The Billionaire's Will (14 page)

As soon as he noticed Austin he asked,
“Didn’t I just see you across the street?”

“About an hour ago,” Austin answered. “What have you been up to?”

Michael glanced at Jackie, got her nod, and then answered, “I got Laura’s DNA and took it to the lab. Now all we need is someone to match it to.” He went to the sofa, sat down, and grabbed a handful of peanuts out of a bowl. “What have you done with Carl?”

Jackie glanced around. “Is he missing? I hadn’t noticed.”

“That’ll be the day,” Michael muttered.

Jackie giggled. “I sent him to get printer ink. He needed a break anyway.”

  Austin leaned forward and helped himself to the peanuts. “You wanted to know about Nick’s death?”

“
Yes,” Jackie said. “Did they recover the flight recorder?”

“Yes, but there wasn’t anything on it
that indicated Nick was having a problem. The recording just suddenly stopped.”

“Like the plane blew up?” Jackie asked.

“No, except for some wing damage, it is still in one piece. Divers went down, recovered the flight recorder and his body, but we saw no reason to bring the plane up. You think it would help?”

Michael’s eyes widened. “Yes, it would help. I am determined to pin something on Mathew Connelly.”

“Michael and Carl have become obsessed with that idea,” Jackie explained.

Austin relaxed in the chair a little more.
“Did you learn anything at the country club?”

“Nothing worth noting,” Jackie answered.

“Could Nick have run out of fuel?” Michael asked.

“The recorder
doesn’t indicate that the fuel was low. It’s more likely he misjudged how high he was off the water.”

“A faulty ga
uge?” Jackie asked.

“Possibly.”

“A faulty gauge someone could have tampered with?” Michael asked.

“That’s possible too,” Austin answered.

“Did the FAA investigate?” Michael asked.

“I hope so. I haven’t heard anything from them since the initial
report. They called for all the information on the plane, serial numbers, licenses; that sort of thing, but if they suspect anything, they haven’t gotten back to me.”

Jackie got up and walked to the window.
“Do you think Mathew had something to do with the crash?”

Austin considered that for a moment.
“I wouldn’t put it past him, but I don’t know if he has those kinds of connections. I doubt he would have done it himself – I doubt he does anything himself.”

“
If Mathew wanted Nick dead, why wait twenty-five years to do it?” Michael asked.

“
Nick’s security guards liked him and they were very good at their jobs. He also paid them very well, so he expected them to keep him alive.”

“Still, if you want a guy dead, there are ways to do it,” said Michael.

“Was he alone in the plane?” Jackie asked.

“Yes.”

“Did the Connellys show up at the funeral?”

“Laura came, Mathew didn’t bother. She was very upset and needed help getting in and out of the car.”

“Drunk?” Michael asked.

Austin shook his head.
“I don’t know. I didn’t talk to her.”

“Who notified them? They were in Brisbane at the time, I believe,” said Jackie.

Austin shifted positions. “I called Laura. I don’t remember how I knew where she was, I was upset myself at the time. Nick might have told me.”

Michael reached for another handful of peanuts.
“Why was Nick flying over the gulf?”

“Real estate was his passion and there was a large house he wanted to see from the air. He called me just before he took off and asked me to look into buying it. It was just the kind of house
he loved to buy, and resell for a profit, if he could.”

“Do you know if the
Connellys already had airline tickets home before his accident?” Jackie asked.

“I don’t,” Austin answered. “It might be worth looking into someday.”

“You’re right; we need to find Georgia first. By the way,” said Jackie, “had Laura been drinking before the reading of the will?”

“That
, I do not know either. She is very well composed, drunk or sober.”

“I noticed that too,” said Michael.

Carl opened the door, went to the dining room table, and started to take several items out of a plastic shopping bag. “Two new novels, which we never have time to read, but I got them anyway.”

“Carl, say hello to Austin…our client, remember?”

He left the table and extended his hand to Austin. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have…”

“Of course you should have,” said Austin. “I would love to get back to reading myself.”

“What kind of books do you like?” Carl asked, taking a seat on the sofa.

