Lucy noticed there was a line of people at the counter, which was staffed by two assistant clerks, so she went straight to the drawer marked CH-CO but found no card for Clare v. Franklin. That meant she also had to join the line filled with people filing lawsuits or inquiring about suing someone or checking on the progress of their case. Samantha Eggers was visible, busy at her desk behind the counter where she was available for consultations when necessary.
She glanced up from time to time to check on the progress at the counter and when she saw Lucy, she got right up and drew her aside to the far end of the counter. “What brings you here today, Lucy?”
Samantha wore her gray hair in a short, no-nonsense cut and wore suits and low-heeled shoes. Today she had left her jacket hanging on the back of her desk chair and was wearing a flattering light blue cashmere turtleneck and a gray skirt.
“A little birdy told me that Ed Franklin’s first wife is contesting his will,” said Lucy, speaking in a very low voice. “But I didn’t find anything in the card file.”
“It just came in and we’re processing the paperwork,” said Samantha.
“Any chance I could take a peek?”
Samantha looked away as if studying the effect of the new window treatments, then smiled. “I don’t see why not. It’s going to be public soon enough. Come on in.”
She raised the counter and opened the gate beneath, allowing Lucy to step inside the office area, which caused a bit of a stir among the people waiting in line. Samantha ignored them, and took Lucy to a vacant desk in the rear where she presented her with the original petition then went back to her own desk.
Eudora Huntington Clare and Taggart Huntington Franklin v. Estate of Edward Franklin consisted of twelve typewritten pages prepared by Eudora’s lawyer who happened to be her husband, Jon Clare. The words they contained were nothing more than various combinations of letters from the alphabet, but Lucy felt her face reddening as she read them. It felt as if they were alight and burning her skin.
The suit alleged that Mireille had alienated the affection of Eudora’s husband, Edward Franklin, and had poisoned his mind against his lawful wife by knowingly making false accusations against her. The alleged accusations included claims that Eudora was mentally unbalanced and accused her of spousal abuse, infidelity, and incest, such charges being wholly unfounded and entirely false.
The suit also claimed that the aforesaid Mireille Wilkins had falsely claimed to be pregnant with Edward Franklin’s child, which situation caused him to initiate divorce proceedings against Eudora Franklin. Furthermore, the suit continued, after her marriage Mireille Wilkins Franklin had continued to slander Eudora Franklin and had influenced Edward Franklin to disinherit her and her son Taggart Huntington Franklin, whom he had legally adopted upon his marriage to Eudora Huntington.
In addition to accusing Mireille of lying and slanderous behavior, the suit alleged that she had alienated Alison Franklin, the daughter of Edward and Eudora Franklin, against her birth mother. The most terrible accusation was last and claimed that Mireille had “knowingly and with malice intentionally provided illegal opioids to Alison, causing her to become addicted to said substances and contributing to her untimely death.”
When she finished reading, Lucy sighed and looked up, meeting Samantha’s sardonic expression.
“Do you want me to make a copy for you?” Samantha asked. “It’ll cost you.”
“How much?” asked Lucy.
“Twenty-five cents a page.”
“Quite the bargain,” said Lucy, handing the papers to Samantha, who promptly unstapled them and fed them into the huge copy machine. The machine was old and slow and produced the copies at a stately pace, but Lucy left the office with a complete set folded in her bag.
When she was crossing the parking lot she noticed several reporters she’d seen at the press conference, making their way to the courthouse. She assumed that Mimsy had been at work and the word was out; she could only hope that Samantha wouldn’t be as helpful to these others as she had been to her.
Fearing she had no time to waste before the media horde turned its attention to Jon Clare, Lucy put in a call on her cell phone to the law firm named in the letterhead which was the prestigious old-school Boston firm of Bradstreet and Coffin. Unlike Howard Munn, Bradstreet and Coffin had an automated phone system that provided the names of associates and their extension numbers. When Jon Clare’s name was not mentioned, Lucy took the option of pressing star for the operator.
“I will connect you,” said the operator without providing an extension number.
That made Lucy wonder exactly what relationship Jon Clare had to the office.
He did pick up, however, and confirmed that he was representing his wife, who was contesting Ed Franklin’s will. “It’s a story old as time, an attractive young woman stealing the affection of an older man and destroying his family.”
“I saw the suit. There are an awful lot of terrible allegations against Mireille,” said Lucy. “I find it hard to believe that a hardheaded businessman like Ed Franklin could be so easily manipulated.”
“Well, it will all come out in court, and more,” said Jon. “I can promise you that this is just the beginning. It’s going to be a sensational trial.” He sounded quite gleeful at the prospect.
Lucy found it disturbing. Once again she wondered about his professional status. “In future, if I need to reach you, what number should I use? I noticed the firm hasn’t given you a telephone extension.”
“Um, right. I’m just here temporarily. A friend is letting me use an office that happens to be empty. I’m actually, uh, retired,” he said. Something in his tone
