by K E O'Connor
“Just as everyone thought he would. Cordelia was to take over the estate. There were trust funds for the children, and a small amount of money for me, although I wish it had been more. But nothing about this mysterious person or the cats. And that shocked me.”
“How could Lady Cordelia hide this new will?” I asked. “Won’t there be copies stored with a solicitor?”
“Money has power.” Montgomery tapped the side of his nose. “If she wanted the will to vanish, she could make it happen. Her uncle runs the law firm that deals with all the family business.”
I wasn’t so sure wills could simply vanish. Since Montgomery was being so open, I decided to push my luck. “You don’t think something bad happened to Leo?” I watched Montgomery intently as I asked the question. After all, I did have him on my suspect list.
Montgomery laughed. “Do you think someone got rid of him so they could get their hands on his cash?”
I looked around the expensively decorated room. “Money does make people do strange things.”
“Then you’d better include me if you think something like that happened,” said Montgomery. “I’m poor since Leo died. And if Cordelia carries out her threat to cut me off if I don’t start working for the estate, then I’ll be in even more dire straits. And women do not chase after poor men, so I need a lot of cash.”
I chewed on my bottom lip as I studied Montgomery. For all his bluster, he did care for Leo, and I wasn’t getting any sense from him that he would kill his only brother. “Just assuming someone did want to hurt Leo, who would you put at the top of your suspect list?”
“Whoever’s got the most to gain from him dying.” Montgomery sat up straight in his seat, his martini glass shaking slightly in his hand. “You’re being serious? Do you really think somebody hurt Leo?”
I placed my glass down and clasped my hands together. There was never an easy way to tell someone this sort of news. And I wasn’t going to reveal to Montgomery that his brother’s ghost was the reason I was investigating his death. “Leo wasn’t old when he died, and I was surprised to learn he’d been smothered by a cat.”
Montgomery scratched his hand through his messy blond hair. “It’s not your typical way to die. But I can’t imagine anyone in this family being mean enough to actually hurt Leo. I don’t think he ever fell out with anybody. Well, never had a serious argument with them. And he was never the sort to go to bed on an argument. Even when Cordelia was being a proper cow to him.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” I said. “I’m known for having an overactive imagination.”
Montgomery raised his eyebrows. “That’s something I’d be interested in exploring.”
I shook my head, feeling my cheeks heat up as Montgomery’s grin widened. “It’s not as exciting as you’re imagining.”
Montgomery laughed and downed the rest of his drink, before slapping his thighs and standing up. “Enough of this serious talk about cats, horrible sister-in-law, and who’d want to snuff out my lovely brother. Let me see how good you are at playing pool.”
I took another sip of my drink, before accepting the pool cue Montgomery handed me. As I watched him rack the balls and take the first shot, I mulled over our conversation. The missing will could be crucial in Leo’s death. Lady Cordelia would have benefited from hiding the updated will to avoid missing out on some of the estate and the cats having to stay.
I needed to find a copy of this new will and reveal what it had to say.
Chapter 11
The sound of grinding gears and shouting woke me the next morning. I gave Flipper a quick cuddle before hopping out of bed and peering out the window to see what was going on.
In front of the house, stood three white work vans and a yellow digger.
I dressed quickly and hurried out of my room, almost colliding with Helen as I did so.
“What’s all that noise about?” asked Helen. “I was having a lovely dream about a prince coming to rescue me from an evil dragon. The prince was all buff and hunky, and kept bossing me around in his posh voice.”
I grinned at her. “Found any princes in the castle yet so you can live out that fantasy?”
“None that aren’t mounted on the wall in a painting,” said Helen. “The lack of eligible bachelors around here is an annoyance.”
“Not interested in Julius?”
“He’s a child!” said Helen.
“He must be at least twenty.”
“Too young for me,” said Helen. “Anyway, what’s going on outside?”
“Looks like they’re having some work done on the estate,” I said. “Shall we go and see what they’re up to?”
