“Ms. Karas and I met about a year-and-a-half ago at her annual food charity event. The Ball of Bellies masquerade. I was there just to drop off a donation and maybe get a picture for the wall.” He pointed to the bookcase behind his desk. On the upper shelf was a picture of him smiling in a tuxedo, his arm locked with Julia. “Clients love that kind of thing. Anyway, we chatted just for a moment, and when she found out I was an attorney, she asked me for my card, which I thought was odd.”
“Why?”
“Well, for starters, her husband must have had a slew of my kind on the payroll. Why would she need me? I wondered if she might be getting a divorce. But given the stakes to such a thing, a woman of her means wouldn’t turn to any everyday street lawyer such as myself. Regardless, I gave her one. She thanked me and we went our separate ways. About two weeks before she died, she shows up without an appointment and asks if I could draw up a change of will. She handed me all the paperwork I would need right there.”
“Is that unusual?”
“Yeah, most people have no clue. They get the basics from the internet, but they always forget something, but not her. From her understanding of the process, I’d say she had been researching it. She had specific designs for it. To be honest, it was almost as if she were hiring me just for my signature.”
“When did she pick them up?”
“About a week later. She wanted to look them over before signing and having them notarized. I assumed she would do that here, but she never made it back. We had an appointment for the next week to complete the process, but of course, that’s when she passed.” He looked down at the papers. “I guess she took care of it herself.”
Sullivan shook his head in amazement. “It still needs filing with the court. I can do that for you if you like.”
Hannah smiled. “Could we have just a moment?”
“Of course, I’ll be just outside when you are ready.”
Sullivan rose and exited. Hannah turned to Vera and Louie. “What do you want to do?”
Cate motioned to Hannah. “Do you think we can trust him?”
“Well, Julia thought so. His name is on the document.”
Vera furrowed her brow. “But why him?”
“Well, if I were to venture a guess, because he is a street lawyer. Someone Asa doesn’t own. I’m betting Julia vetted him herself. That’s why she knew so much about this process. She didn’t want this will known until she was ready.”
Louie looked at Vera and smiled. “Good enough for your mother, good enough for me.”
Vera concurred.
Once Sullivan was back in the room, Vera and Louie agreed to let him file the will. He consented, but insisted on its being pro bono. “I never earned what little work I did.”
He once again took his seat. “That document will cause a problem, you are aware of that? It’s going to be a bitter pill to swallow for a lot of people.”
“Who stands to lose the most?” It was more a chance for Hannah to confirm her ideas rather than to glean information.
“Hard to say. Mr. Karas will have to turn over half his fortune to Ms. Bessinger. As a couple, they remained married for twenty-one years. That is, unless there was a prenuptial agreement. To my knowledge, there was not one. And given how particular she was about the contents of this will, I am pretty sure that’s not a detail she would overlook.”
“Anyone else?”
“Yes, her manager, Jack Miller. There was the will and there was the dissolution of her contracts with him. It would remove his name from all legal matters and materials. In effect, she cut him out of the will when she died.”
“Dissolution? When?”
“It becomes effective as soon as the will does. Of course, with her death, its application is retroactive.”
Cate’s eyes widened a bit. “Ouch, that’s going to sting.”
“Ouch, indeed.” Sullivan picked up the document and held it in the air. “This is the proverbial can of worms, and by filing it, you open it. From the materials Ms. Karas brought me, I can see that Miller was a bottom feeder. He got his hooks into Ms. Karas before she married. She had signed a contract giving him almost half of her earnings for everything she did.”
“NO WAY!” Louie interjected. “She was smarter than that.”
“Not at that time,” Sullivan explained.
“It could explain her legal knowledge.” Hannah pushed her tongue around. “She may have been trying to get out of the contract for years.”
“She was, and she did. One of the items she circled on the information she provided was a stipulation in the contract. In the event of her death, her sole heir was to receive her estate. This was a precedence that would supersede the contract with Miller.”
