Stay Sharpe Box Set

by Lisa B. Thomas

  “Right.” Gary nodded. “Which would give her a motive to accuse Allison.”

  Hurley barked at Deena, so she put him on her lap. “You mean to take the heat off of herself?”

  “Not necessarily. You see, Drew’s death creates a conundrum.” Gary took on the professorial tone he used when talking about finances. “If Drew committed suicide, then the bulk of his estate, including any life insurance, would most likely go to his wife. That’s pretty standard. But if he was murdered and the killer turns out to be Allison, the insurance would probably revert to his next living kin, which would be his sister. Edwina could also sue for the rest of the estate unless Drew had set up a trust for possible children.”

  “But Allison’s his wife.”

  “No insurance company is going to pay out to a man’s killer.” He raised his eyebrows. “That’s something for you to remember in case you ever decide to get rid of me.”

  Deena ignored the comment as she contemplated this new twist. “So, Edwina Granger could have killed her brother and blamed it on Allison to try to get her hands on the entire estate.”

  “That’s right.”

  Deena looked down at Hurley and rubbed his ears. “You know, there’s one other suspect we haven’t talked about. The man’s best friend.”

  Gary shot her a look. “Man’s best friend? You mean a dog?”

  Deena laughed as she set Hurley back down. For someone so smart, Gary definitely had his “blond” moments. “No, Drew’s best friend. Lonnie Fisher.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Gary stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Do you really suspect Lonnie?”

  “I can’t put my finger on it. There’s something about him that strikes me as suspicious. Maybe he thought he could get his hands on the vineyard with Drew out of the picture. Maybe that’s why Allison didn’t like him. She might have had her own suspicions. Women have a way of knowing things. That is, unless they were having an affair—like you said—and then all bets are off.”

  Gary shook his head as he walked into the kitchen and came out with one of the bottles of wine Lonnie had given him. He held it close as though for security. “I think you’re barking up the wrong tree. Lonnie and Drew were close. Like brothers, almost.”

  “I’ve got two words for you,” Deena said as she crossed her arms. “Cain and Abel.”

  Chapter 16

  Gary was nervous as a cat when they pulled up to the Lyons and Sons law offices at a minute past nine on Monday morning. They had been held up from getting there on time by Christy Ann, their neighbor. She had stopped Deena in the driveway to ask her about the article in the morning’s newspaper about Andrew Granger’s death. It was obvious Christy Ann was curious about any salacious gossip she could spread.

  Deena had secretly enjoyed having the upper hand as she kept tight-lipped about additional details and told her nosy neighbor to keep her eye on the next edition if she wanted to know more of the story.

  “I hate being late,” Gary mumbled as he scooted out of the car. “It’s so unprofessional.”

  “Hold your water. You’re a guest, not the host of this shindig,” Deena said. “Take a breath and remember to keep your eye on the prize. We’re trying to weed out the bad apple from the Granger family orchard.”

  “Sure, but don’t go all Perry Mason on these people. Show some decorum.”

  Deena feigned insult. “Who, me? I reek of decorum.”

  They headed inside where the receptionist led them to a large conference room.

  Allison Granger sat next to her attorney. “What is she doing here?” She turned her nose up at Deena.

  Allison wore a drab gray suit along with a sour expression. The only resemblance to the merry widow from the funeral was her bright red lips and dangly chandelier earrings.

  “This is my wife, Deena,” Gary said by way of excuse for the intrusion. “She’s with me.” He smiled weakly hoping Allison wouldn’t throw them both out.

  “I know who she is.” She turned to Deena. “I read that piece of trash in today’s newspaper. I thought you were writing a tribute to Drew. Instead, you smeared his name by implying someone hated him enough to kill him. How dare you show your face here.”

  Eric Lyons III rose from the brown leather chair at the end of the long conference table and stood next to Allison. It was obvious where his allegiance lay. “Mr. Sharpe, please take a seat at the table. Your wife can wait in the reception area.”

