Page 122 of Summers at the Saint
The older man’s voice was calm, even soothing. “Let’s not panic yet. I’ll read the will over, and then I’ll call you with my thoughts.”
“Okay,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Please apologize to Georgia for my ruining your Sunday morning.”
“Nonsense. She’s babysitting the grandchildren. In fact, she’s bringing them over to the Saint to go swimming in the pool this afternoon.”
“Tell her to take the kids to lunch and have them put it on my account,” Traci said.
“I’ll do that. Now, try not to worry. Please?”
She paced the floor while she waited. She took Lola for a walk around the block, started a load of laundry, and tried to read, but concentration was impossible. She couldn’t eat, and was afraid if she started to drink she wouldn’t be able to stop.
Her phone rang while she was sitting on the screened porch, rocking back and forth in Helen Eddings’s old wicker rocker and staring at the garden.
“Well?”
Plankenhorn chuckled. “You know, I can’t believe Ric is capable of this kind of conspiratorial villainy.” His deep Southern drawl drew out each syllable.
“I can.”
The older man chuckled again. “Fortunately for you, he and his lawyer friend aren’t nearly as clever as they think they are. Just on the face of what I know of Fred’s medical condition from my last visit, it’s impossible to believe that this new will could have been his idea, or that he actually had the capacity to execute it.”
“Remember, Ric had it videotaped. To show that Fred knew what he was doing.”
“The mere act of videotaping it could be construed as a form of coercion, in the eyes of some juries,” Plankenhorn said.
“A jury? Oh God. I don’t want to have to litigate this.”
“I doubt it will come to that,” he assured her. “In my opinion there is a major flaw in the way this will has been drawn. And ultimately this will be to your benefit.”
“Please, please tell me about this hitch. I desperately need some good news.”
“I don’t mean to leave you on pins and needles, but I will need to go into the office and do some research. I promise I’ll get back to you by this afternoon.”
Traci let out a long, anguished sigh. “I’m losing my mind over here, Andy.”
“Patience, my dear. Go for a walk on the beach. It’s a beautiful morning out.”
When she hung up the phone she looked over at Lola. “Wanna go for a walk again?”
Lola turned around, ran into the kitchen, and hid under the table.
“I take it that’s a no?”
On an impulse, she picked up her phone, and before she chickened out, called Whelan.
He picked up on the second ring.
“You wouldn’t want to go for a beach walk with me, would you?” she blurted.
“Sounds great. I’ve got nothing else going on. Where and when?”
“Now-ish?”
“Could you be more specific?”
“Meet me here at my place. I’ll have the restaurant pack us a picnic lunch and then we can head over to the beach.”
“See you in thirty minutes.”
