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Was that it then? Were they done here?
But apparently Piper wasn’t because she started speaking again. “I wonder if you can tell me more about Margaret. About her greenhouses and what arrangements have been in place to look after them since she passed.”
The look of surprise on all three attorney’s faces was priceless.
They exchanged a look and Ms. Sully started shuffling some papers. “I did have an inventory of all the plants and species that Margaret had in her greenhouses, although I believe that not all of the specimens have flourished since then.” She looked at Piper suspiciously. “Can I ask what your interest is?”
“My interest is both personal and professional,” Piper said without a moment’s hesitation. “Margaret Smith took me on a tour of her gardens when we first met. I might have been a child, but I remember some of the species really clearly. She also told me some of her plans for development.” She put a hand to her chest. “As a horticulturist, I have a professional interest in the purpose and use of her greenhouse and their specimens. I don’t doubt for a second the care and attention that Ms. Smith lavished on her plants, but you’ve told us she’s been gone for six months. So, I’m asking what provision has been made by yourselves to care and maintain her stock while settling her estate.” She shot Dawson a sideways glance. “Mr. McLeod had already mentioned that he’d passed by the property and noticed broken glass at the greenhouses. He said he’d patched it up and the grounds were overgrown. You said you’d look into it. Can I ask what has happened?”
Dawson was doing his level best to not let his mouth hang open right now. Where had this person come from? The polite, fun person that was Piper Davis had just morphed into some kind of astute, questioning businesswoman, and he was more than impressed. The passion when she spoke about something that she loved took his breath away.
Ms. Travers looked downright annoyed. “I think you’re getting ahead of yourself. You still have much work to do before you can inherit the land and its greenhouses.”
“I’m not concerned about my inheritance right now, Ms. Travers. I’m concerned about the welfare of the plants. Ms. Sully says she has an inventory but not everything has flourished—can I ask why?”
There was a definite pause in the room. Dawson decided it was time to join in, even though he knew absolutely nothing about horticulture. “It seems strange to me, that a woman as meticulous as Margaret Smith, with her rewriting clues every few years, wouldn’t have left specific instructions about the ongoing care of something that clearly was her pride and joy.”
“She did,” said Mr. McNally, shuffling in his chair. “But the vendor she’d selected to maintain her collection went out of business. It’s been difficult to find a reliable replacement.”
“Would you like a recommendation?” asked Piper.
The three attorneys looked at each other questioningly, obviously wondering if they could accept this offer.
Ms. Sully nodded. “Actually, that would be useful.” She eyed Piper carefully. “Obviously, that recommendation can’t be for yourself. That would be a conflict of interest.”
“Of course,” said Piper breezily, “However, I will need to go and inspect the greenhouses to understand what kind of maintenance work will be required at this stage. I’m assuming that—due to circumstances beyond your control—there has been an element of neglect. Can we arrange to meet, then I can specify exactly what will be required, and give you a few recommendations that you can pursue?”
Mr. McNally tilted his head to the side for the moment. “That would be most useful, Ms. Davis. Thank you for the offer.”
Dawson could see the tiny relaxation of her shoulders. Whatever her game had been, she’d got what she wanted. She sat her card down on the table. “I know you already know where to find me, but here’s my mobile number so we can set up the appointment.”
She stood up, her red coat swirling around her. “Come on, Dawson.” She gave him an efficient nod and headed to the door.
He tried not to look too amused as he followed her out. The elevator doors slid open; they both entered. It was only when they slid closed again that Piper let out the biggest breath in the world, followed by a nervous laugh. She leaned forward and pressed the halt button.
“What did you just do in there?” he asked, turning to face her.
She clenched her fists and bounced on her toes for a few seconds. “I got access to the greenhouses!” Her smile spread from one side of her face to the other. “Yes!”
“That’s what you wanted?”
“Of course, that’s what I wanted. I didn’t want to just show up and start wandering around and have someone call the cops on me. I’m quite sure the greenhouses should be secured. But I wantinside. I don’t want to peer through the frosted glass and make a guess at what’s inside. I want in there—for real.”
Dawson was shaking his head as he looked at her. “You’re very determined when you decide what you want.”
She stepped closer. “Don’t you get it? Today, we’ve been lucky. We weren’t sure about that second clue, and as soon as they told us we were right today, I knew I couldn’t lose the chance. What if we get the next clue wrong—or the next one? At that point, we’ll have lost the opportunity to get inside the greenhouses. See what Margaret Smith was doing, and what she had planned next.”
Her fists were clenched to her chest in clear excitement. He put his hand on her shoulder. “Wait a minute, you just said we. Have I got to go, too?”
She looked at him in surprise. “Of course, you’re coming, too.”
Dawson was even more confused now than he’d been in the attorneys’ office. “But you said this was a professional interest.”
“Personal and professional,” she corrected. She poked him in the chest gently with one finger. “And you have an interest in your potential inheritance, so you can just come with me.”
“To look at plants?” He said the words as if he wasn’t really interested at all.
But the truth was, the passion for the greenhouses was intriguing him. It had clearly sparked her interest when she was a kid, and he would like to see what was inside, and what had captured her attention then, and perhaps even now.
