Someone from the department had already taken all of his private papers including his bills and a copy of a will.
In a cupboard in the living room, she found a stash of toys, dolls, Legos, and puzzles, probably for his nieces. There were also playing cards, a carousel of poker chips, a chess set, cribbage board, and a case that held backgammon pieces. Leaning back on her heels, she wondered how often he played cards or rolled dice with friends.
And what friends were they?
His brothers?
As far as she knew, Dan Grayson was a solitary man, on the verge of being called a loner.
But then, she hadn’t known him all his life, and from the dust that had collected, and the looks of the playing boards, the games had seen most of their action years ago, when he was in college, possibly, or later when he was with one of his wives.
She found nothing more of interest and walked through the living room to the kitchen where the smell of coffee still faintly lingered in the air.
Alvarez left the house again, called for the dog and waited once more, but no bounding retriever appeared from the surrounding wilderness. She left the door to the woodshed ajar, so, if the dog did return, he could find some shelter, then whispered to herself, “I’ll be back,” and jammed her hands into her pockets as she headed outside to her ten-year-old SUV.
Chapter 7
“So get this,” Sage Zoller said an hour later as she strolled into Alvarez’s office. Though it was after five on Christmas Day, Alvarez was still on the clock. Then again, Zoller and Alvarez weren’t alone. The sheriff’s department still buzzed with voices, the ring tones of cell phones, hum of computers and televisions over the ever-present rumble of the overworked furnace.
Sage dropped a thin legal document onto Alvarez’s desk. “It looks like the person who inherited the bulk of Dan Grayson’s estate is his ex-wife,” she said. “And not his most recent ex-wife, but the first Mrs. Grayson, aka Cara Grayson Banks.”
“Seriously?” Alvarez, who had already skimmed Grayson’s phone records and credit card statements, was now looking for notice of releases of any con Dan Grayson had been instrumental in convicting.
“Uh-huh.” Zoller was a junior detective, smarter than smart, and worked long hours. Only two inches over five feet, Zoller ran marathons, her muscles tight, her face, surrounded by springy dark curls, definitely elfin. “I checked everywhere, including with Grayson’s attorney, who didn’t mind being pulled away from his Christmas dinner to talk to me. It looks like the will was last changed five years ago, before he married wife number two.” She held up two fingers, nearly a peace sign. “So Akina was never cut into the family fortune. According to the lawyer, that, too, had been in the works, but the marriage was so short, it hadn’t happened.”
“What about his nieces? He’s crazy about them.”
“Oh, yeah, they’re mentioned. They each get ten thousand, in a college fund, nothing to sneeze at. But the bulk of his estate looks like it’s in real estate. His cabin is owned outright and his portion of the Grayson ranch, that would be one-quarter, which is run by his brothers Zedediah and Cade, goes to Mrs. Number Uno.”
Alvarez leaned back in her chair. “Seems odd.”
“Odder yet? His retirement beneficiary and life insurance?” She nodded at Alvarez.
“Cara again?”
“Bingo. His lawyer said Grayson wanted to meet with him after the first of the year to change things, but so far that hadn’t happened.”
“Anyone else know about that meeting?”
“I asked, but the lawyer, Cromwell Buckner the Fourth—really, would you name a baby that four times?” She shook her head. “This one, in the long line of Cromwells, at least goes by Buck, and he said he has no idea who the sheriff told about the meeting.”
“Grayson’s pretty private,” Alvarez thought aloud. “Maybe no one.”
“Yeah, I know, I thought there was a chance Joelle might have known about the appointment as she pretty much runs the sheriff’s schedule, but, no, according to Buck, Grayson set up the meeting himself.”
“So, all we know is that the people in the law offices and Dan Grayson knew about it.”
“If it’s even significant,” Zoller said.
“Hmmm.”
“I already checked on the first missus. Alibi locked up tighter than a miser’s safe.”
“Who?”
“The current husband, of course.”
“Nolan Banks.” Alvarez had heard his name before but knew little about the man. He and Cara had children, though, she was pretty sure.