Read Online Never Tease a Siamese: A Leigh Koslow Mystery by Edie Claire - Free Book Online
Authors: Edie Claire
Tags: Fiction, General, Thrillers, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Koslow; Leigh (Fictitious Character), Pittsburgh (Pa.), Women Cat Owners, Women Copy Writers, Siamese Cat, Veterinarians
Ads: Link
her neck and glared at the attorney. "We're fine. Now tell us about the rest of the money."
The lawyer eyed Rochelle warily, as if judging the distance between her thick heels and his kneecap. She sat quietly now, lips pouting, but her eyes still flashed fire. The attorney took a step backward, then cleared his throat and launched into a long laundry list of holdings and securities. As soon as things got boring, Adith leaned into Leigh's side. "Whoowie!" she whispered heavily. "Half a million clams. Do you suppose he could send some of that to dog charities?"
"All of the aforementioned assets," the lawyer said meaningfully, waking everyone up again, "I leave to my one and only blood heir."
The words had barely left the attorney's mouth before Dean and Rochelle Murchison ejected themselves from the couch, hugging each other in mid air. "Damn that old witch!" the young man yelled. "I knew she wouldn't do it!"
"Oh, baby!" Rochelle screeched. Her frizzy hair bobbed a good foot as she jumped, and her heels clanked like boulders on the hardwood floor. "We'll buy another house. A bigger house!"
Mr. Sheridan watched them for a moment before interrupting, his dour expression turning even more grim. "Excuse me," he then said firmly, but I am afraid you have misinterpreted the testament. Would you sit again, please?"
The couple stopped bouncing, but made no move to sit. The attorney continued reading anyway.
"Unfortunately, it so happens that my true heir is not the boy I raised as my son, Dean Murchison. To that ungrateful little leech, I leave an annual stipend of $25,000, with regular increases, which, when combined with a decent salary, should leave him reasonably comfortable. He should be glad he lived the life of luxury as long as he did, and take to heart the fact that if he'd been a little more appreciative, I might have overlooked his lack of my own genes.
"As it stands, my blood heir will inherit the lion's share without qualification, provided that proper identification is presented as described herein within five years of the date of my demise."
The room was deathly quiet, other than the slight wheezing sound of Adith’s breathing. Dean and Rochelle had both turned white. The lawyer's face, in contrast, was quite red, and he eyed them both with a healthy dose of apprehension. Nikki stood up.
"I don't believe it," Peggy Linney said quietly.
" True heir?" One of the ex-cooks piped up. "I don't get it. What does she mean?"
The lawyer's face got redder. "It appears that Mrs. Murchison gave birth to a child who was not Dean Murchison, and that she wishes her blood relative to inherit. I'm afraid the will does not go into particulars about how or why this is the case."
"Who's the real father, then?" demanded a husky, gray-haired ex-chauffeur. "Does he get anything?"
"Yeah, how old is the kid?" demanded another, younger one.
"Gentlemen, please," the attorney pleaded. "I'm afraid I simply don't have the answers you're looking for. I was Mrs. Murchison's attorney, not her personal confidant. Besides which, I must strongly caution you that until we have a legal certificate of death—"
His last words were drowned out in the clatter as nearly everyone present jumped up and began chattering excitedly. Dean and Rochelle, still on their feet, remained standing like statues.
"Do you have any idea what this means?" Adith twittered, her eyes blazing. "Lilah Murchison has another child out there—a very rich child. Who could it be? Oh my, and when could she have had him? She was so very thin…" She rose and took a step toward the door, turning when she realized Leigh wasn't following. "Well, come on, honey! I need to get to a phone. The girls are going to die . This'll even shake up Bud! Did you know Lilah winked at him once?"
Leigh took her companion by the arm and sat the older woman back down. The uncomfortable feeling that had been brewing in her stomach ever since she read the message on the rock had just graduated
The lawyer eyed Rochelle warily, as if judging the distance between her thick heels and his kneecap. She sat quietly now, lips pouting, but her eyes still flashed fire. The attorney took a step backward, then cleared his throat and launched into a long laundry list of holdings and securities. As soon as things got boring, Adith leaned into Leigh's side. "Whoowie!" she whispered heavily. "Half a million clams. Do you suppose he could send some of that to dog charities?"
"All of the aforementioned assets," the lawyer said meaningfully, waking everyone up again, "I leave to my one and only blood heir."
The words had barely left the attorney's mouth before Dean and Rochelle Murchison ejected themselves from the couch, hugging each other in mid air. "Damn that old witch!" the young man yelled. "I knew she wouldn't do it!"
"Oh, baby!" Rochelle screeched. Her frizzy hair bobbed a good foot as she jumped, and her heels clanked like boulders on the hardwood floor. "We'll buy another house. A bigger house!"
Mr. Sheridan watched them for a moment before interrupting, his dour expression turning even more grim. "Excuse me," he then said firmly, but I am afraid you have misinterpreted the testament. Would you sit again, please?"
The couple stopped bouncing, but made no move to sit. The attorney continued reading anyway.
"Unfortunately, it so happens that my true heir is not the boy I raised as my son, Dean Murchison. To that ungrateful little leech, I leave an annual stipend of $25,000, with regular increases, which, when combined with a decent salary, should leave him reasonably comfortable. He should be glad he lived the life of luxury as long as he did, and take to heart the fact that if he'd been a little more appreciative, I might have overlooked his lack of my own genes.
"As it stands, my blood heir will inherit the lion's share without qualification, provided that proper identification is presented as described herein within five years of the date of my demise."
The room was deathly quiet, other than the slight wheezing sound of Adith’s breathing. Dean and Rochelle had both turned white. The lawyer's face, in contrast, was quite red, and he eyed them both with a healthy dose of apprehension. Nikki stood up.
"I don't believe it," Peggy Linney said quietly.
" True heir?" One of the ex-cooks piped up. "I don't get it. What does she mean?"
The lawyer's face got redder. "It appears that Mrs. Murchison gave birth to a child who was not Dean Murchison, and that she wishes her blood relative to inherit. I'm afraid the will does not go into particulars about how or why this is the case."
"Who's the real father, then?" demanded a husky, gray-haired ex-chauffeur. "Does he get anything?"
"Yeah, how old is the kid?" demanded another, younger one.
"Gentlemen, please," the attorney pleaded. "I'm afraid I simply don't have the answers you're looking for. I was Mrs. Murchison's attorney, not her personal confidant. Besides which, I must strongly caution you that until we have a legal certificate of death—"
His last words were drowned out in the clatter as nearly everyone present jumped up and began chattering excitedly. Dean and Rochelle, still on their feet, remained standing like statues.
"Do you have any idea what this means?" Adith twittered, her eyes blazing. "Lilah Murchison has another child out there—a very rich child. Who could it be? Oh my, and when could she have had him? She was so very thin…" She rose and took a step toward the door, turning when she realized Leigh wasn't following. "Well, come on, honey! I need to get to a phone. The girls are going to die . This'll even shake up Bud! Did you know Lilah winked at him once?"
Leigh took her companion by the arm and sat the older woman back down. The uncomfortable feeling that had been brewing in her stomach ever since she read the message on the rock had just graduated
Similar Books