  Deena shot a look to her husband, who returned it with a helpless shrug of his shoulders. Deena wasn’t leaving without a fight. “Allison, I never said that Andrew was murdered. I just pointed out how little the Maycroft Police Department did in investigating the possibility. I would think you, of all people, would want to know for sure what happened to your husband while you were at your ‘book club.’”

  “How did you know where I was?” Allison stopped abruptly. She glared at Deena, then said, “Fine,” and whispered something to her attorney.

  Lyons looked at his watch. “We’ll give the others a few more minutes and then get started.”

  Deena started to ask who else was supposed to be there, but a swift kick under the table by Gary made her close her mouth and sit quietly. It was for the best. She didn’t want to press her luck with Allison or Gary.

  Deena glanced around at the elaborately decorated conference room. The mahogany table looked as though it could seat the entire royal family and then some. Oil paintings of Eric Lyons junior and senior decorated the walls along with several pieces of taxidermy. The deer, moose, and fowl looked like they were ready to storm the place if anyone got out of line. She stared into the moose’s eyes, wondering if they concealed a hidden camera.

  Maybe Guttman was right. Perhaps she had been watching too many crime shows.

  The door opened and Lonnie Fisher appeared all decked out in an expensive charcoal-gray suit with a pink-and-gray-striped tie with a matching pocket square. Deena could see the admiration on Gary’s face and was sure he would ask about Lonnie’s tailor before the two left.

  Lonnie shook hands with Gary, while Deena kept her hands in her lap, not wanting a repeat of the previous painful handshake. Lonnie gave Allison and her attorney a slight wave and head nod before taking a seat across the table from the Sharpes, leaving an empty seat between himself and Allison.

  Lyons had returned to his throne at the head of the table and opened a black leather portfolio to reveal a thick document.

  Deena grinned, knowing that at three hundred dollars an hour this affair was probably costing Allison a fortune. Served her right for not granting Deena an interview.

  Lyons glanced at his watch again. “We should get started even though Edwina Granger has not arrived. I never received confirmation that she was coming.”

  “I doubt she’ll show up,” Allison said. “She wasn’t at the funeral and hasn’t been seen or heard around these parts in years.”

  Again, Deena started to speak and felt the nudge of Gary’s foot. It was all she could do not to blurt out that she’d received a visit from Edwina just a few days earlier. Deena hoped like heck that Edwina would come through the door any minute and throw Allison Granger into a tailspin. Maybe that would knock a confession out of her.

  Lyons cleared his throat and started in with some legal gibberish that Deena did her best to tune out. She couldn’t get the meeting with Edwina out of her head. The woman had seemed so certain that Allison was responsible for Andrew’s death. Why wouldn’t she have contacted Detective Guttman about the investigation? Why hadn’t she gotten back in touch with Deena?

  And just like that, the door opened again, and there was Edwina Granger. She wore the same floral dress and worn-out shoes she had on when she visited Deena at her office.

  “Sorry I’m late, Mr. Lyons. My car wouldn’t start.” She glared at Allison. “I suppose you are Andrew’s widow.”

  “Yes, I’m Allison.” She stood and approached the other woman. “I’m glad to finally meet you.�
�� Allison extended her arms as if to offer a hug.

  Edwina took a step back and started toward a seat at the table. She gasped as she caught sight of Deena. “Oh, Mrs. Sharpe. I didn’t expect to see you here.” She awkwardly sat down and scooted her chair away from Deena.

  “You two know each other?” Allison asked in surprise.

  “Yes, we’ve recently met,” Deena said. She smiled sweetly at Edwina as though they shared recipes and did each other’s nails.

  Deena noticed Lonnie Fisher eyeing the woman suspiciously. Had the two of them ever met? She shuffled the facts in her brain and tried to remember what Lonnie had said. She didn’t recall him mentioning Edwina, and the woman didn’t seem to acknowledge his presence.

  Lyons cleared his throat again and continued. “Let’s get to it. Mr. Sharpe, it was Andrew Granger’s will to gift you with a case each of his three favorite wines in appreciation of your service and kindness in matters of financial interest. They will be delivered to your home after probate.”