“Political thrillers mostly,” Austin answered.

“Carl likes vampires,” Michael scoffed.

Austin chuckled. “Well,
someone must. Vampire books sell very well. Any more questions I can answer?”

“I have one,” said Jackie. “It appears Mathew makes a trip to the pharmacy near his house once a month. Do you know what kind of prescription he gets?”

“I always assumed it was Laura’s blood pressure medicine.”

“He does that himself?” Carl asked. “Why not send his driver to pick
it up?”

Austin wrinkled his brow. “That is odd. I have no idea why.”

Michael didn’t like what he was thinking. “That’s why Laura goes to the doctor once a week – high blood pressure?”

“As far as I know.” Austin stood up. “Anything else?”

Jackie stood up as well and walked him to the door. “We’ll call if we have any more questions.”

Austin frowned.
“I’m a little panicked. We’re running out of time.”

“I know, but at least we know where she isn’t.”

“I suppose that helps.” Austin gently touched her arm. “No matter how this turns out, I appreciate what you’re doing.” He nodded, opened the door and walked out.

Jackie quickly closed the door and went to face Michael. “I know that look, what are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking capsules,” Michael admitted.

Carl grabbed a handful of peanuts and headed back to the
dining room table. “So am I. If they win the inheritance, Laura is as good as dead.”

“We don’t know that. Let’s just find Georgia and then we’ll worry about the rest of this mess
later.”

*

Finally home after work again, Maggie opened the attachment and looked at Bronco’s picture again. The temptation to let him take her to dinner was becoming overwhelming, yet she certainly didn’t want him to know where she lived. It was too embarrassing. She sighed and decided she would just have to settle for talking to him online.

Sissy3211: You’re not home yet?

She was disappointed when he didn’t answer right away, but she could wait. She liked looking at apartment listings, and at the expensive houses up for sale, especially the ones that had videos of the inside. She found one with a swimming pool she liked very much and dreamed of living there. Two hours had passed when words finally scrolled across the screen in the chat room.

Bronco
8881: You like football?

She closed the other window and gave him her full attention.

Sissy3211: I do.

Bronco
8881: I’ve got tickets to a game if you’re interested.

Sissy3211: Which game
?

Bronco
8881: Any one you want to see.

Maggie giggled.

Sissy3211: Ha, you don’t really have tickets.

Bronco
8881: True, but I know where to get them. So how was your day?

Sissy3211: Have I ever told you about Roxie the Robot?

Bronco8881: You may have mentioned her name.

Sissy3211: She just got the job Jim turned down
, and she is thrilled beyond compare.

Bronco
8881: I take it you are not.

Sissy3211: At least they didn’t offer
it to me.

Bronco
8881: I am intrigued. What is Roxie the Robot like?

Sissy3211: She
is all about sticking to the rules, no matter how ridiculous they are, which is why we call her a robot.  

Bronco
8881: I know the type.

Sissy3211:
Today was her first day as our manager and she now sits in an office directly across the hall from me. Every time I say something, she leans forward to see what I’m doing. I feel like an animal in the zoo.

Bronco
8881: What does she do?

Sissy3211: Nothing, but she makes me uncomfortable. I don’t like being under someone’s watchful eye that way.

Bronco8881: Can you say something to her?

Sissy3211: Like what?

Bronco8881: I don’t know. Maybe ask her how her neck is. It must hurt from watching you all day.

Maggie giggled.

Sissy3211: Good one, I’ll try that if I ever get brave enough.

Bronco
8881: Can you move your desk so she can’t see you?

Sissy3211: I wish I could. It’s a cubical, one of those plastic ones with the desk built into the wall. She has a foul mouth too, which is something I find disgusting.

Bronco8881: So do I.

Sissy3211: Why don’t we ever talk about your job?

Bronco8881: Because mine is boring compared to yours.

Sissy3211: Well, how about friends? You must have one or two friends.

Bronco8881: I have lots of friends.

Sissy3211: Lady friends?

Bronco8881: Some, but they only love me for my money.

Sissy3211: You have lots of money?

Bronco8881: Enough for a cruise to Alaska, and a football game in the city of your choice.

