Secrets, Lies & Homicide

by Patricia Dusenbury

  "When it's ready. Meanwhile, the apartment's comfortable." His hand slid up her thigh. "You could spend the weekend and see for yourself."

  "You want to cut that out before I run off the road."

  He laughed and withdrew his hand. "Okay, but the invitation stands. We'll start with dinner Friday night."

  "I'd like that." Was he saying he didn't want to see her until the weekend? What about tonight and Wednesday night and Thursday night? Stop it, she told herself. You're not an infatuated thirteen-year-old. She pulled up in front of his apartment house.

  "Did you talk to Kyle? You really should go see the farm. I'm sure it's changed since you were a child."

  "You're right. I'm tied up through Thursday. We're shooting commercials for the dealership, but I could do it Friday morning. Want to come? Fried chicken for lunch."

  "I want to but I have to work. I took off half of yesterday, and I'm already late today. We could go up Saturday."

  "I have other plans for Saturday." He leaned over and kissed her. "And they involve you. I'll pick you up seven o'clock Friday. Wear a nice dress and pack your toothbrush. Meanwhile would you do me a favor? It shouldn't take a lot of time."

  "Sure."

  "See if you can get through to Paul Gilbert—he's been avoiding me—and ask him about the trusts. I want to know what my options are."

  CHAPTER 28

  When Claire called Paul Gilbert's office, his secretary said he had no openings on his calendar until the twenty-second.

  Paul, himself, called back later that morning. "If you don't mind meeting after business hours, I could see you at five-thirty today."

  "After work is better for me."

  When she arrived, he was alone in the office. She thanked him for seeing her on such short notice.

  "My pleasure. Would you like anything to drink?" he said. "Suzanne made fresh coffee before she left, and I have a selection of teas. Or wine if you prefer. It is after five."

  She declined, and he led her down the hall and into a room furnished more like an elegant parlor than a legal office.

  "Why don't we sit by the window?" He gestured toward two comfortable-looking chairs with a small table between them. "Before we begin, I want to emphasize that this is pro bono, pro my bono, because I remain mortified by my role in Frank Palmer's crimes. I am grateful for the opportunity to assist you."

  "Paul, you didn't do anything." He, like everyone else, had been taken in by Frank.

  "That's exactly the point," he said. "I should have seen, and I didn't. Now, you have questions about a trust?"

  "Two trusts. Here's a copy of the first one." She handed him the document. "You know the people involved—at least one of them."

  Paul put on a pair of reading glasses. "An occupational hazard," he said. "Small print ruins your eyesight." When he finished reading, he looked up at her, frowning. "Where did you get this?"

  "The St. Helene Parish Courthouse. That's where the land is."

  "I see." He tapped the paper. "What's your question?"

  "The trustee sold three hundred of the four hundred acres, but she didn't put the proceeds back into this trust. Instead she created another trust with similar but more restrictive provisions. I want to know if she had the right to do that."

  "What's your interest in this, Claire?"

  "The beneficiary asked me to look into it for him. We're friends." Her words earned her a searching look. She felt her cheeks color and hoped Paul didn't notice. "I know you've represented Tony in the past," she said, "but he's changed."

  "Before we go any further, I'd like to clarify that I am representing you, not Tony Burke. It's a fine point given the situation, but an important one." She nodded and he continued. "Now, you say Geneviève created a second trust with the proceeds from the land sale?"

  "The amount is essentially the same as the sale proceeds, and she did it shortly after selling the land." She handed him a copy of the second trust. "Her lawyer gave this to Tony. Again, the income goes to Geneviève and at her death the assets go to Tony, but she added a stipulation. Tony receives the assets only if he agrees to, personally, continue the horse rescue operation for a minimum of ten years. Otherwise everything goes to a charity that takes care of elderly horses."

  Paul leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. The corners of his mouth twitched into a smile that became a chuckle.

  "You think that's funny?"

  "Claire, if I didn't find humor in human behavior, I couldn't stay sane. Are we talking about a significant amount of money?"

