'What would you say Judge Langsford's net worth totals?'
'Sixty million dollars, easily.' Tears returned to the corners of her eyes, and Gibben stood up. 'I don't think I can cope with any more questions right now, Mr. Kerney. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to be alone.'
'I may need to speak with you again,' Kerney said. 'But I'd appreciate it if you would keep our conversation private.'
A tight smile crossed Penelope Gibben's face. 'Surely, you must know by now that keeping secrets is one of the things I do best.'
Kerney left thinking that in spite of the obvious difference in age, Penelope Gibben and Kay Murray seemed remarkably alike.
Kerney tried calling Linda Langsford's law partner at home and got no answer. The office telephone yielded a busy signal, so he decided to stop in and see if Drew Randolph was working on the weekend. He found the building on a side street across from the county courthouse.
Shielded by large trees and an expanse of lawn, the courthouse had a Greek revival facade topped off by a large dome.
The law office was open, and a buzzer sounded when Kerney stepped through the door into an empty well- appointed reception area. Kerney waited until a man came out to greet him.
'Can I help you?' the man asked.
Dressed in a rib-neck jersey tucked into a pair of cotton chinos, the man stood an inch taller than Kerney's six-one frame and looked to be in his late thirties. He had an athletic build and a well-developed chest.
'I'm looking for Drew Randolph,' Kerney said, displaying his shield.
'And you are?'
'Kevin Kerney.'
'I'm Drew Randolph. As I told the agent who called, I have no way of contacting Ms. Langsford. She didn't leave an itinerary.'
'I understand that, Mr. Randolph.'
'Although I'm sure she'll call in at least once or twice next week.'
'Did the agent inform you that we're investigating Judge Langsford's murder?'
'Yes.' Randolph's expression turned slightly sour. 'She also said, unnecessarily I might add, that I could be charged with interfering with a police investigation if I disclosed the information to the media.'
'Until every attempt has been made to notify the next of kin, we want to handle the case as discreetly as possible,' Kerney said.
'Surely, your people must understand that as an officer of the court I am aware of the technicalities.'
Kerney smiled at the pomposity of the man. 'We like to cover all the bases, Mr. Randolph. How do you think Ms. Langsford will take the news of her father's murder?'
'That's an odd question,' Randolph said, leaning against the reception desk.
'I understand she has not been close to her father for some time.'
'True.' Randolph's eyes searched Kerney's face. 'How can that possibly be relevant to Judge Langsford's murder?'
'We may need her cooperation to solve the case. If she is uninterested in lending assistance, I'd like to know it now.'
'Do you know the circumstances of Linda's disenchantment with her father?'
'Somewhat.'
'Then you know Linda has cut herself off from him, more or less completely.'
'I understand they exchange Christmas cards.'
Randolph nodded. 'There is occasional, strained contact. I think a psychiatrist would say that Linda is conflicted about her father. She loves him, but she can't forgive him. She keeps him at arm's length, and at the same time can't bring herself to completely sever the tie. I'm sure she'll cooperate with you. After all, now both her parents have been murdered.'
'How long have you known Ms. Langsford?'
'We were in law school together.'
'Does she stay in contact with her brother?'
'Not to my knowledge. They have nothing in common. I take it you haven't located Eric.'
'No, we haven't. Does Ms. Langsford frequently take vacations without an itinerary?'
'We went to law school in Boulder, and we both love the Rocky Mountains. When we started the firm, we made a pact: I'd get a week of uninterrupted skiing in the winter, and she would have her annual high-country fall color tour. Since we limit our practice to oil and gas clients, coverage isn't a problem.'.
'That makes sense. Did you know Linda's ex-husband?'
'Slightly. His name is Bill Kendell. He's a vice president at a bank in Albuquerque. I don't remember which one. He left here soon after the divorce.' Randolph held up a hand to ward off more questions.
'Please don't ask me about Linda's personal life, past or present, Mr. Kerney. I'd rather you go directly to the source for your information.
I'm Linda's partner, and we have a solid, congenial work relationship, but we live totally separate lives.'
'Does the firm represent any of Judge Langsford's companies?'
'We do. I should say, I do.'
'Which ones?'
'I'm the corporate attorney for each company.'
'Thanks for your time.'
The sheriff's office was behind the county courthouse, in an old, nondescript commercial building that had been carved up into offices.
The investigating officer on the Arthur Langsford bicycle fatality had retired four years ago, and with a deputy sheriff at his side, Kerney searched for the case file in boxes stacked in a back storage room. When he found it, he sat on a step stool under the glare of a bare lightbulb and read the accident report.
Just five days before Christmas nine years ago, Langsford had been hit by a car on a curve at approximately four in the afternoon, with the sun low on the horizon. Reconstruction at the scene indicated that the unknown vehicle was heading west, within the speed limit, when the driver apparently swerved to avoid a hazard in the road. Skid marks showed the driver had braked hard before hitting Arthur Langsford, who had been riding in the opposite lane. Traffic at the time had been light, and there were no witnesses. Follow-up attempts to locate either the car or the driver proved unsuccessful.
The deputy made a copy of the file for Kerney, who left thinking that a lot of very interesting information about Vernon Langsford and his family had come to light, but none of it yet seemed to have any bearing on the investigation.
He swung into the flow of traffic on the main street and called in his location and destination. Lee Sedillo came on the horn to tell him the search of Langsford's Ruidoso home was under way.
Lee Sedillo met Kerney at the door and took him to Langsford's study, where two agents were working their way through the judge's financial records and personal papers. The furnishings echoed the decor of the living room: an oversize desk stood in front of a wall of books, and a matching leather reading chair and ottoman were positioned to give a view out the window to the fairway.
'We'll toss the rest of the house after we finish here,' Lee said.
'Anything yet?' Kerney asked.
'Tidbits,' Lee replied. 'We found a letter from Langsford's daughter telling him not to appoint her as the personal representative of his estate. Langsford did it anyhow. His will, dated two weeks after her letter, names Linda Langsford as his representative. Except for some very generous donations to charity, a million dollars to Kay
