asking, though.” She and her brother weren’t close, by any means. They barely spoke to each other, mostly just on holidays or other important family occasions. But it made her feel better to know he was concerned for her.

  “Okay, sounds good. See ya later,” he said, then hung up.

  Maggie sighed and stuffed the phone back in her pocket, heading back to the house to fetch her car. She’d changed her mind on how she would occupy her afternoon. First order of business—buy a new computer and get it set up and ready for work. Thank God she backed up all of her project files daily to a cloud-based server. That would give her something to do until she saw Robert. She’d also call her dad, since she knew he’d be worried.

  Then, recreate her notes and find a better place to stash her stuff. Maybe even keep it on or near her at all times. Despite the new locks and alarm system, she couldn’t risk this happening again.

  Or next time, something worse.

  ***

  Robert sat at the table and took a sip of his coffee, his eyes piercing hers. “But you’re okay, right?”

  Maggie nodded and curled her fingers around her own coffee mug, leaning against the kitchen counter. “All fine now. Though I am glad to have you here. It was a little creepy hanging out by myself.”

  As soon as her brother had arrived, she’d made him a cup of coffee and told him about the break-in. Their parents would say something to him, anyway, when they saw him for dinner next time, so there was no hiding it.

  Maggie had to admit that initially, there was a small, niggling piece of her that had been worried her brother might have been involved. A guilty thought she’d shoved away just as soon as it had come. He was her brother, for God’s sake. Just because he hadn’t wanted to pair up didn’t mean he’d sabotage his own sister in this inheritance competition and destroy her belongings.

  Plus, Robert had a key to their house—he didn’t need to break in at all. He could just slip in and take whatever he needed.

  “Robert, do you think Mom and Dad are worried about us competing against each other?” she blurted out, refilling her coffee mug but keeping a casual eye on his face.

  He shrugged, taking another drink of his coffee. “Hm. Probably, but I think they understand. That’s how Grandpa set it up. If he’d wanted us to work together, he would have arranged it that way, wouldn’t he?”

  She turned around, pressing her backside to the granite countertop. “What will you do if I win?”

  His jaw clenched. “And what will you do if I do?”

  “How about you answer my question first?” She put her mug on the counter and crossed her arms.

  Robert sucked in a deep breath and let out a frustrated sigh. “What is this really about, Maggie? Are you afraid Mom or Dad will side with me? That just one time, they might actually want to see me succeed at something?” There was a harsh edge in his voice. He blinked and looked down at his coffee.

  She uncrossed her arms. When was the last time she’d seen her brother upset? Not at their grandfather’s funeral—he’d kept his composure and stared coolly ahead the whole time, barely making eye contact with anyone. Not one tear shed. And he’d held himself together emotionally during Cassandra’s disappearance as well, for the most part, anyway.

  Her brother was a fortress unto himself. Or at least he tried to appear that way.

  “I miss her too, you know,” he continued, eyes flashing as he clenched his jaw, staring hard at Maggie. “
I think about her every day. She wasn’t just your sister—she was also mine.”

  Maggie crossed the room and sat in her seat, reaching a hand out to cup his forearm. The gesture was unnatural, awkward, but she didn’t want the anger to keep boiling between them. “I know,” she said in a placating tone. “I’m sorry. This is stressful for you too.”

  He gave a small nod, then stood, stretching. The emotional moment was gone. “Yanno,” he said when he was done, “I think we should focus on figuring out who broke in here. Though I have my suspicions.”

  “Really?” She peered up at him.

  His lips thinned, his eyes growing hooded and dark. “I think it was Bethany.”

  Maggie blinked. True, she’d briefly wondered if Bethany could have done so, but something about the whole situation seemed off. If Bethany had broken in, she hadn’t done so alone—as waifish as she was, it would take a feat of strength to pry the side door open and damage the doorjamb. Or so it seemed.

  Was she underestimating the woman?

  “Why do you think it’s her?” she asked.

  He took his mug to the coffeepot and refilled, then added creamer. Whipping the fridge door open and picking through the shelf, he mumbled over his shoulder, “She’s the one with the most to lose here, right? Though she obviously had Grandpa around the crook of her finger.” Disgust poured from his words. Apparently he felt the same about her that Maggie and their parents did. “But Grandpa died and didn’t leave Bethany the money, which I’m sure she was hoping for. She doesn’t have a job, and her allowance has run out. No more sugar daddy or his fat checks. And the house is tied up in the inheritance, so whoever wins will be booting her ass out. She’s gotta be desperate.”

  And desperate people made desperate decisions. From that angle, what her brother was saying made perfect sense. But she still wasn’t sure Bethany could be capable of such a thing.

  She remembered the way Bethany had caressed that man’s face in the parking lot of the diner. The strange vibe of anger-slash-lust that sizzled between the two of them. Could she have gotten her lover to do the break-in for her? Was that what they’d been talking about?