  "Just over a million dollars."

  "That answers my first question," he said. "The stakes are high enough to warrant legal action. But Geneviève may have been within her rights. It appears she provided the assets for the first trust."

  "But she didn't. Her first husband, Roger Devereux, funded the trust. She was a conduit."

  Paul rocked forward in his chair and scanned the documents. "I see no mention of Roger Devereux."

  "He sold Geneviève the land, all four hundred acres, for one dollar. Here's a copy of the deed. Same date, same lawyer, same witnesses." Claire slid her last document across the table. If this didn't convince Paul, he didn't want to be convinced.

  "Have you talked to the attorney who prepared these?" He laid the signature pages side by side and aligned their edges.

  "He died several years ago. It's been thirty-four years, Paul, the witnesses could all be dead too, but it's obvious what happened."

  Paul fiddled with his reading glasses and cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable with their discussion. Why? He would have been a teenager when the trust was created. He couldn't know the circumstances, plus he'd appeared to be surprised by what she'd learned. Or was it something unrelated? He'd been Tony's lawyer. Was there something Tony hadn't told her? "What's wrong?"

  "I've represented several members of the Devereux family and, in some instances, the relationship is ongoing. With your permission, I'll discuss this matter with them. If they object to my involvement, I have a conflict of interest and will refer you to another attorney."

  "A conflict? Isn't it in the Devereux family's interest that the intention of Roger's trust be honored?" She paused. "Or do you think there was something shady about that initial land transfer?" This question was as close as she'd come to sharing Tony's belief that Geneviève had blackmailed Roger Devereux and possibly continued to blackmail the family. She studied Paul's face for clues, but he'd recovered his usual poise, and his expression gave nothing away.

  "That's a moot question, Claire, and I'm in no position to venture an opinion." He stared out the window as if the darkening sky held the explanation, and then turned to her. "New Orleans is a small town. There are no secrets. I'm aware that Tony has more serious legal concerns than the validity of this trust."

  "If you mean Geneviève's murder, he's a suspect because they argued the night before she was killed. There's no evidence against him, and it's a lot more complicated than one argument." She didn't say anymore, because Mike had asked her not to discuss the discovery of the bones with anyone. "The police have taken a DNA sample from Tony. He thinks because they found some evidence on Geneviève. Once they get the results back, they'll know he's innocent." Paul's frown deepened, and she tried to ease the situation. "On these trusts, he just wants to know what his options are. That's all. He's not even sure he wants to pursue it."

  "I'm sorry, Claire." Paul handed the documents back to her. "As much as I want to help you, I can't. If you like, I'll refer you to one of my colleagues. That's the best I can do."

  "I'll call if I want a reference." If Tony wants a reference. "Thank you." She put the papers back in her briefcase and stood to leave.

  Paul walked her to the elevator, where she declined his offer to escort her to her car. Paul's willingness to help had diminished when Tony's name came up and vanished the moment he learned the Devereux family was involved. The next time she talked to Tony, she'd ask if he knew why.


  * * * *

  The elevator door closed, and Paul walked slowly back to the green conference room. Small to the point of intimacy, it was his preferred setting for sensitive conversations. Clients felt comfortable because the location at the end of the hall made it absolutely private, an ambience reinforced by the treetop view from the windows. Claire had appeared at ease. He'd been the one disconcerted by their meeting.

  As soon as he read the first document, he'd recognized the situation. He'd set up similar trusts for men who had fathered children they didn't wish to acknowledge but for whom they accepted financial responsibility. But when Claire said Roger Devereux had funded the trust, he'd almost fallen off his chair.

  The deeds backed up her supposition. The attorney had been inexcusably careless about leaving a paper trail. Why land and not bearer bonds or some other financial instruments that couldn't be easily traced?

  He telephoned his father. "I need your help, Dad."