  Gary’s eyes lit up. “How kind. Drew was such a thoughtful man.” He smiled at Allison, who nodded back.

  Deena wondered if Gary was disappointed. Had he secretly hoped to get a percentage of the winery? Surely not. Looking at Gary, he seemed perfectly satisfied.

  Lyons slid an envelope toward Lonnie. “Mr. Fisher, it was Mr. Granger’s will to leave you this gold ring in appreciation for your hard work and friendship. Mrs. Granger was kind enough to bring it here today.”

  Lonnie squeezed the envelope and slipped it inside the breast pocket of his suit jacket.

  “He just loved that ring,” Allison said, “almost as much as his wedding band. I hope you appreciate it.”

  “I do,” Lonnie said, wiping a tear from his eye.

  An awkward silence followed as the attorney found the page of the will he needed next. He looked to Allison. “Well, that was the easy part. This next part is complicated...and personal. Would you like for Mr. Sharpe and Mr. Fisher to be excused?”

  Allison looked surprised. “Is it about the vineyard?”

  “Yes,” Lyons answered curtly.

  Deena’s stomach churned. This was the part she’d been waiting for. If Allison asked them to leave now, she’d miss all the information that might prove a motive for Allison to kill her husband.

  “Well,” Allison said slowly, “Gary handles all our finances and Lonnie is currently running the business, so I guess they’ll find out the details eventually anyway. It’s probably best if they stay.” She shot a sour look at Edwina.

  Deena breathed easy and tried her best to look uninterested.

  “In that case, I’ll skip the legal details and get to the facts. As you may or may not know—”

  The conference room door swung open again and the receptionist shot her boss a confused look. A woman flew in past her, looking flushed under her tanned complexion. Her long sandy-brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail and braided. She wore jeans and a colorful Aztec fleece jacket over a white cotton blouse. Her western boots scuffed across the thick carpet as she hurried over to Eric Lyons.

  She shot out her hand. “I’m so sorry I’m late. The plane had to circle the airport and then there was the Dallas traffic. I got here as soon as I could.” She glanced around the table as everyone stared at her curiously.

  Lyons stood, returned the handshake, and said, “Please forgive me, but who are you?”

  The woman seemed astonished. “I’m Nina Davenport. You sent me a letter.” Then locking eyes with Allison, she added, “I’m Andrew’s sister.”

  Chapter 17

  Over the next few moments, they all looked like spectators at a tennis match as everyone glanced back and forth from one woman to the other. It was like an old episode of the game show To Tell the Truth as the panel waited for the real Edwina Granger to “please stand up.”

  Finally, the first Edwina blurted out, “That’s impossible! I’m Andrew’s sister.”

  The woman who had introduced herself as Nina Davenport looked startled. “What are you talking about? I’m Edwina Granger Davenport. You must be an imposter.”

  Allison’s hands flew up to her face. “What’s happening here?”

  Lyons patted her shoulder. “Allison, surely you can identify your brother’s sister for us.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t. We’ve never met. The only pictures I’ve seen are from when she and Drew were kids.”

  Deena couldn’t sit quietly anymore. “This is the woman who came to my office saying she was Edwina Granger.” She touched the arm of the woman sitting next to her. “Although now that I think about it, I didn’t get any proof.”

  “Proof? You want proof?” Nina opened her handbag and pulled out her billfold. She removed her driver’s license and shoved it at Deena. “Here’s my ID.”

  Deena took it. “This is from Nevada.”

  “That’s where I live.” She snatched it back from Deena and handed it to the attorney.

  Lyons studied it and said, “Looks legit to me.” He arched an eyebrow as everyone looked back at the first Edwina. The ball was now in her court.

  “This is ridiculous!” Now under the microscope, she opened her handbag and shut it quickly. Her face drained of color. “I changed purses before I came and must have left my identification in my other bag.”

  No one was buying her story.

