“Let me know if you need anything else. I’m curious now.”
“I’ll keep you posted.”
Jack drove back to Palm Haven and parked at the curb in front of Preston's house. We needed to have another word with Judy.
I called Brenda. “Did you make a determination as to whether Sydney was sexually assaulted?”
“Inconclusive. But it looked like she did have sex recently. Perhaps consensual with a boyfriend prior.”
“Thanks.”
I ended the call, and we hopped out of the car and strolled the walkway to the gate. I rang the buzzer.
Judy’s voice crackled through the speaker a moment later.
"Ms. Hollister, it's Deputies Wild and Donovan. Sorry to disturb you, we just need your help with something."
“Certainly," she replied.
She buzzed the gate, and we pushed through and strolled to the door. She arrived a few moments later, pulled it open, and invited us in. She wore an elegant cream designer dress. "Please come in, gentlemen."
Judy escorted us into the living room and offered us a seat on the couch. "Can I get you anything to drink? Coffee, water, a glass of wine?”
"No thank you," I said with a smile.
"Well, if you don't mind, I'm going to pour myself another glass. I promise you, I'm not an alcoholic. But I have been treating myself to a small glass of wine in the afternoon the last few days. Ever since Preston's passing, it’s been difficult. I know we had time to prepare, and some people don't get that, but still. I expected to have more years with him.”
She moved into the kitchen and poured herself another glass of red, then joined us in the living room. If that was a small glass, I’d hate to see her idea of large. Judy took a seat and made herself comfortable. "So, how can I be of assistance?"
I thought about how to approach this. I didn't want to spook her, though I'm sure Bryce had already made a phone call to her. I’m sure she’d been alerted to our trip to his office. "I'm just trying to put together the pieces of the timeline, shore everything up. Nothing major. Do you recall what time Bryce left the estate the night of Sydney's death?"
She thought about it for a moment, then exhaled. "It was late. That's the only thing I recall. That whole evening is a blur.”
"If you had to say, was it before midnight? After midnight?"
"It was late. Don't quote me on this, but I think it was after midnight."
I shared a look with Jack, then fixed my gaze back on Judy. "That's interesting because phone records have his device here all night."
Judy's brow lifted with surprise. She shrugged. "I guess it's possible he left his phone here. In fact, I think he did leave his phone here."
"Is your relationship with Bryce strictly professional?"
She looked offended by the question. "I don't see how that's anyone's business. But I can assure you, my relationship with Bryce is strictly professional. He's been my father's attorney for some years now. I'm fond of Bryce. He's become like a family member to us. I trust him implicitly in all of our legal dealings.”
"That brings me to another question. It's my understanding that you made a last-minute change to the trust document."
"No. Preston made a last-minute change to the trust document."
“Ah, of course. You wouldn't be able to make a change to the document without Preston’s approval.”
She had definitely talked to Bryce before we came over. She was too calm and cool. She had prepared herself for these questions.
"It's my understanding these amendments are to your benefit," I said.
"What can I say? Preston came to his senses and decided to keep the assets within the family, where they belong.”
"It's quite a windfall to come into."