Sissy3211: What? No dinner first?

Bronco8881: Okay, I think I can scrape up enough for dinner too.

Sissy3211: Tell me about these ladies.

Austin drew in a deep breath and let it out. She wanted personal information finally, and it looked like she wanted to know if he was involved with anyone.

Bronco
8881: Well, Carol is my favorite. She is always happy and fun to joke around with.

Sissy3211: Do you fancy her?

Bronco8881: I would if she were forty years younger. She plans to retire next year.

Sissy3211: You’re funny. You must have a girlfriend.

Bronco8881: Just you.

She
didn’t reply for a long time after he said that, and he was afraid he’d scared her away. At length, he decided to see if she was still there, or if something interrupted their service.

Bronco
8881: Sissy?

Sissy3211: I like you too, but talking like this, I mean, it’s just words.

Bronco8881: You could let me call you.

Maggie
closed her eyes. She would give anything to hear his voice again, but if she gave him a phone number, he could probably figure out who she was. Hers was a landline and it wasn’t that hard to do a reverse lookup on the internet. Maybe someday she could afford a cellphone.

Sissy3211: Nope, can’t do that.

Bronco8881: Why? You’re married?

Sissy3211: No, silly. It’s not that.

Bronco8881: Then what is it?

Sissy3211: I’m not ready yet. There is something important I have to take care of
, and then I’ll tell you who I am.

Bronco
8881: Promise?

Sissy3211: I promise.

Bronco8881: How long must I wait?

Sissy3211: Not long, maybe a week or two.

Bronco8881: I can live with a week or two. My workload should be lighter by then and I can get away. Where would you like to go?

Sissy3211: Can I get back to you on that?

Bronco8881: Just name the place and I’ll meet you there.

Sissy3211: Even if I am miles away from you?

Bronco8881: I have some time off coming, just say when and where.

Sissy3211: I might
do that. Have to go now. It’s late again and some of us need more beauty rest than others.

Bronco
8881: Good night, Sissy.

---Sissy3211 is offline---

When Laura’s ball gowns came back from the cleaners, Teresa was careful to hang them in
the front of the closet – minus the white one. She took the plastic off the white one and hung it where she originally found it. Not that she expected Laura to notice such a small detail, but Laura had her lucid moments, and it wasn’t worth taking the chance now that she was so close to success.

A few minutes later, Teresa walked into the family room
.

“I love this movie,”
Laura muttered.

Teresa glanced at the TV and smiled when she recognized it. “Apparently so, you’ve watched it several times.
Your ball gowns are back from the cleaners, but we need to choose which dress you will wear and find the perfect shoes.”

“Oh, I don’t care which shoes I wear.”

“I do. I want you to look your best. After all, you have a date with your husband.”

Laura finally too
k her eyes off the movie. “I do?”

“The
invitation is for you both, unless Mr. Connelly said he isn’t going.”

“No, no, he hasn’t mentioned it to me at all. He’ll probably forget.”

“Should I call to remind him?”

Laura thought about that for a moment. “I do have his
cellphone number, but I never call him.”

“He might like it if you did.”

Laura stood up, made certain she had her balance first, and then walked to the door. “My dear, you live in a dream world where romance is alive and well. I assure you, it is not.”

Teresa quickly followed her employer out the door and down the hall to the stairs. “I
sincerely hope you are mistaken about that.”

“You are young still. See that you guard your heart well and that you do not become bitter like me.”

“Yet, Amanda Black said Mr. Connelly once loved you.”

Laura stopped and turned to face Teresa. “Darling
girl, he only says that to convince them he is capable of loving.”

“But you still love him, I know you do.”

Laura laughed, turned back around, walked across the living room, and started up the stairs. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

“You did.”

“I must have been drunk.”

Teresa rolled her eyes
and continued to follow. “You don’t love him?”

“I truly do not.
Mathew imagines himself something he will never be – a great lover. Oh, he has the looks and the charm, but…” She opened the door to her bedroom and went in. “I thought he might grow out of his need for conquest someday, but he has not. It is a pity, really, for if he had been more of a man, he might have pleased my father, and then this whole business about the inheritance would be unnecessary.”