Helen nodded and we headed out the main castle door. I spotted three workmen in fluorescent jackets wandering about between the vans.
“Look, it’s Julius,” said Helen.
Julius stood in front of one of the workmen, a clipboard in one hand and a phone up to his ear. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but his tone sounded petulant and was too high-pitched to be anything good.
The man next to him kept shaking his head and frowning. Whatever was going on it didn’t look like good news.
“What’s he up to?” I said. “I hope it’s not got anything to do with his animal park plans. This place is not set up for the arrival of tigers.”
Julius threw his clipboard to the ground and gestured wildly at the man in front of him.
“Montgomery thinks Julius needs to calm down,” I said, as I watched him jabbing his finger at the other man.
“When did you speak to him?” asked Helen.
“Yesterday evening,” I said.
“I wondered what happened to you,” said Helen. “I had to eat dinner alone.”
“The sacrifice was worth it,” I said. “As was my martini headache this morning. Montgomery was very chatty and had useful information about a missing will.”
“A missing will! Does he have any idea what this will said?”
“We had a few guesses, but he wasn’t sure. There was mention of a secret friend of Leo’s and some money for the cats. Montgomery thinks Lady Cordelia is hiding the will so she doesn’t lose out on what she thinks she’s entitled to.”
“Another good reason for Lady Cordelia to kill Leo,” said Helen. “If she thought she was going to be swindled out of some money by a bunch of cats, she’d want to put a stop to that.”
Julius shouted in alarm, and I looked over to see one of the workmen had him by his jacket lapels. “Come on, looks like Julius needs saving.”
“If you think I’m going to take orders from you, you jumped-up little brat, then you can think again.” The muscled workman who had Julius by the collar, was resting his forehead against his. I could smell the testosterone in the air as we approached.
“It’s what you’re paid to do,” squeaked Julius. “I’m your boss.”
“No you’re not,” said the workman.
“Is there a problem?” I asked, as I reached Julius’s side. I could see his legs were shaking.
“This little shrimp needs to learn some manners,” said the workman, not taking his angry glare away from Julius. “He’s ordering me around like he owns me.”
“Bruce won’t do what I want him to,” said Julius. “All I asked was that he start on the foundation work this week.”
“And I told you that’s not possible,” said Bruce, his dark eyes narrowing. “We have a schedule here, and those foundations don’t get started for another two months.”
“But I’ve ordered the giraffes!”
“You’ve done what?” said Helen.
“I got a good deal on two giraffes from a zoo who needed to get rid of them.” Julius struggled in Bruce’s grip, but he refused to let go.
“Maybe you need to take a break.” I touched Bruce’s muscled forearm as he growled at Julius.
He shot me an angry stare but then let out a sigh and dropped his hold on Julius. “This guy doesn’t know what he's doing. If we start those foundations now, then the security
measures for the lions aren’t going to be ready in time. You will have caged lions with no outside space. It won’t be safe for anyone, and it won’t be right for the big cats. I’ve done this sort of work before, and they don’t do well in enclosed spaces.”
“Big cats and giraffes,” said Helen. “I thought the animal park was only an idea?”
Julius brushed down his jacket and frowned at Bruce. “You can go.”
Bruce took a step towards Julius and he scuttled backwards.
“We’ll try to calm him down,” I muttered to Bruce. “I’m sure he’s just made a mistake.”
“He’d better have made a mistake.” Bruce scrubbed a hand across his stubble. “I’ll pull my men off this job if I have to.” He stalked away, shooting menacing glares over his shoulder at Julius as he did so.
“I knew I’d made a mistake hiring him.” Julius retrieved his dropped clipboard and brushed dirt off it. “He’s supposed to be an expert when it comes to creating new wildlife parks, but the man doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
“You’re really doing it?” I asked Julius. “The animal park is happening?”
