just a few flecks of gray. Cora couldn’t recall seeing him around Bakerhaven, and he was the type of man she’d be apt to remember. She experienced a tingling sensation she hadn’t felt for some time.
“Sorry to bother you. I live next door. I don’t mean this as rude as it sounds, but, well, what are you doing here?”
Cora positively beamed. “And who could blame you for asking. You must be new in town. I’m Cora Felton. I live here with my niece. Not here, I mean in Bakerhaven. And this isn’t her. She’s on her honeymoon. Not her, my niece. This is Becky Baldwin, attorney-at-law. She’s taking an inventory of Mr. Overmeyer’s estate prior to probating the will.”
He smiled at Becky Baldwin. “You’re the executor?”
Cora, not happy to see him smitten with the young attorney, jumped back in. “Of course she is. Unless Overmeyer’s great-nephew has some objection to her. Which I can’t imagine.”
“I can’t either. Well, let me know what he intends to do with the property.”
“Are you interested in it?” Cora asked.
“Lord, no. But if he’s going to put it on the market, I might buy it just to keep some kook from moving in.”
“Do you think that’s likely?”
“Well, look at the place. Only a kook would live here. So, you’re either going to get some wack job who thinks this is the cat’s meow, or someone who wants to tear it down and start over. I don’t need a construction site next door.”
“Of course not,” Cora purred.
He cocked his head at Becky Baldwin. “You were on TV.”
“Yes.”
“Claiming Mr. Overmeyer was murdered.”
“It’s not me that’s making the claim. It’s the medical examiner and the police.”
“Who would want to kill an old man like that?”
“Did you know him well?” Cora asked.
“Lord, no. I barely knew him. He wasn’t the type of guy you’d get to know. I don’t mean that as bad as it sounds. But the man didn’t want to be neighborly. He just wanted to be left alone.”
“Did he have many visitors?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“But you can see his house. From your front porch.”
“I didn’t pay much attention. Frankly, the place is an eyesore. I did my best to pretend it wasn’t there.” He held out his hand. “I’m George Brooks. I didn’t kill him to get his land.”
“Give him your card,” Cora told Becky. “Your business card. You got one with you?”
“Of course I do.”
“Good, let’s have it.”
Becky pulled a card out of her wallet, started to hand it over. Cora snatched it. “Pen.”
Becky gave her a look, fumbled in her purse. Came out with a ballpoint. Cora snatched that, too, scribbled on the card, handed it over. “There you go. Now you got Becky’s office number and my home number. You see anything out of the ordinary, give us a call.”
“I certainly will.” Brooks nodded, smiled. “Sorry to bother you. Got to get back to my wife.”
Cora’s face fell a mile.
Chapter 16
“Why did you do that?” Becky hissed.
“Shh,” Cora warned. “Wait till he’s gone.”
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Why? He already caught us. We might as well stay.”
“You had to tell him I’m the attorney for the estate?”
“I had to tell him something. ‘We broke in to ransack the place’ wasn’t going to fly.”
“What happens when the relative shows up and doesn’t hire me?”
“Who’s he gonna hire? You’re the only game in town.”
“He may have his own lawyer.”
“That would be embarrassing.”
“Cora.”
“You worry too much. You’re like Sherry in that respect.”
“Like Sherry?”
“Don’t get testy. I know she’s honeymooning with your guy.”
“He’s not my guy.”
“That sounds like a song title. I think maybe it is.”
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing,” Becky said.
“What am I doing?”
“You’re needling me about my love life so I’ll forget about the breaking and entering.”
“You have a love life?”
“Look
“Sorry to bother you. I live next door. I don’t mean this as rude as it sounds, but, well, what are you doing here?”
Cora positively beamed. “And who could blame you for asking. You must be new in town. I’m Cora Felton. I live here with my niece. Not here, I mean in Bakerhaven. And this isn’t her. She’s on her honeymoon. Not her, my niece. This is Becky Baldwin, attorney-at-law. She’s taking an inventory of Mr. Overmeyer’s estate prior to probating the will.”
He smiled at Becky Baldwin. “You’re the executor?”
Cora, not happy to see him smitten with the young attorney, jumped back in. “Of course she is. Unless Overmeyer’s great-nephew has some objection to her. Which I can’t imagine.”
“I can’t either. Well, let me know what he intends to do with the property.”
“Are you interested in it?” Cora asked.
“Lord, no. But if he’s going to put it on the market, I might buy it just to keep some kook from moving in.”
“Do you think that’s likely?”
“Well, look at the place. Only a kook would live here. So, you’re either going to get some wack job who thinks this is the cat’s meow, or someone who wants to tear it down and start over. I don’t need a construction site next door.”
“Of course not,” Cora purred.
He cocked his head at Becky Baldwin. “You were on TV.”
“Yes.”
“Claiming Mr. Overmeyer was murdered.”
“It’s not me that’s making the claim. It’s the medical examiner and the police.”
“Who would want to kill an old man like that?”
“Did you know him well?” Cora asked.
“Lord, no. I barely knew him. He wasn’t the type of guy you’d get to know. I don’t mean that as bad as it sounds. But the man didn’t want to be neighborly. He just wanted to be left alone.”
“Did he have many visitors?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“But you can see his house. From your front porch.”
“I didn’t pay much attention. Frankly, the place is an eyesore. I did my best to pretend it wasn’t there.” He held out his hand. “I’m George Brooks. I didn’t kill him to get his land.”
“Give him your card,” Cora told Becky. “Your business card. You got one with you?”
“Of course I do.”
“Good, let’s have it.”
Becky pulled a card out of her wallet, started to hand it over. Cora snatched it. “Pen.”
Becky gave her a look, fumbled in her purse. Came out with a ballpoint. Cora snatched that, too, scribbled on the card, handed it over. “There you go. Now you got Becky’s office number and my home number. You see anything out of the ordinary, give us a call.”
“I certainly will.” Brooks nodded, smiled. “Sorry to bother you. Got to get back to my wife.”
Cora’s face fell a mile.
Chapter 16
“Why did you do that?” Becky hissed.
“Shh,” Cora warned. “Wait till he’s gone.”
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Why? He already caught us. We might as well stay.”
“You had to tell him I’m the attorney for the estate?”
“I had to tell him something. ‘We broke in to ransack the place’ wasn’t going to fly.”
“What happens when the relative shows up and doesn’t hire me?”
“Who’s he gonna hire? You’re the only game in town.”
“He may have his own lawyer.”
“That would be embarrassing.”
“Cora.”
“You worry too much. You’re like Sherry in that respect.”
“Like Sherry?”
“Don’t get testy. I know she’s honeymooning with your guy.”
“He’s not my guy.”
“That sounds like a song title. I think maybe it is.”
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing,” Becky said.
“What am I doing?”
“You’re needling me about my love life so I’ll forget about the breaking and entering.”
“You have a love life?”
“Look
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