The way he said it and the timbre of his voice had me looking forward to tonight’s study session. However, as I stared at the note, I pushed those thoughts away. It was time to concentrate on the matters at hand.
Tony was the Coopers’ head pilot. Of the names on the list, he seemed the easiest to tackle.
I entered his number on my desk phone.
“Ms. Hubbard,” Tony answered.
“Tony, are you calling about our trip to Nashville?”
“I was. I know you have a lot happening. Mr. Hubbard usually informed us by Wednesday morning of weekend travel.”
I let out a sigh. “I’m sorry. Yes, we’ll need the Gulfstream to fly to Nashville on Saturday morning by ten. We’ll return Sunday after the game.”
Tony cleared his throat.
I sat forward. “Did you receive different instructions?”
“Yes, ma’am. Mr. Marsh said that Ms. Marsh wanted to leave after noon on Saturday. She wouldn’t be available before then.”
“Tony, we need you and a crew this weekend. I’ll work out the particulars.”
“Ms. Marsh is now the CEO.”
It wasn’t a question. “She is. I’m the owner. I promise we’ll get our ducks in a row soon.”
Tony scoffed, his tone lighter. “We’re flexible, Ms. Hubbard. I’ll wait until I hear from you.”
“Thank you.”
My next call was to Aunt Rachel’s cell phone. After three rings, I was sent to voicemail. “Aunt Rachel, this is Vee. I’ve been trying to reach you all day. Call me as soon as you get this message.”
My next call was to my new attorney. It only took a moment for her assistant to patch me through to Tricia Loften.
“Vee, I’m glad I was able to reach you.”
“Do you have anything new?”
“First,” Trish said, “As you know, your father listed Darin and Rachel Marsh as co-executors of your father’s will.”
I nodded.
She went on. “The county issued your father’s death certificate earlier today. That was the first step in getting the ball rolling. Mr. Eads filed a petition with the district court to initiate probate. I have no doubt the court will follow your father’s wishes and appoint the Marshes as co-executors. Next, the will needs to be validated. After that, heirs and creditors will be notified. There will need to be an inventory and appraisal of, well, everything. This is a very lengthy procedure for someone with an estate such as your father’s.
“The executors will be responsible for paying any creditor claims, funeral expenses, and taxes from the estate. After all that comes the distribution of assets. All in all, it’s likely this will take at least a year, possibly longer.”
I inhaled. “Is there anything I need to do at this point?”
“What you’re doing, Vee. Once I have a copy of Mr. Hubbard’s written will, I’ll share it with you. I wanted to let you know that the ball is rolling.” She scoffed. “Or is at least on its way to rolling.”
A look at Jen’s note reminded me about Bre. “Trish, do you know anything about the case against Bre Stanton?”
“I’m aware, but I’m not a criminal lawyer.”
“She left a message today for me to call her. Aunt Rachel told me a few days ago that Bre is out of jail.”
“As your attorney, I would advise against speaking to her. Whether she’s innocent or guilty, you will most likely be called to testify. If there’s record of the two of you conversing, it could be used in her defense or her prosecution.”
“Please hold.” I stood and closed the door to the outer office. Once back at my chair, I spoke softly. “Are you still there?”
