“Dammit, Renee.”
In front of her was a copy of her stepsister’s marriage certificate. Dated twelve days before Renee’s thirty-fifth birthday.
She might not know the exact circumstances but Mallory would bet her own trust funds that Renee had married Rylan Conners to get her hands on the part of her trust fund that dispersed upon marriage.
Wracking her brain, she tried to remember the stipulations on all the trusts but they eluded her. There were too many and the clauses for dispersal of funds numbered even more.
She’d have to call Davis, her lawyer; he knew the details inside out. He was the one who helped her father set them up and she was pretty sure the man had even suggested some of the clauses.
She wished she’d paid more attention when she’d turned twenty-five and been made co-executor of her father’s estate. Except she trusted the family lawyers and saw no need to understand every stipulation and clause. She’d have to change that.
All she knew for sure was there were several points when money was unlocked and marriage was definitely one of them. And she thought she recalled something about the funds rolling over into a retirement account or something similar if they remained unmarried by the age of thirty-five.
Mallory thought there was something about a first child too…
“Was that why she had Maddox?” Mallory shuffled more papers until she came to the copy of the birth certificate for Maddox Jacob Conners. “Hmm…”
She couldn’t remember and until she knew the exact details of the trusts, she couldn’t be one hundred percent certain that’s what Renee had done.
Grabbing her phone, she shot herself an email reminder. She had to work after her meeting with Detective Malone so she’d see it sitting in her inbox and put in a call to Davis before she dove into her job.
Being a lecturer with an online college was what had allowed her to pull up stakes and move to Sunnyville indefinitely. Although she had only started teaching full-time online in the last month in order to make her temporary relocation possible. Before that she had worked at the private college’s New York campus three days a week.
That job—and Donna—had been the only things between Mallory and hermit-ville. If she were honest, she was a little worried about becoming a recluse now that she’d moved here. She enjoyed her own company far too much for her own good sometimes.
A couple of loud knocks on the glass behind her made her jump and gasp, “Shit.” Twisting, she found herself staring at a very attractive man peering through her side window at her, the frown on his face matching the concern in his brown eyes.
“You all right, Miss?” he asked through the closed window.
“Oh. Yes. Sorry. I have an appointment.” Mallory shrugged, offered a smile and pointed to the building across the lot. “I’m early.”
“Who are you seeing? You can wait inside if they’re not available now.”
“No. That’s okay. I’ll just finish up what I’m doing. I’m sure Detective Malone is very busy.”
He grinned, the flash of his teeth making him even more handsome. “You’re right. I am. But I’m sure I can make an exception. I take it you’re Mallory Dawson?”
“Yes! Right. Hang on.” Shoving the papers back into the folder, she grabbed it and her bag and unlocked the door. She let Detective Malone open it and stepped out. “I don’t mean to put you out.”
“You’re not. You said on the phone this is about Renee Conners?” He extended his hand, indicating she should head toward the building. “Can I ask what your interest in her and the case is?”
“Well, I know I was vague when I called, but I’m her stepsister.” If the man was shocked by her revelation he didn’t show it outwardly. “And before you get your back up, I’m not here to refute anything about her arrest or her sentencing. I’m here to ask a few questions and possibly give you some information that may keep her from getting that reduced sentence in the appeal she’s lodged.”
“I have to be honest and tell you I’m surprised. First, I had no idea Ms. Conners had a sister—”
“Step. I’m herstepsister.” Mallory wanted that point to be perfectly clear. “We share no blood. Her mother married my father seventeen years ago and at the time Renee was twenty-three and I’d met her maybe twice before then. We never lived under the same roof unless she had slunk home for a few nights to con her mother out of money. Which she did regularly but not often if that makes sense.”
“It does.” They reached the building and Detective Malone opened the door, holding it wide for her to pass through. “Can I ask why you haven’t been to see me sooner?”
“I did come to Sunnyville for a day about six months ago. The trip was in response to a letter Renee had sent to Donna, her mother, but when I got here, Renee was not where the letter said she’d be.”
“And where was that?” He nodded at the man behind the front counter. “Buzz us through, Harvey.”
Mallory waited for Detective Malone to open the internal door. “I now know it to be the home of Rylan Conners. Renee’s ex-husband.”
“The letter”—he nodded for her to proceed down the corridor on their right—“it said she was living at Rylan’s house?”
“Among other things. Perhaps we should wait until we’re seated and you can read it for yourself.”
