“Maybe? Why maybe? Didn’t our agreement and my check go down with her?”
“I suppose so.”
“Then why maybe?”
“Strictly speaking, that money was hers, and her heirs are entitled to it.”
“Heirs? Libby had heirs?”
“I’ve no idea, but let’s say, for example, she had a sister, and she left a will leaving everything to her. She’d be entitled to the four hundred thousand. Even if Libby died intestate, that is, without a will, her next of kin would be in line for it.”
“But there’s nothing. The check and the agreement went with her.”
“Suppose she called this putative sister last night and said, ‘Guess what? I just got four hundred grand, and I’m going to give you some.’ And she told her sister where and how she got it. Suppose she mailed a copy of the agreement, or the agreement itself, to the sister. Then the sister would come after you, because she’d have evidence of an agreement to pay, but no payment.”
“But you don’t know if there is a sister.”
“No, and Libby didn’t make any phone calls last night, according to Thomas, who would have a record of it if she had. She didn’t mail anything this morning either, as far as I know.”
“So I’m safe.”
“If you want to be.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean, the proper thing to do would be to search out Libby’s executor, if she has one, and pay him the money. Then he could distribute it to any heirs or family she may have had.”
“And suppose she didn’t have any heirs or family?”
“Then it would go to the state of Florida, which is where she resided.”
“So you’re suggesting I should give the state of Florida four hundred thousand dollars in Libby’s memory? So they could, maybe, put a statue of her in front of the state capitol?”
“No, but I could have a search for heirs or family done. Then, at least, you’d know.”
“I don’t want to know,” Allison said. “I think that in the circumstances, that’s a ridiculous idea.”
“If it will help, I’ll add to the circumstances,” he said, handing her a document. “That’s Libby and Paul’s divorce decree. The judge gave her ten years of alimony, and the ten years expired earlier this month.”
Allison read the paragraph. “So she was bluffing?”
“Looks that way.”
“She had no claim to the estate whatever, and she had the gall to come down here and extort four hundred thousand dollars out of me?”
“She didn’t extort anything; she responded to an offer, an offer I made her, with your permission, because of circumstances she knew nothing about.”
“So you’re saying she just got lucky; that she happened to be at the right time and at the right place to come into four hundred thousand dollars of my money.”
“I think that’s accurate. And while you’re at it, you might remember that it was I who advised you to pay her off.”
“Stone, I understand why you gave me that advice and, in the circumstances, I think it was the right advice. I’m not angry with you, I promise.”
“I’m glad you understand all that,” Stone replied, “because I think I gave you the right advice, too.”
“And now you’re advising me to search out Libby’s relatives and give them the money.”
“I’m not really giving you advice now; I’m just pointing out to you the legal and ethical burdens of your situation.”