  She stood up. “Let me just step out and make a phone call. I’ll have my husband bring it here.” She left the room in a hurry.

  Deena whispered to Gary that she was going to find the ladies’ room and walked out before he could protest.

  Once outside in the hallway, she headed toward the lobby. The first Edwina was huddled in the corner talking on her cell phone. Deena moved a few steps closer and stood behind a tall fern and tried to appear nonchalant.

  The receptionist stared at her suspiciously, so Deena pulled out her own phone as though she too were making a call.

  “You said I wouldn’t get caught,” Edwina seethed into her phone. “What am I supposed to do now?”

  Deena could hardly believe it. This woman was only pretending to be Edwina Granger. Deena had been duped. Not only that, but the whole idea that Allison killed her husband was probably a ruse, and she had fallen for it. Before she could feel too guilty about the pain she had caused Allison, the other woman put her phone back in her purse. Deena dashed back around the corner before she could be seen. As she reentered the conference room, she debated what to do. Should she expose the woman as a fraud or wait and see what she did? Maybe she would take off and never show her face here again.

  But as sure as the sun rises in the east, the fake Edwina walked back in with her head high and her shoulders back. “My husband will have to take off work to bring over my identification. It may be a while.” She took her seat.

  “I don’t want to wait,” Allison groaned. “Let’s just get this over with, and we’ll sort out who’s who later.”

  Lyons motioned for “Edwina” to take a seat by Lonnie Fisher. “If you’ll be seated, Mrs. Davenport, I suppose we will continue.”

  “Please, call me Nina.” She sat across the table from her counterpart, who strategically avoided eye contact.

  Now that Deena knew the real Edwina from the fake one, she wanted to watch the imposter’s reaction to the contents of Andrew’s will. Maybe she could figure out what her motive might have been to embark on this charade in the first place. Deena would tell Lyons what she’d just overheard when the time was right.

  “Let me see,” the attorney said, looking back at the stack of documents. “Where was I?”

  “You had just said that this was about to get complicated.” Deena shot him a sly grin.

  He looked over the top of his glasses and glanced between the two Edwinas. “Yes, I remember.” He turned to Allison. “As you know, Edward Granger started Granger’s Grapes in the 1980s. My father was his attorney then. From my understanding, Andrew and his sister began working at the vineyard in t
heir teens. You—one of you—is a few years older than Andrew.”

  “Two years older,” the real Edwina said.

  The fake one said, “That’s right.”

  Shaking his head, Lyons continued. “Then, when Andrew turned twenty-one, Mr. Granger turned over the full operation to his two children. However, something occurred a few years later that resulted in his removing his daughter from the management of the business and cutting her out of his will. He put the ownership of the company in a trust for Andrew, stating that he would own it full and clear upon his thirty-fifth birthday.”

  Allison gasped. “But Andrew just turned thirty-three. What does that mean?” Her eyes almost burst from their sockets.

  “This is where it gets tricky,” Lyons said. “You see, Mr. Granger, the father, was a very religious man. Apparently, that’s why he cut you”—he looked at the two women—“or you, out of his will. It is my understanding that because of some indiscretion, he decided to put a morality clause in his will that Andrew would take possession of the business as long as he committed no ‘moral imprudence’ by the time he reached age thirty-five.” Lyons read that last part straight from the paper he held in his hand.

  “That shouldn’t be a problem,” Allison said, her face relaxing back to normal. “Andrew was a good man.”

  This time, it was Nina—the real sister—who scoffed. “Whatever.”

  Allison’s claws came out. “What are you saying? How would you even know? You haven’t even spoken to Drew in years. That is, if you really are his sister.”

  “She’s not,” the fake Edwina said.

  Deena thought it might be time to set the record straight, but Lyons interrupted. “Ladies! Please refrain from comment until I have finished.”

  They all shut their mouths and listened.

  “As I was saying, Mr. Granger made a list of what he considered to be moral indiscretions, including things like committing murder, adultery, and theft. Unfortunately, on the list is suicide.”

  That brought a collective gasp from the group.