“Jack Walsh gave it to someone else.”
“Why would he do that?”
“How should I know? The man was eccentric. It might have amused him. And then there’s a third possibility.”
“What’s that?”
“He might have kept it himself. In which case it burned up with him.”
“Shit. You really think he did?”
“I think it’s a good possibility. I keep trying to get in the man’s mind. And I know from the questions he asked me he was planning something exactly of that sort. If the will isn’t found right away, and the prior will gets probated, and then the new will shows up. Well, it’s a just slight wrinkle on that to what if half of the will gets probated and then the other half shows up.”
“You mean-”
“Exactly. I think it’s entirely possible Jack Walsh wrote out a second half of the will, which he planned to stash somewhere with someone, to be mailed to me or the police or the bank at some later specified date.”
“If that’s true, then we’ll never know.”
“Right, and-”
Steve broke off at the sound of the outer door opening and closing. “Someone in the outer office.”
“I’ll see who it is,” Tracy said.
She went out, returned moments later.
“Jason Tindel to see you.”
“Oh? Is he on the warpath?”
“Not with me. He seemed perfectly polite and respectful.”
“This should be fun. Show him in.”
Tracy went out and came in ushering Jason Tindel.
Tindel immediately held up his hands in a conciliatory gesture. “I’m not angry,” he said.
“Oh?”
“No. That was some job you did to me on the witness stand. But I understand you were only doing your job. There’s no hard feelings.”
“I’m glad to hear it. So what can I do for you?”
“It’s about Jeremy, of course.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. The family’s very concerned. At first we thought it was ridiculous, but now it appears there actually is something of a case.”
“The police seem to think so.”
“That’s absurd. Jeremy wouldn’t do anything like that. Not to Uncle Jack. Now Jeremy is a bit wild. He’s been in scrapes before. There’s some things I wouldn’t put past him. But not this.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Steve said. “But why are you here?”
Jason frowned. “To offer my support, of course. The whole family’s support.”
“Oh?”
“Well, I would think you’d need help in this. From what I hear, the police happen to have a pretty good case. Well, we happen to know a few things about Jeremy’s background, his history, that could assist you in putting together the defense.”
“Such as what?”
“Well, Jeremy hasn’t always been mentally stable. There’s been incidents in the past, things you could bring up that would show diminished responsibility.”
A grin spread over Steve’s face. “Diminished responsibility?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve seen the will, haven’t you? Jeremy’s will?”
Jason Tindel frowned. “Yes. Why?”
“And you plan to contest it, don’t you?”
“Well, of course I do,” Jason said.
“On what grounds?”
“Lots of grounds. When Jack Walsh made that will, he was not of sound mind. There’s also the question of undue influence. There’s also the fact that the will isn’t signed.”
“Sounds like good grounds to me,” Steve said. “I assume a lawyer pointed them out to you?”
“I spoke to my lawyer, yes.”
“Yeah, I was sure you had,” Steve said. “The moment you used the term, ‘diminished responsibility.’ And your lawyer advised you you could contest the will on those grounds?”
“Well, yes he did.”
“And he also told you you couldn’t be sure of winning, didn’t he?”
Jason frowned. “What’s that got to do with it?”
“It’s got everything to do with it,” Steve said. “I was wondering why you were here. Then you said ‘diminished responsibility and I knew. Because I know the next thing your lawyer told you. And that’s even if you couldn’t knock out Jeremy’s will, it still wouldn’t matter if Jeremy got convicted of murder. ’Cause a murderer can’t inherit from his victim. That’s why you’re in here offering me support, and that’s why the support isn’t anything that’s gonna get Jeremy off. It’s the type of stuff to get the sentence reduced once he’s convicted. ’Cause you don’t care how long he goes to jail, just as long as he’s convicted and it knocks out his will.”
Jason Tindel looked totally nonplussed. “Well, now …” he said.
“Well now, indeed,” Steve said. He smiled. “Well, anyway I’m glad you’re not angry. I’m not angry either.” Steve pointed. “But if you wouldn’t mind doing me the favor, would you please get your ass out of my office?”
26
Steve Winslow smiled at Jeremy Dawson through the wire mesh screen in the lockup. “I like your haircut.”
Jeremy’s eyes flashed. “Hey, fuck you,” he said. He ran his hand over his bald head. “I feel like a freak.”
Steve had trouble keeping a straight face. He shrugged. “Well, there’s freaks and there’s freaks.”
“Hey, I don’t need your abuse. You said shave it off and I shaved it off. But I feel stupid as hell.”
“Relax. Bald is sexy. Remember Yul Brynner.”
“Who?”
Steve groaned. “Never mind.” He waved his hand around the lockup. “So how do you like your new surroundings?”
“Jail is jail, man. When am I gonna get out of here?”
“Small problem there. You’ve been indicted for murder.”
“Yeah, well what about bail?”
“You can’t make bail.”
“Why not? I just inherited a million bucks.”
“Yeah, well that’s another thing.”
“What is?”
“Where’s page 2, Jeremy?”
“What?”
“You know what. What happened to the second page?”
“What second page?”
“The will, Jeremy. The second page of the will.”
Jeremy stared at Steve Winslow. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Steve frowned. He’d been watching Jeremy’s reactions closely. Jeremy Dawson seemed utterly baffled. Either his confusion was genuine, or the kid was one hell of an actor.