“Of course,” said Julius. “I’ve been planning it for months. I talked about it with father several times but he never took me seriously. Now I get the chance to prove I can create something from this failing place.”
“The castle looks like it’s doing alright to me,” said Helen. “There’s already a queue of visitors waiting to get in.” She pointed to the long line of people waiting by the ticket office.
Julius shrugged. “Those people pay for the basics, but we have to expand and grow our income. The animal park will ensure we do that. I have everything in hand. Although, I need to get a better work crew. I’m not going to work with that idiot.”
I looked over to where the workmen were gathered, muttering to each other and staring at Julius. Seemed like the feeling was mutual.
“Is Lady Cordelia happy with the animal park?” I asked Julius. “She didn’t seem so certain when we had dinner the other night.”
“Mommy is far too busy with her toy boy to care what goes on here,” said Julius. “Besides, I’m in charge. Father left the estate in my hands.”
I was sure that wasn’t true. If what Montgomery said last night was reliable, then Lady Cordelia inherited everything at Gillan Castle.
“Will your animal park include the cat sanctuary?” I asked.
“Those ratty old things are going to have to go,” said Julius. “I have plans to put alpacas on that site and offer people an alpaca trek experience. They pay money and get to walk around with a friendly alpaca for an hour or two. People love that sort of thing.”
“Won’t the big cats eat the alpacas?” asked Helen.
“And the people walking the alpacas,” I said.
“They’ll all be separated.” Julius gave an irritated sigh as he looked at his clipboard. “I do know what I’m doing.”
I doubted that. “There must be room for the cats. You’ve got plenty of acres here to fit everything in. And people can never resist a sad-faced cat. It could be another feature of the animal park.”
“There’s no room for those cats,” said Julius, not bothering to look up from his clipboard. “Every acre is accounted for. Alongside the animals there will be visitor lodges, so people can spend a weekend here. There will also be lodges for the additional staff and places to store machinery and feed for the animals. I can’t have domestic cats taking up valuable space. No one will be interested in them.”
A three-legged black and white cat limped towards us, and Flipper walked over to greet it. The cat was initially cautious, but they were soon bobbing heads, and it followed Flipper back towards us when he returned to my side.
“You see that thing there.” Julius pointed at the cat. “Absolutely pointless. Who is going to be interested in seeing a bag of fleas like that? All that thing does is eat and poop, and then expects someone to clear up after it.” He kicked out towards the cat.
Helen shoved Julius in the shoulder. “Don’t you dare try to hurt that beautiful creature! How can it defend itself against you, it’s only got three legs?”
“They’re a nuisance.” Julius glowered at Helen as he rubbed his shoulder. “And I’m glad Mommy has come to her senses and is getting rid of them. Father was obsessed with those animals, but they only irritated my allergies.” He took a step towards the cat.
Flipper’s hackles raised and he growled at Julius and lowered his head, his teeth bared.
“None of us like that idea,” I said.
“I don’t care what any of you like.” Julius waved a hand at me, his gaze settling on the workmen who were watching us with interest. “I’ve got those cretins to deal with, I can’t waste anymore of my time with you.” He stalked away without a backward glance.
“I hope Bruce punches him.” Helen bent and tickled the cat’s chin.
“Me too,” I said. “And this time, I won’t step in and stop him.”
“Is my brother annoying you?”
I turned to see Tabitha walking towards us sporting a big bandage on her head and the beginnings of a black eye.
“What happened to you?” I asked.
“The stupid brakes on my car failed.” Tabitha’s fingers went up to the bandage. “I could have died. Spun right off the road last night. I’ve only just got out of the hospital.”
“That’s terrible,” said Helen. “Was anyone else hurt?”
“I was alone,” said Tabitha. “But that will teach me to go out driving by myself. I never was good behind the wheel but couldn’t be bothered to wait for a cab to turn up. I’ll have to rely on Mommy’s chauffeur more. At least it means I can go out and have a few drinks and not worry about getting caught when I’m a bit worse for wear.”