Louie raised his hand as if he were seeking permission to ask a question. Sullivan pointed to him, an action which amused Hannah. “Why didn’t Asa’s gunmen attorneys find this loophole?”
“I assume they did, but it would be in Mr. Karas best interest to let their joint will stand as is. In the event of his wife’s death, he became sole heir.” Sullivan’s eyes fell on Vera. “What he was unaware of was Ms. Karas had the ace up her sleeve.”
“So, with Vera, her natural born daughter and sole heir, that would cut out every other contract or document signed prior?”
“Appears so.”
“And that’s why she was changing the will. She wanted her daughter cared for.” Hannah looked at Louie. “If he knew, and this is true, I apologize for any misgivings I had about your feelings toward that man. He’s an ass.” Louie smiled and gave an it’s all good wink.
“Wait,” Vera interceded. “Why would he hurt my mother if it meant that he would lose everything?”
“Could have been an act of anger when he found out, if she revealed her plan. At that point he would know that he was out, regardless. That’s a big blow. Spur of the moment and all that,” Cate suggested. “Or he assumed that by killing her, he could stop her in some way.”
“Or…” Hannah looked around the room. “He didn’t do it. We’re jumping the gun, as usual. There are other possibilities, need I remind you.”
Cate agreed. “True. What about Jazlyn? Does she stand to lose?”
Sullivan flipped through the pages. He turned them so everyone could see. He pointed to a paragraph. “See for yourself.”
Everyone positioned themselves to read. Louie frowned. “It’s all Greek to me. What does it mean?”
Hannah dragged a finger along the page, underscoring each line of the section. “Well, for starters, the show is Vera’s. Clear as day, and in no uncertain terms. It also removes Jazlyn from any and all documents much in the manner of Miller. Under the original will, she was to inherit a sizable amount, but as of now, nada.”
Vera leaned back. She readjusted her position, a quirk of her nature. “I don’t understand. Why would she do this to Jazlyn? She’s her niece.”
“But not her daughter,” Sullivan explained. “And at that time, there were rumors of her and her uncle having an illicit affair. I’m sure that played into this.”
Cate winced. “That’s just… disturbing.” Cate stood up and walked away from the group as she stretched. “Talk about your woman scorned.”
“There were even reports that suggested she was on the verge of seeking a divorce. Of course, they were just rumors.”
“Umm, I have another question,” Louie announced. “How do I fit into this?”
“She didn’t discuss your history, if that is what you are asking, but she did stipulate you were the father of Vera. She had DNA tests run. The results are undeniable.”
“Where’d she get my DNA?”
“It appears she had some articles that belonged to you. These included a lock of your hair from the day you cut it for an exit interview at college.”
“I’ll be damned,” Louie exclaimed. “Back then we had never heard of DNA.”
“It would seem to me…” Hannah leaned forward and scooped up the papers. Looking to Ver
a, she continued, “She may have been going to tell Asa about you. That’s why she handled it in secret, to keep Asa’s attorneys at bay.”
Glancing at his watch, Sullivan grimaced. “Sorry, I have a case to prepare, so let me know if you both decide to move forward and file this document. If you’ll excuse me.”
Hannah and the others got to their feet. “Because we are investigating this as a possible murder instead of an accident, can you hold off on that will for a bit? It will still be executable in a week or so, won’t it?”
“Of course, but I am bound by law to report that there is a newer will, so I would suggest you get the original to me ASAP.” Sullivan grinned. “Remember, I can only file the original.”
Understanding his implied meaning, Hannah returned his smile.
Hannah offered him her hand, and they shook. “You’ve been so helpful, Mr. Sullivan. We’ll try not to misplace it for a week or so, or anything like that.”
“Of course.” Sullivan came around his desk to walk them to the door. “Let me offer you a little free advice. This new will changes the estate ownership, but not the police report that stated she died of an accident. Be sure of the facts before you make any public declarations.”