  "If it has to do with Roger and Geneviève, we've already discussed the matter. When their relationship ended is irrelevant. Roger had nothing to do with her death. And you cannot expect either your mother or me to remember events long past that we didn't wish to know about at the time."

  "A second woman has been murdered, executed gangland style, presumably because she saw Geneviève's killer. You must have seen that in the paper." He gave his father a moment then changed tactics. "I'm still hoping you and mother will recall the names of Geneviève's lovers, but meanwhile, I have a simple yes or no question about something I'm quite sure you remember."

  "Which is?" His father's irritation had given way to wariness.

  "Is Roger Devereux Tony Burke's father?" Paul waited for an answer. When none was forthcoming, he modified the question. "Who else knows?"

  "How did you find out?" His father's question served as an admission.

  "Roger arranged for a trust to provide for his son, but Geneviève pilfered it for her own purposes. A woman for whom I have both respect and affection has become involved with Tony. She's asked me to help him claim his rightful inheritance. If Roger is indeed Tony's father, I have a conflict of interest."

  "You have both a conflict and a duty. Tell this woman that you can't help her and, if you truly care for her, tell her to run as fast and as far as she can. Geneviève left nothing but sorrow in her wake. Layton, God help him, grew up as angry and destructive as his mother. As you know, he left New Orleans under a cloud. It broke Roger's heart."

  There were at least two sides to every story, but his father was a man with one eye.

  "I'm afraid she wouldn't listen," Paul said. The quick smile and the blush that colored Claire's cheeks when she'd described Tony as a friend suggested a more intimate connection. That was unfortunate but none of his business and, given Tony's modus operandi, would undoubtedly end soon. Roger and Geneviève were another matter.

  "How long after the divorce did their relationship persist?" he said.

  "Their affair ended decades ago, Layton was still a child. Let it rest, Son."

  "I can't. A homicide detective has asked me to find out if Geneviève's relationship with Roger survived their divorce. Obviously, it did. I can't withhold that information." He assured his father that the police would be discreet, but that wasn't enough. Before they ended the conversation, his father had extracted his promise, albeit hedged, not to tell the police that Roger was Tony's father.

  "Not unless they ask that specific question," Paul said.

  He switched off the phone, painfully aware that the promise he'd given his father could well prove empty. Those directly involved would tell no one. The lawyer who drew up the original trust was dead as was Geneviève, and Roger's memories were blocked by disease. But there were others.

  Sooner or later, if she hadn't already, Claire would wonder why Roger had gone to such lengths to provide for Tony. She'd suspect the truth and say something to Tony. The police might already know. Laura had said they'd requested a DNA sample from Roger, and she'd refused permission. Claire said Tony had already provided one.

  It was a matter of time before the identity of Tony's biological father became known. In the unlikely event that Tony decided to walk away from a million dollars, his mother's murder would still draw attention to all facets of her life. Already, too many people had too many clues to the truth, and if Claire could find the trust documents, so could others.

  But why does that matter?

  After thirty plus years, who really cared if Roger Devereux and his ex-wife had an affair? Neither adultery nor illegitimacy was the scandal it had been back in 1960, and the trust demonstrated that Roger had taken financial responsibility for his son. As Claire suspected, Geneviève overstepped the bounds of her authority with the stipulations of the second trust. A simple challenge, and Tony would get the million dollars.

  All of this could be handled with discretion. Tomorrow, he would tell Mike that Roger and Geneviève's relationship had persisted post-divorce and, with a few carefully worded questions of his own, assess how much the police had learned about this old scandal. Tonight, on the way home, he'd stop by his parents' house and assure his father that the sky was not falling. That left only Laura. He dialed her number.

  "I hope I'm not interrupting your dinner."

  "We're not eating for another hour. What can I do for you?"

  Paul chose not to notice the cool tone that let him know that he had not been forgiven. He relayed what he'd learned and braced himself for outraged denial.

  "None of that is news to me," she said. "I've been keeping a close eye on the situation for years. I won't compromise you by sharing the details of how. I suspect at least one law has been broken."

