“I’ll be here, no problem. You can find me in the library as usual. ’Course, this’ll give me a chance to see what is on Lucinda’s menu. I’m already wondering about dessert.”
Elton went directly to the library while I followed the sound of voices to the kitchen. As I passed Willis’s office I noticed the door was open but Dolores was nowhere in sight, making me doubly glad that the folders that held the most interest for me were snugly hidden in my room.
I entered the kitchen in time to hear Dolores say, “That’s terrific. You saved me a phone call. We’ll see you for dessert.
“Ah, Jess, there you are. Marjory happened to call to see how I’m doing, and when she mentioned that Tom and Candy were having dinner at her house I invited them all to come here for dessert.”
“How nice. Oh, and Elton will be staying later than usual. I may need him for a chore or two.”
Lucinda said, “We have a pecan pie, a chess pie, and benne wafers. I suppose I should whip up a cobbler, since we still have those blueberries. That’ll give them plenty of choices.”
“Thank you, Lucinda. That will put everyone in a good mood before I put them to work.” Dolores picked up a sheaf of papers from the table. “Mr. Harrold sent the wake and funeral arrangements we agreed upon. I can give Marjory, Tom, and Candy copies right away, and they can begin making lists of all the friends we’ll want to make sure know that they are welcome to come and pay their respects to Willis. I wouldn’t want anyone to miss the notice in the newspapers, which Mr. Harrold assures me was sent out this afternoon.”
Abby came running into the kitchen, skidded to a stop, and greeted everyone politely. Then she said, “Granny Dolores, guess what happened today. Because it is such a beautiful day, with all that blue sky and sunshine, Mrs. Creighton said, ‘I declare today a no-homework day.’ We are supposed to play outside instead.”
Dolores dropped her papers back on the table and gave Abby a hug. “And what did your father say?”
“He said to ask if you would take me to the hummingbird feeder. He’s in the living room talking to Mr. Norman.”
“That’s a great idea. We can see if we need to make more nectar.” As she opened the back door, Dolores said, “Jess, would you please shut the door to the office? I think I left it open.”
I was relieved that she didn’t invite me to go along. I had one or two things to do. I went to my room to gather what I needed and made one quick phone call. Then I stopped in the library, asked Elton to leave the library door open, and gave him instructions as to what I needed done.
I threw my shoulders back and walked into the living room, closing the door behind me.
“Jessica, you’ve had a busy day.” Norman eyed the folders in my hand. “I heard you went with Dolores to the funeral home to finalize the arrangements. You are a loyal friend.”
Clancy said, “I would have gone along but I didn’t realize that was scheduled for today. Can I offer you a drink? Wine? Something stronger?”
“No, thank you. I just want to ask Norman about something that Dolores and I came across in Willis’s office. Something we don’t quite understand.”
Norman said cordially, “I’ve told Dolores repeatedly, I stand ready to help in any way I can.”
“I am so glad you feel that way. We found a folder labled ‘Norman’s Screwups’ and I am afraid the notes, all in Willis’s handwriting, indicate numerous instances of financial mismanagement on your part.”
“Jessica, you barely knew Willis but Clancy can tell you, even when Willis Nickens made a mistake, it was never his mistake. It was always someone else’s.” He walked over and put an arm around Clancy’s shoulders. “C’mon, Clancy, tell her I’m right.”
“Willis was a perfectionist and did have a temper.” I noticed Clancy chose his words very carefully.
“And did Willis ever make a mistake? Never.” Norman raised his voice. Flecks of spittle began to accumulate on his mustache. “Ha! He made mistakes all the time, and then attached them to me. It was his mismanagement that hurt both of us financially, and that’s the truth.”
“And yet somehow the proceeds of those ‘mistakes’ wound up in a tax-sheltered personal trust that you opened some years ago on the island of Nevis.” I looked him straight in the eye.
“What are you talking about?” Norman puffed out his chest and tried to look indignant. “To maximize my retirement funds I may have some offshore accounts, but they contain only my personal savings. No company funds whatsoever.”
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Norman, but that’s just not true. My friend Harry McGraw, who is a private investigator, was able to discover that over the years, each time one of these business ‘mistakes’ occurred, you made a similar-sized deposit in your offshore trust account. If Harry was able to discover it, then I suppose Willis found out about your secret account and confronted you about the money it held. So he had to go.”
“That’s absurd. Positively absurd. Willis and I were friends and business partners for more than thirty years. You are making this all up to try to get your friend Dolores out of the sheriff’s line of vision. She’s nothing but a schemer who married Willis and then killed him for the fortune that should rightfully go to Clancy and his sweet daughter.” Norman looked to Clancy for support.
Clancy, however, stepped away from Norman’s side and said, “Keep me out of this. What Jessica is saying does make some sense.”
“Sense?” Norman stormed. “You mean nonsense. All she has is a coincidence of withdrawals and deposits.”
“That’s not quite all,” I said. “Do you remember when you and Clancy were giving me tidbits for Willis’s obituary and eulogy?”
Norman looked