“We’ll keep that in mind,” Hannah assured him. “Thanks again, and we will be in touch, just as soon as we find those papers again.”
Sullivan chuckled and with that, Hannah, Cate, Vera and Louie left the office and headed back to the car. Everyone was quiet on the drive back to Louie’s house, each reflecting in their own manner about what had just been explained.
For Hannah, something was off. There were three suspects, each with an equal motive for removing Julia, but something just did not sit right. Have we considered all the possibilities? She thought to herself. She decided the next day, a whole new set of questions needed looking into.
Chapter Sixteen
After the friends returned to the house, Vera and Louie drifted to another area of the house to talk. A lot had happened in the last twenty-four hours, and they needed time to sort things out. Cate, Buster and Hannah headed to the kitchen to start dinner. As they worked, Hannah expressed her concerns.
“All I’m saying is that something is off. It doesn’t feel right.”
Every once in a while, as Cate chopped carrots, she tossed one to Buster. He would catch it in his mouth like a dog getting a treat. This, in turn, caused Critic to whine for his piece.
“I’m never going to get this done with you two,” she declared. “Take him for a walk, why don’t you.”
Buster looked at Critic and shrugged. “Come on, boy, we’re evicted.” The two padded out of the room.
“Now, where were we? Oh, yeah, that feeling? It seems pretty clear to me. Three people. Three good motives. Now all we need to do is to find the right one.”
“I don’t know. To kill Julia, someone had to drug her before they smashed her head against a frame post. I just don’t see Jazlyn having that kind of strength. If Asa killed her for whatever reason, it seems rather sloppy for a man who is all about control. The drugs would have been enough. The violence would have been overkill.”
“You don’t think he could have done it in a fit of anger?”
“Maybe, but as we have conceptualized it, someone planned it, which does fit the profile. He strikes me as a man more prone to plotting than an outburst, hence, the control issues.”
“And Miller?”
“He is the most probable of the three. There’s also the issue of access. If this happened the way we are suggesting, he needed a means to get the barbiturates into Julia. He also had to take her to the gazebo, push her into the post, and dump her in the water. Does he strike you as a man that could plan all that?”
“Well, I have to admit it surprised me that Miller had the guts to approach Niu in person. Surprised he could convince her to leave it out of the report,” Cate remarked.
“Well, there was a lot of money involved.”
“But again, wouldn’t that go back to Asa? He is, after all, a billionaire with a big B. I’m sure Miller isn’t hurting, but I doubt he had the kind of money we saw floating around Niu’s place.”
“It wouldn’t be in his interest to work with Miller. If he wanted Julia dead, he could have just overdosed her himself. If he wanted Miller out of the picture, he would have just let him take the fall. I agree it was Asa who provided the money, but I believe both had more reasons to keep her alive than want her dead. Remember, if Asa let things just ride, he would have been the sole heir. But there was the issue of Vera and the will. We don’t know if Julia told him she wanted a divorce, or that Vera was her daughter, or about the will. It all just doesn’t add up. Sad to say, as much as both are sketchy at best, I just don’t see either of them as killers.”
In her best imitation of a deep male voice, Cate answered, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of man…”
“The Shadow knows,” Hannah responded. She laughed at the reference to the old Shadow radio drama. She and Cate used to listen to recordings that Cate’s father, Wilson, collected. As the memory played out in her mind, she made a sudden correlation. “Shadow,” she half mumbled aloud.
“Yeah, you remember those, too.”
Hannah turned to look at Cate, the knife she held waving in the air. “A shadow. Someone following her. Someone lurking, watching. Just out of reach. We’re…”
Before Hannah could finish, she heard the front door open. The sound of Buster and Critic moving down the hall echoed. From what she could tell, both man and dog stopped in the living room where Vera and Louie had retreated to converse in private.
Sensing everything was all right, Hannah continued. “We’re looking for a shadow,” she exclaimed.