Teresa went to the closet, got the violet gown and took the plastic off. “You should decide which of these you want to wear.”

“Oh, very well.”

“
We must find the perfect shoes to wear with it.”

“You are a dear girl,” said Laura, “but I truly do not care.”

“Well, I do. What will the agency think of me, if I let you go to a ball in shoes that do not match?”

Laura stared at her for a moment. “I had not thought of that. Indeed, what I wear is a reflection on you.
Help me find the right shoes, will you?”

Teresa began to breathe a little easier.
“First, we must get you out of that robe and into each of these gowns, so you can make your choice.”

“Very well.” Laura took off her robe and let Teresa help her put
on the violet, floor-length satin gown. Then she turned to look in the full-length mirror. “Do you like this color on me?”

“I think you look good in any color you choose.”

“Which do you like best?”

“With your dark hair, I like the pastel yellow.”

“Do you?”

She helped Laura out of the violet and went to get the yellow gown. “I took the liberty of sending Mr.
Connelly’s tux out to be cleaned as well.”

“That was very thoughtful of you. Perhaps he
will
show up, come to think of it. We are due back in court on Tuesday anyway. Perhaps he will at that.”

“How handsome the two of you shall look together.”

“Yes, well, do not be too disappointed if he does not come home.” Laura examined how she looked in yellow and sighed. “Not this one, it makes me look frumpy.”

“Very well, let’s try the green one. It is quite magnificent.”

“I like it too. I believe I have shoes to match it as well, if they still fit.”

Teresa helped her change once more, this time to a forest green gown with pale
green embroidery on the bodice. She went to the closet, found the matching green shoes and when they fit, Teresa smiled her approval. “You look divine in this dress.”

“
Thank you.” Laura looked at her reflection and simply shrugged. “I believe I am quite worn out.”

“How about a swim? That always makes you feel better.”

Laura nodded. “And while we’re there, we can see if Mathew is back in town.”

“How?”

“He swims at night sometimes. He thinks I don’t know, but a maid told me long ago. Each morning, I check to see if his swimsuit is wet.”

Teresa hid her surprise.
“I see. Why does he not just tell you he is here?”

She
surveyed her green gown in the mirror one last time, and then motioned for Teresa to help her out of it. “I don’t know. He loves the thrill of not getting caught, I suppose.”

“Have you caught him?”

“A time or two, but I didn’t let him see me. Why spoil it for him?”

“Perhaps he thinks it might upset you.”

“Perhaps he is right. I sleep better when he is not home.”

Teresa held the robe out so Laura could put her arms in the sleeves.
“Frankly, I find your situation confusing. He seems to care about you, but you are convinced he does not.”

“My dear, it is all an act. Mathew
cares for no one. He hasn’t an honest bone in his entire body.”

“Then you would not be…you would not grieve for him if one day he
left you?”

“Grieve for him? My precious
, darling girl, I would be thrilled. Fix me a drink, will you?”

*

For months, Maggie and Jim had been taking their breaks outside just to watch the office building go up across the street. Both were fascinated with how quickly it went up, and all the truckloads of material it took to do it. After that, a lot of heavy computer equipment arrived and was taken inside, heightening their curiosity that much more.

“Well, they have planted the grass and
all the flowers,” Maggie pointed out as she strolled with Jim down the sidewalk. “I wonder who will move in.”

Jim laughed. “Maggie, I love you. Without your innocence, I’d go crazy around her
e. You’d never guess who’s moving in.”

“W
ho?”

“The FBI.”

“Come on, they are not?”

“
They are and it explains all that equipment they took inside. On your way home tonight, walk to the front of the building and look at the directory they put up this morning. FBI
and
ATF.”

Maggie
wrinkled her brow. “ATF?”

“Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.”

“Right across the street?”

“Yep.”

She lowered her voice. “Half the people in here are on drugs. I better not let Nicole see me looking at the directory. She’ll probably fire me for it.”

Jim
shooed a pesky fly away with his hand. “You know about the drugs? I am amazed.”

