“So if your mother is adopting Rachel, then your niece will be living in Hopalinka?”
Over his dead body. “I’m hoping to persuade my mother to move to Miami.”
“Oh, sure. That makes sense.” She fiddled with her drink. “When you say persuade, it sounds like she’s not exactly on board with the move.”
“She’s warming up to it. I’ve got a house in Miami all lined up for us, and Rachel is already enrolled in the best pre-school in the city. She’ll have a full-time nanny, and I’ll be there to help out. It’s really the best solution for everyone.”
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sp; “It sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.”
There was a hint of censure in her voice, but she didn’t know what was at stake. The girl he’d known in college had been open and sweet and incredibly easy to read, but the beautiful woman sitting across from him had learned over the years how to mask her feelings.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he said.
“I’m not thinking anything.” Then, as if she sensed their conversation was about to get too personal, she cleared her throat. “I have to tell you, whatever you have planned to contest Earl Handy’s will, it’s not going to work.”
“So you said before.”
“Everyone knew Earl suffered from dementia, but that will has been in existence for years. According to witnesses, Earl was completely lucid when he had it drawn up.”
“That’s what I understand.”
“Then what possible grounds could Nora have to contest her daddy’s will?”
He was under no obligation to tell her anything about his case, but once again he found himself about to do something completely out of character. He’d always liked having the element of surprise on his side, but he was filing the motion Monday morning, so she’d find out soon enough anyway.
“We’re going to contest the will on grounds of undue influence.”
“Undue influence by whom?”
“Doug Wentworth.”
She barked out a laugh of disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
He wasn’t surprised by her reaction. If he were in her shoes, he’d feel the exact same way. “Last year, Earl called his attorney, Murdock Cole, and told him he wanted to change his will back in Nora’s favor, but when Cole came to see him the next day, he’d changed his mind again.”
“How exactly is that undue influence?”
“Because in the meantime, somehow, Wentworth found out that Earl wanted to change his will and he went to see the old guy to plead the city’s case.”
“And… I’m confused,” Jenna said. “Doug Wentworth told you this?”
“It’s part of his big confession. He admitted to robbing the ticket booth at this year’s Spring into Summer festival, and he tacked on this bit about trying to talk Earl out of giving the land back to Nora.”
“What possible motivation could he have for that? And besides, why would anyone believe anything that loser says? He’s just trying to stir up trouble.”
“He claims that, as city manager, he was looking out for the city’s best interests. And his motivation for confessing the whole thing? He’s found Jesus.”
Jenna rolled her eyes. “Please.”
“I agree, that’s why my firm hired an investigator. But so far it all adds up. Earl’s nurse, Deedee, confirmed in a written statement that Earl was agitated about his will and that he talked about wanting to change it up. And the local doctor has a record of paying Earl a house call during the time period all this occurred and in his notes he says that Earl was lucid on those days.”
“Vince Palermo has got to be behind this,” Jenna said.
“There’s no record of any communication between Palermo or Wentworth in jail or any other time. I already checked that out, too.”
“Aren’t you Mr. Thorough? Sorry, but I don’t buy it.”