“Were you drunk when you lost control?” I asked, my initial sympathy for Tabitha waning.
Tabitha sniffed. “Absolutely not. I was on my way to a drink’s party if you must know. Barely had a drop before I left.”
“You were lucky not to be badly injured,” I said.
Tabitha shrugged. “Tell me about it. I stamped on the damn brake pedal several times, but it didn’t respond. I hit a sharp bend and ran right off the road. I woke up a few minutes later with a bump on my head.”
“Glad it was nothing more serious,” said Helen. “These country roads can be tricky.”
“Not that anyone around here cares what happens to me,” said Tabitha. “If Daddy was still here, he’d have taken the best of care of me. But all Mommy said when she found out what happened was to get a cab home when I was ready to leave the hospital and she’d pay the bill. She didn’t even come to see if I was all right. And as for Julius, he’s got his head buried so far into this animal park idea that he wouldn’t care if I was dead or alive.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” I said. “Julius is just doing his job.” I wasn't sure why I was sticking up for him since he had just been so mean to us.
“It's true. But Julius is a joke around here. He reckons he’s in charge of this estate, but it would fall apart if he really took charge. Poor Mommy is left to do it all.”
“What do you think about Julius's idea for the animal park?” I asked.
“He keeps trying to sell me on the idea, but I like the cats,” said Tabitha. “I want to keep them around. I love nothing more than stroking their soft fur and cuddling them. And I know Daddy would like that. We always enjoyed spending time with the cats, just me and him. It was our favorite thing to do together.”
Big Ginge rushed out from behind a bush and ran towards Flipper and the three-legged cat.
Tabitha clicked her fingers at Big Ginge and beckoned him to her. “Here pretty kitty.”
Big Ginge’s hackles raised and he hissed at Tabitha and swiped a paw at her.
“That one has always hated me.” Tabitha sighed dramatically. “The other cats are all fine, but that one was always Daddy’s favorite and wouldn’t have anything to
do with anyone else.”
I exchanged a surprised glance with Helen. Big Ginge had been friendly to us from the moment we discovered him. And he kept appearing when we were around and asking for a head rub. I couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t friendly with Tabitha, unless she’d done something to make him wary of her. Mistreat a cat once and they will always remember.
“Are you going to fight to keep the cats here?” I asked Tabitha. “It would be a nice legacy for your dad if you did.”
She shrugged and inspected her fingernails. “Not sure I can be bothered. They’re nice to have around, but Mommy’s convinced they need to go, and I hate fighting with her. Maybe Julius is right, an animal park will bring in more money. And I’ve got some big plans for next year. I’m getting married.”
“Who are you dating?” asked Helen.
“I’m not serious with any one person,” said Tabitha. “But I always knew I’d get married when I was twenty-five, and that’s next year. Therefore, Mommy needs to put aside a heap of money for my wedding. And I'll need a house of my own. The apartment in London is not suitable for a married woman.”
I stifled a smile. “Sounds like you’ve got your whole life planned out.”
“Of course,” said Tabitha. “I can’t spend my life drifting around this crumbling old place. Julius is welcome to it, whatever he decides to do. He can paint it pink and turn it into a fairy castle. Actually, that’s not a bad idea.” She tried to stroke the three-legged cat, but it swiftly limped out of her way.
“Don’t know what’s wrong with these animals today.” Tabitha stood and glared at the cat. “Well, I’m out for lunch so I need to go get ready.” She gave us a finger wave and then strode back to the house.
“For someone who claims to like cats so much, they don’t think much of her,” said Helen.
“That’s just what I was thinking,” I said. “Maybe she’s not as nice to the cats as she reckons she is when no one else is around. Or maybe a cat saw Tabitha doing something she shouldn’t.”
“You think the cats all warn each other to stay away from Tabitha?” Helen grinned at me. “I know Flipper is clever, but I’m not sure they’re up to that.”