“I didn’t until Balti
more Harry offered me some. He’s got a whole closet full inside his jacket, which he wears even in this heat.”

“Don’t
worry; most companies have drug users on their payroll.”

She giggled and covered her mouth
. “Yeah, but they don’t work right across the street from the FBI and the ATF.” She stopped when they reached the end of the block, turned around and started back. “I’ve never seen a drug raid. This should be fun.”

“Just keep
laughing. It’s the only way to stay sane around here.”

“Drugs, phone sex
, and a hooker for a boss? I can’t figure out how a nice girl like me ended up in a place like this.”

“Or a nice boy like me.”

*

It was payday
, finally, and Maggie was excited to go at lunchtime, and pick up the gown she asked the boutique to alter for her. The gown was expensive, but it would be worth it. Bronco8881 wasn’t sitting on any of the fountain benches when she arrived, and she was glad not to have the distraction. She had just enough time to do a final fitting and if the alterations were right, to pick up the dress.

It wasn’t yet break time when Jim tapped on her wall and motioned for her to meet him outside. She didn’t see him when she first walked out the door, until she went to the side of the building and found him waiting beside the picnic table.

“When is your interview?”
she asked. Her smile faded as soon as she noticed the look on his face.

“They cut my wages in half.”

“What? They can’t do that, can they?”

“They just did.”

“I can’t believe it. Are you going to quit?”

“As soon as I find something else.
I have no choice.”

“Take my advice and chang
e your phone service before you do.”

“Good idea, I’ll do that tonight. Will it tip them off if I do?”

“As long as you don’t cancel your service here, they will never know.”

“Good point. I’m so mad I’m not thinking straight.”

Maggie gathered her long hair in the back, and then pulled all of it around to one side. “These people terrify me. Are all companies like this?”

“None I ever worked for.”

“That’s good to know. Jim, can you make it on half the wages?”

“I couldn’t make it on full pay. I have to find something else and fast.”

Maggie bowed her head. “I shall miss you more than you can possibly know, but you must do what you must do.”

“I’ll miss you too. Maybe if I get in a good place, I can recommend they hire you.”

“I would be ever so grateful. We better get back in there.”

When she started to leave, he took hold of her arm.
“After I’m gone, tell everyone they cut my pay. I’m not supposed to say anything, but people should know it can happen to them.”

“
We might have a mass exodus.”

“Wouldn’t that be
nice? Nicole would have to train a whole new staff herself and it would serve her right.”

*

Dishes were still piling up in the kitchen, so when room service brought lunch, Jackie had the waiter load up his cart and take them away. She needed to send clothes to the laundry, but that could wait. They were running out of time and still they couldn’t find the missing Georgia Marie James anywhere. They had accounts with several sites that claimed they could find anyone, but that hadn’t helped either. They’d looked for every conceivable name combination in every English speaking country, and even checked cruise ship manifests.

They were
coming up totally empty until Michael said, “Good news. Want to hear what the boarding school has to say?”

“
You bet.” Jackie answered. She quickly went back to her seat at the table.

“Not a darn thing.
They have a legal document demanding they expunge all of Georgia’s records except her grades. There is no description of her, no health records, and nothing that can tell us where she went after she left school.”

“No kidding? I wonder how Connelly pulled that off,” Carl said.
He stood up and stretched his weary bones. “I sure could use a good workout.”

“Oh, well this explains it,” said Michael. “T
hey got a large donation the day after they expunged Georgia’s records.”

“Money
really
can
buy silence,” Carl mumbled.

“I found something else interesting,” Michael added. “I found a roster of teachers and one just happened to retire last year. If
we can’t get the school to talk, she might be our best bet.”

“Forget the school,” said Carl. “The other PI didn’t get anywhere
with them. Just go straight to the teacher.”

“We could call her,” Michael suggested.

Jackie shook her head. “She might have recent pictures of Georgia. That’d be worth the trip.” Her movements were animated as she turned to stare at Carl.

Carl saw the grin on her face, looked away
, and then looked back. “Okay, that means I get to fly my baby again. I better get her all gassed up.”