“Me?” Kelly shot back. “I’d never ask Aunt Helen for money. I’d starve first.”
Chambers sank back into his leather armchair. “Oh, my . . . oh, my,” he said, clearly troubled. “I thought the money was for you, that’s why I didn’t worry too much when she said she needed it. After all, you’re her only living relative.”
Kelly stared at the diplomas that lined the wall behind Chambers’ desk. This was impossible. It made no sense. Her aunt wouldn’t even consider such a risky move without consulting Kelly. “This is crazy, Mr. Chambers. Aunt Helen was a sensible woman, you know that. She’d never do such a thing. Why . . . why, we just refinanced her house three years ago to pay off most of Uncle Jim’s medical bills. We got a really low rate. Perfect for her. I was going to help her pay off the mortgage so she’d have it free and clear in ten years.” Her hand shot out in frustration. “She wouldn’t . . . she couldn’t have done this stupid thing.”
Chambers took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes but said nothing.
Anger flashed through Kelly, right up her spine. “Wait a minute. Do you think some sleazy con artist got his claws in Aunt Helen? Tricked her into some wretched investment scheme? I’d told her not to even talk to those weasels if they called.”
“No, no, Helen was too smart for that.” He dismissed the threat with a wave. “She and I frequently discussed some of the scams out there for the unwary, especially vulnerable seniors.”
“When did she talk to you? When did she tell you what she was going to do?”
“About three weeks ago. She called to tell me she was refinancing the house because she needed money and asked my recommendation for a lender. Apparently she’d already been turned down by her current mortgage company and two others. There was no more equity left.”
“I know, we used it all three years ago.”
“Well, I asked how much she needed, thinking I’d lend it to her myself. When she told me twenty thousand dollars, I was shocked and told her so. I asked what on earth she could need that much money for, and she refused to answer. Said she’d talk to me later and hung up. I didn’t even hear from her again until last Friday, the very day she was killed.”
“And what did she say then?” Kelly probed.
“That’s when she told me she’d found some Denver mortgage company that was only too glad to write up an above-value mortgage. She wouldn’t tell me the interest rate. It must have been awful. But she did say she got the check for twenty thousand dollars. It never occurred to me she’d cash it.” Chambers leaned over his desk and sank his head in both hands. “Good Lord. That’s what got her killed. All that money sitting in her purse. Oh, Helen, why? Why?” His voice cracked this time.
Kelly pondered for a moment, giving Chambers time to collect himself. She was still trying to make sense of everything she’d heard. Her logical mind didn’t want to accept her aunt’s illogical actions. It was totally out of character. Why would she put herself upside down in her mortgage at her age? Especially since she’d had to refinance only three years ago to pay off most of Uncle Jim’s medical bills. And why on earth would she take all that cash home with her?
The shock of her aunt’s murder had been enough to occupy Kelly’s thoughts the entire two-thousand-mile drive to Colorado. But now that the funeral was over and she had more time to think, Kelly began to notice details. Details that didn’t belong. After all, that’s what she did for a living. In her consulting role with a large accounting firm, Kelly analyzed a corporation’s financial statements looking for anything that jumped out and made her buzzer go off. She’d never imagined that she’d have to turn that same concentration on uglier matters so close to home.
Waiting another moment, Kelly gently asked, “Mr. Chambers, have you spoken to the police? Did you tell them all this, I mean about the money and all?”
He lifted his red-rimmed eyes and cleared his throat. “No. I would never divulge Helen’s private business. That’s privileged.” He sniffled.
“Then I think they need to know there was a lot more money stolen than they originally thought. I’ll call this Lieutenant Morrison as soon as I leave here.” Picking up her portfolio, Kelly stood and deliberately let her voice assume the official business tone she used so often. That would give Chambers something to hang on to. “Thank you, Mr. Chambers, for everything you’ve done and everything you’ve tried to do to help my aunt. I’m going over to the bank right now and check the accounts. And I’ll look into this new loan as well.”
Chambers straightened and rose. “That’s a good idea . . . oh, wait a minute. I think I wrote down the name.” He paged through the daytimer on his desk, scanning the pages. “Yes, here it is. U-Can-Do-It Mortgage in Denver.” He peered at the daytimer while Kelly wrote the information in her notebook. “Ohhh, yes . . . there is something else. Here’s the note. Helen also said she was coming in soon to talk about her property. She wanted to make sure it all went to the city for gardens in case you didn’t want to live in Fort Connor. But she didn’t want to donate the land. It was to be sold, with you receiving all the proceeds.”
Kelly stared blankly at him. Another surprise. “Gardens? Really? She never mentioned that.”
“Yes, that surprised me, too.” Chambers shook his head. “But, of course, she never got the chance to come in for the appointment. So you’re free to sell the property if you choose.”
“But that was her wish, apparently,” Kelly mused out loud.
“Apparently so. She loved you very much, Kelly.”
With that, Kelly knew she had to leave. If she misted up, Chambers would lose it again, and that would be embarrassing. Not so much for her, but for the older gentleman. “Thank you, again, Mr. Chambers,” she said, and headed for the door.
“You’re welcome, Kelly. And, I’m sure you’ll find those mortgage papers in Helen’s house. Take care, my dear.”
Kelly waved and made a swift exit. She was sure she’d find the papers in the cottage, but the thought of going into the house where Aunt Helen was murdered still chilled her. Kelly hastened to the parking lot as she searched her cell phone’s directory for the number of the Fort Connor Police Department.
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