Cate interrupted, motioning for Hannah to stop waving her knife. “Okay, if we are looking for someone else, then who?”
“Working on that.”
All of a sudden, two loud pops sounded. The sound of breaking glass followed with Critic barking thereafter. Both Hannah and Cate ducked out of instinct. After a few seconds, when things had settled, they ran toward the living room where Vera, Louie, and Buster had been talking. Entering, they could see the front windows were missing and glass lay everywhere. Vera, Louie, and Buster stirred as Critic danced around the room yapping toward the window.
“Oh, my God!” Cate yelled as she ran to Buster to help him up.
“Vera?” Louie mumbled in a stunned voice as he reached toward Vera. Hannah made her way over to her and helped her up.
“I’m okay. Are you?” Louie pushed himself up and went to her.
“Fine.” He took her into his arms.
Cate looked around the room. “Is everyone okay? What happened?”
Hannah called the police after everyone confirmed they were okay and Critic calmed down. The police confirmed they were en route as neighbors had called it in. In the moments before they arrived, Hannah restated Cate’s question. As Buster brushed himself off, he recounted. “I’m not sure. We were talking and… BOOM! The glass shattered.”
“I heard two gunshots.” Louie put his hand down for his pet to lick and find comfort from all the excitement.
Cate looked at him, shocked. “Are you sure?”
“From the time your father and I spent in the Army? Yeah, I know a gunshot. Some kind of small caliber, I’m betting.”
Hannah looked to the wall opposite of the window where all the memorabilia of Julia hung. Bullets had destroyed two images, the holes visible in each. She walked over, removed the photos, and inspected the holes. “Yeah, here and here.”
“Should you be moving things before the police get here?” Buster chided.
“We’ll say I too was in shock to think about what I was doing.” She ran a finger over the holes. “About a .22, I’d say.”
Louie leaned over and kissed Vera on the head, reassured she was not harmed. “Rather light.”
Hannah agreed as two police vehicles pulled into the drive, and two officers
exited with weapons drawn. “And the Calvary arrives.” She made her way over to the door and opened it as two officers entered.
Upon breaching the door and assessing the situation, both maintained weapon position. The older of the two, a man whom Hannah sized up as being in his late thirties, early forties lowered his weapon. “Anyone injured?”
“We’re okay.”
“What happened?”
Hannah pointed to the wall. “Someone shot through the window.”
“Is there a back door?”
Louie pointed down the hall. “Through the kitchen.”
The first officer glanced down the way. “Stay here and away from the window.” He turned to look at the second officer, a young, red-haired female who Hannah sized up as being in her late twenties. In silent agreement, the young officer nodded and moved toward the back of the house, leading the way. Everyone watched as they made their way down the hall and heard as the door opened. Although it seemed an eternity, after a few minutes both returned, weapons stowed. The older male was reporting in. Hannah knew the various lingo meant the perimeter was secure. No other persons needed. After he completed this task, he sent the younger officer to the car for some forms.
Hannah again began sizing the man up. Tall. Maybe 6’2” or 6’3”. Muscular. Thick, blackish brown hair with hints of graying. Blue eyes. Tall. Muscles. Handsome. Rich blue eyes…
“You okay, Miss?”
Hannah shook her head. “Umm, yeah. I’m… I’m okay. Ms. Starvling. Hannah Starvling.”
The officer gave a warm smile. “Okay, Ms. Starvling. I’m Officer Miles. This is Officer Pepper.” He indicated to the young officer who had reentered the room. “We’ll need to get some statements. Is that okay?”
“Oh, of course. Yes, fine,” Hannah managed. “Could I get you some coffee or something to drink or…”
She noticed the man smiling rather amusedly. “Or maybe I’ll just shut up and answer your questions,” she scolded herself.
“Coffee would be fine. Can my partner get some as well?”
“Oh, of course.”
The Death of a Celebrity Chef Page 12