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Parker gave him a wave as he climbed the stairs. His office was directly ahead of the stairs, and he could see everyone coming and going if his door was open. Most of the time it was. “What’s the status on that Ridge case?”
Brian leaned against the door jamb and jammed his hands in his pockets. “I found the siphon. The housekeeper was using the house allowance to buy her own family food. And she has a huge family. They would meet her at the store and they would all go shopping. Racked up tens of thousands of dollars. I’ll have the report to you in a couple of hours. And the Taylor case is all but done. Renee Taylor is coming in for a follow-up interview today at eleven. She’s not going to like what I’m going to tell her.”
Parker leaned back in his chair and the pose reminded Brian of Duncan Wilde. “If I hear yelling, I’ll send backup. How is your neighbor?”
“Getting better every day,” he said. “Though I think she tries to do too much sometimes.”
Parker cocked his head. “Well, if she’s a single mother she’s probably used to doing everything on her own. And even though you’ve been spending time over there helping her out, she’s probably preparing herself for you not being there.”
“True,” he murmured. But he didn’t like the feeling that thought caused.
Parker narrowed his pale gray eyes, considering. “Or do you want her to rely on you?”
Brian winced, looking down at his shoes. “I don’t know what I want exactly.” But he heard the lie in the words. And apparently Parker did too, because he chuckled.
“Oh, buddy, are you falling for this woman?”
He glanced up, shocked at the words. “No! Definitely not.” Then he paused. “I don’t think so. How do I know?”
Parker grinned and stood from the chair to round the desk, leaning on the front. “Well, if you can’t wait to get home to her, and thoughts of her are distracting you at work, you may have an issue.”
Fuck. “Is that how it was with you and Andy?”
His boss cocked his head. “No, it was a little different for us. We had a prior history. And we were thrown into danger, so we had to rely on each other quickly. It created a bond.” He shrugged lightly, a small smile on his mouth, and Brian could tell he was thinking back. Did he get that look on his face when he talked about Sage?
“Anyway,” Parker said, refocusing, “if you think it’s the real thing, there’s nothing wrong with exploring it. I’ve seen you talk about her kid, and you seem to like him, so that doesn’t seem to be a hurdle.”
Brian shook his head. “No, I like Adam. He keeps me on my toes,” he laughed. “Actually, I was talking to him about the Ridge case, and he pointed out the housekeeper. He didn’t like her smile.”
Parker snorted. “Maybe we need to hire him.”
“In a couple years, I think he would love it,” Brian said, pushing away from the jamb. “Okay, if you need anything I’ll be in my cubicle.”
Parker gave him a wave and turned back to his own computer. “Don’t forget the meeting at noon.”
Brian waved to acknowledge he’d heard. Every Friday they had a catch-up meeting with Parker and all of the investigators that were free. They each gave a recap of what they were working on, and what was coming down the pike. It was a good team-building exercise, and he enjoyed getting to know the people he worked with. It gave them a chance to joke around a little.
Brian got the Ridge report done and emailed it to Shiloh, the office manager, and Parker. They would read it and get it filed with the courthouse. At ten till eleven, Morgan buzzed him to let him know that Renee Taylor was in the lobby.
Brian sighed. “Send her up.”
Renee Taylor was one of those women that were very happy letting others take care of her. She was beautiful and poised and had outlasted two husbands. Both had been in their seventies, more than thirty-five years her senior. The first husband had left her fairly secure, and the second would have, as well, if she hadn’t gone through his money while he’d been alive. They’d gone on several trips around the world and Mr. Taylor had cashed out a lot of his investments to keep her in the lifestyle she demanded. Obviously, he hadn’t told his new, young wife how much they’d spent, because when it came time to read the will, Mr. Taylor’s three children had received a trust he and his first wife had created, while Renee had only received the rest of the money available in the household accounts. The discrepancy had been glaring, and Renee was now protesting the will.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much that could be done. The trust had been set up years ago and funded from the sale of a business. Once it was set up, Mr. Taylor hadn’t been able to touch the money, and it had grown for his children. Renee thought that since she’d been caring for Mr. Taylor at the end of his life, she deserved more.
Obviously, Renee had never gotten along with her stepchildren. Two of them were older than she was, so Brian assumed it was incredibly awkward when they got together as a family.Ifthey ever got together as a family. They certainly wouldn’t again if she tried to sue them.
Renee walked in looking like she’d just left the salon. And maybe she had. Her blond hair was curled, and her face was made up like she was going to the opera, or something. More than what some random errands needed. Her blue eyes were thickly lashed and beautiful, but too much.
Brian stood and circled the desk, holding his hand out. “Mrs. Taylor, welcome. Can I get you a coffee or a water?”
“No, thank you, Brian,” she beamed at him, holding his hand just a hair too long. “I’m hoping you have good news. Please, call me Renee.”
Brian sighed as he returned to his seat. “Well, I’ve gone through everything you gave me, and I’ll be honest. The trust is ironclad. We have two attorneys on staff, and they both agreed that there’s not much you can do about the money allocated to the children. Mr. Taylor was a thorough man and there are no loopholes. Unless they magnanimously decide to support you, contesting the trust is not an option. They were of sound mind when they created the trust, and they weren’t under any undue influence.”
Renee sank back into the chair, her blue eyes going dark and her lips pouty. “There really isn’t anything I can do?”
“I don’t believe so. Please feel free to talk to your own attorney.”
