“A handwriting expert examined the will we found in Henry’s room, and it turns out it’s a fake. And when we searched Desmond’s room just now, we found the real will. Turns out that Desmond substituted Henry’s real will for a fake he planted in the man’s room. A fake that made him the only beneficiary of the man’s inheritance.”
“So Desmond killed him for the money?” asked Scarlett.
“That’s the theory we’re working from at the moment,” Chase confirmed. “Desmond killed Henry, substituted the fake will for the real one, and that way hoped to benefit from the man’s fortune.”
“So there is a fortune?” asked Gran.
“Yes, there is,” said Odelia, her eyes sparkling. “We talked to Henry’s banker, and the man was a bona fide millionaire. His estate is estimated to be worth around ten million, most of it invested in high-yield bonds, and also in gold and other valuables, located in the man’s safe depositbox at the bank. So Henry wasn’t lying when he told Kirsten that he was rich.”
“So who did he leave his money to?” asked Gran. “Kirsten?”
“No, not Kirsten. Happy Home,” said Odelia.
“Happy Home! But why?”
“He states in his will that his stay at Happy Home was the best time of his life, and he wants to see others enjoy the same kind of service and excellence. And since he doesn’t have living relatives or kids, he decided to leave everything to Happy Home.”
“Now that’s weird,” said Gran. “Henry told Kirsten he was going to make her a rich woman one day.”
“Maybe he didn’t mean that literally,” Odelia suggested. “She does work here, and so if Happy Home benefits, it’s going to be beneficial to the people on staff as well.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” said Gran dubiously.
“So what’s going to happen now?” asked Scarlett.
“Now the case is closed,” said Chase. “Desmond killed Henry, and then died from a fall down the stairs. The real will has been found, and the one benefiting Desmond exposed as a fake. So that ties this whole case up nice and tidy.”
“What about us?” asked Scarlett.
“Your work is done,” said Odelia. “Your assignment was to protect Kirsten from Henry, and now that he’s dead, there’s no reason to stay on anymore.”
“And what about our other assignment?” asked Gran. “To prove that Brian is cheating on his wife?”
“We examined the footage you shot,” said Odelia, “and handed it over to Sara. She called me this morning, and said that her lawyer thinks she stands a very good chance to be awarded full custody of the kids based on this new evidence of her husband’s infidelity. So that part of your assignment is also done.” She spread her arms and smiled. “You did great, you guys. And I’m so proud of you all.”
“Thanks,” Gran murmured, though she didn’t look entirely satisfied. “I would like to stay on just a little while longer, though, if that’s all right with you.”
“Why? There’s nothing left to investigate.”
“Our work isn’t done yet,” Gran insisted.
“What work? What do you mean?”
Gran gave her granddaughter a fine smile.“Trust me. We’re not done here.”
“What is Gran talking about?” asked Dooley. “Why can’t we go home?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe it’s about trying to get Kirsten and Isaac together?”
“That’s not really our job, though, is it?” said Brutus. “We’re not exactly Cupid.”
“It’s very romantic, though,” said Harriet with a dreamy smile. “Getting these two young hearts to meet and fall in love. I think it’s a wonderful assignment. In fact it’s a lot more worthwhile than trying to solve murders. If the world would be filled with more romance, it would be a much nicer place, wouldn’t you agree?”
She got no argument from me, nor from Dooley and Brutus. Though I did think that whoever was paying for our stay at Happy Home—which probably wasn’t cheap, I might add—might disagree with Harriet’s assessment.
36
Odelia and Chase were in the car on their way back into town. In spite of the progress they’d made in the investigation she wasn’t fully satisfied. Her grandmother’s statements puzzled her, which wasn’t the first time. The motivations behind some of that old lady’s actions weren’t always sound. But now that someone was footing the bill for her stay at Happy Home, she couldn’t simply dismiss her decisions as the results of a whim.
“I hope she’ll change her mind soon,” she said. “Sara and Annette won’t keep paying through the nose forever.”
“What are you going to tell them?” asked her husband, who was expertly steering his squad car through traffic.
“I’m not sure,” she said. “I was going to tell them that the investigation was finished, and that all was well now. Kirsten is safe, though shocked and saddened by what happened with Henry, and Sara can file for divorce, safe in the knowledge that she stands a good chance of being awarded full custody of her kids.”
“You could tell them there a few loose ends that need to be tied up,” Chase suggested.