“Can't you prove that she's not mentally incapable of handling her affairs?”
“Yes, Frankie. I have a team of psychiatrists who will attest that she is competent.”
“So, call for a hearing and put an end to it. Why do you want him to think you believe Kendall is mentally incompetent?”
“To beat him at his own game.” He shook his head. “Now is not the right time to call for a hearing. If necessary, I will when the time is right. But right now, I need you two to tail him and report everyone he meets with when he leaves his office each evening until he returns home.”
“You don't want us to watch the house all night?”
“No, when he goes home for the night, you're done for the day. Just follow him when he leaves the office until he arrives home. That's all you need to do. Get plenty of pictures of him and anyone he's seen with.”
“Why doesn't Kendall just file for a divorce and be done with him?” Frankie asked. “Certainly it would be worth whatever she has to pay to get rid of him once and for all.”
“First, there's the issue of him still retaining power of attorney. Even if she regained total control of her assets, without any proof of infidelity on his part, he stands to receive an unusual settlement.”
“Still, wouldn't it be worth it?” Johanna questioned. “She could move on with her life.”
“No, it wouldn't be worth it. Not to her or Bronson Enterprises. It would still leave him with equal control of the Bronson holdings, including the hotels.” He cleared his throat. “When he insisted on signing the pre-nup, Kendall had that clause added. I'm sure he convinced her to add it. I tried to talk her out of it, privately of course, but at that time she insisted that she wanted to show him that she trusted that he wasn't a gold digger. She really believed he'd be her happily ever after. She refused to believe that her marriage would ever fall apart. Of course, the clause would be revoked if Thatcher filed for divorce or was found to be unfaithful.”
“Sly move on his part,” Frankie stated. “But the clause is still odd. Would it be possible for us to see a copy of the pre-nup with all of the added clauses?”
“You only need to tail him,” Alec replied.
Johanna studied the attorney. She knew by the twinkle in his eye that he knew just tailing Thatcher Longman wouldn't be enough to satisfy them, especially after all they'd learned about the despicable man.
He lifted an eyebrow. “I'll ask Kendall. I don't think she'll object, but you won't find anything in there that I haven't already told you about.”
“I know, but I'd like to see when the changes to the pre-nup were made. Just humor us,” Frankie added. “I've got to be honest, Alec, nothing about this case makes much sense right now. Maybe somehow Johanna and I can make a connection.”
“I don't know what you hope to find, but if Kendall agrees, have a go at it.” He flashed a bright smile.
Johanna suddenly stiffened. “Alec, you don't think Thatcher might try to physically harm Kendall do you? I mean, if something happened to her wouldn't he automatically inherit everything since she has no living heirs?”
“That thought has crossed my mind. He, of course, wouldn't do it himself, but just between us, I certainly wouldn't put it past him to hire someone,” Alec replied. “Just to be on the safe side, I've had a few safety precautions put in place.”
“Won't that set off warning bells for Thatcher?”
“Hopefully he won't even be aware of it. If Kendall feels she's in danger, she can push a button on her necklace that will alert the police.”
“So she was wearing it when we met her?”
“Yes. And when she came to see you this morning, I hired a taxi that dropped her off around the corner from your office.”
“What about last Friday?”
“My wife took care of the details. She had no clue Kendall was actually going to go to your office. But, thankfully, she got there and back safely. I warned her to never do that again unless I'm aware of it.”
“I feel so sorry for her,” Frankie said. “All that money and so unhappy. What a monster she married.”
“All that money and she can't touch it,” Johanna added. “That's not right, Alec.”
“No, it's not and that's why I can't afford to wait much longer. I think Thatcher's going to make a move soon.” He paused. “So, you two are still on board after everything I've told you?” he asked studying them.
“Of course, we are,” Frankie answered. “We've already given Kendall a signed contract. We just needed to clarify with you that she is the real Kendall Bronson Longman. Now that we know she is, we're determined to do everything in our power to help her.”
“There is one other thing that doesn't make sense, Alec. Doesn't the way Kendall is dressed reflect poorly on Thatcher? Or is that part of his plan to use against her?” Johanna's eyes narrowed. “To be honest, she looked like a woman who lives on the streets. That's why we'd originally thought she may have stolen or found Kendall's wallet with her identity.”
He chuckled. “She doesn't dress like that in everyday life. Even though her accounts have been frozen, she does have access to a small personal account, which her father had set up years ago