  "You never cease to amaze me." His statement was neutral. In truth, he was appalled. He envisioned Laura as a spider tending her web of spies and informants.

  "Lamont and I are less pessimistic than you are about keeping everything under wraps. It appears Tony wants us to buy the land back. Pineland will offer more than it's worth, pay cash, and that will be that."

  "It isn't just the farm," he warned. "Are you aware of the second trust? There may be a problem with it."

  "I am, and I'm hoping you'll help us," she said. "Roger became concerned when Geneviève established a second trust, but she spouted some nonsense and he agreed to let it be as long as the provisions regarding Tony were identical, which they were initially. She added that stipulation about her horses after Roger became incompetent. I should have taken action then and there, but I didn't expect her to die so soon—short of someone driving a stake through her heart."

  Paul remained silent. The new hard-boiled Laura was only a slight improvement over the irrational harridan of their previous conversation.

  "I know I've been difficult." Her voice softened. "I appreciate all you do for us, Paul, and should have told you about this sooner. I hope you'll agree to represent us in this matter."

  "I'm not sure you need my help."

  "Geneviève's lawyer—I can't remember his name, but I can see him, a little weasel of a man—set up that second trust and changed it when she asked him to. I can testify that he knew Roger provided the initial assets and that he and Roger discussed the necessity for identical provisions in the second trust. As Roger's guardian, I can accuse him of malfeasance. He'd be disbarred, wouldn't he?"

  "It's certainly a possibility."

  "But you always say that legal action is the last resort. You're a diplomat, Paul. I hope you'll talk to him, convince him that it's in his best interest to let Tony sell the farm back to Pineland and receive the assets from the second trust."

  "This is a complicated situation." He was temporizing. If not for the promise to his father, he'd tell her to find another attorney.

  "Only if someone objects," she said. "And we can ensure no one will. The bastard gets his inheritance, he has nothing to complain about, and the horses don't have lawyers." Her laughter crackled like breaking glass.

  "Laura..."
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  "I'm sorry, Paul. It's been so hard. I'm trying to hold things together." Her voice quavered. "We have to protect Roger. Please help me."

  "I'll do what I can."

  CHAPTER 29

  First thing Wednesday morning, Claire met with Anne and Dave Currier to do a last walk-through before starting work on the new kitchen and bathrooms. Anne chattered excitedly about how wonderful everything was going to be, and Dave, her usually dour penny-pinching husband, was actually genial.

  "Dave and I have been talking," Anne said. "Remember the luxury bathroom ideas you showed me? We've decided to do it." Dave nodded agreement, and she continued, "We want a spa tub, marble instead of tile and a separate shower with multiple heads. The whole nine yards."

  Claire was surprised. She had shown them the more elaborate option because there was plenty of space, and Anne said she wanted a fancy bathroom. Dave had immediately squelched the idea, saying there might be room in the house, but there was no room in the budget. They'd moved ahead with plans for a standard tub and shower combination.

  "You realize it's going to be a good bit more money," she said. "It's not just the fixtures. We'll have to run more pipe, reinforce the floor."

  A cloud crossed Dave's face, but Anne squeezed his arm. "We know. And I hope this won't slow anything down, but it's what we really want."

  "I'll need you to sign a change order," Claire said. Dave had told her more than once that he would pay the contracted amount and not a penny more. She believed him, and she wasn't going to spend one extra penny without his specific written approval. "It could be as much as ten thousand dollars."

  "Don't give me round numbers. I want hard costs before I sign anything."

  She promised to get the information to him as soon as possible. "Unless you have something else, I'd better be going. If I get your numbers today, we stay on schedule."

  It was going to be a long day. Synchronizing work on the Burke and Currier projects had been her idea, and it made sense on paper, but implementation was proving difficult. She'd spent hours working with the subs, making sure everyone was on the same schedule, and now this. Any delay would ripple through both projects, which meant she had to gather the information, prepare the change order and get it signed before close of business today or watch her carefully constructed schedule fall apart.