Read Online Never Tease a Siamese: A Leigh Koslow Mystery by Edie Claire - Free Book Online Page B
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
been in a family way without anybody knowing? I suppose she did keep out of sight a lot. And some women just don't show, you know. Now, when I was carrying my Jimmy—"
Leigh's mind wandered as she scanned the room. Most of those present were on their way out now, but Dean and Rochelle didn't appear to be going anywhere. They had backed the poor attorney into a corner, literally, and the only thing standing between them and him was a particularly belligerent-looking Nikki.
Leigh put a finger to her lips and rose. "I'm going to move a little closer and see if I can hear what they're saying." Adith's eyes gleamed and she started to rise as well, but Leigh put a hand on her shoulder. "We can't be too obvious. I'll report everything later, I promise."
The older woman sat back down with a resentful look, and Leigh worked her way inconspicuously forward until she could make out the lawyer's words. Understanding what Dean and Rochelle was saying was not a problem.
"But why doesn't it say who this heir is?" the young man bellowed. "It has to!"
"I believe," the attorney answered, "that Mrs. Murchison wished to allow the individual the option of remaining anonymous. The choice of whether to come forward and claim the inheritance is theirs."
"Well, what if they don't come forward?" screeched Rochelle. "Who gets the money then?"
"As I stated earlier," the lawyer continued with admirable poise, "the blood heir is given five years to come forward. If they do not present suitable evidence of their parentage within that time, the inheritance is to be divided equally between Dean Murchison and Dr. Koslow's choice of feline charities."
The couple fell silent a moment. Then Dean rolled his eyes. "I have to share millions with a bunch of mangy cats?" he whined.
"It's still millions," Rochelle answered stiffly. "Right?"
The lawyer cleared his throat again. "Almost certainly. Although I must caution you both again that—"
"Let's get out of here," Rochelle said loudly, grabbing her husband's arm. "We've heard all we need to hear."
Dean cast a goofy, conciliatory glance back at the lawyer and Nikki as he allowed his wife to turn him around. "Yeah, okay." The two stomped through the parlor back to the foyer and let themselves out with a bang.
Nikki exhaled loudly and plopped down on the arm of the couch. "Sorry about that, Mr. Sheridan," she exclaimed. "I'm surprised you don't bring security with you for these things."
The lawyer smiled unconvincingly. "All in a day's work, I assure you. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
Leigh backed up again, hoping neither Nikki nor the lawyer had been paying any attention to her. As the two of them walked to the front door, she crept back to the settee and scanned its empty cushions with a sigh.
Adith was gone again.
Chapter 6
"Mrs. Rhodis!" Leigh hissed desperately up the back stairway. "Come down here! We're the only people left." There was no response, except for the eerie howling and mewling that been echoing down from the bedrooms for almost an hour now.
"Mrs. Rhodis, eh?" Nikki's drill sergeant voice, coming from a few inches below Leigh's ear, made her jump with a screech.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly, whirling around. "I know this is incredibly rude, but Adith—"
"I know who she is," Nikki said evenly, her gray eyes locking on Leigh's flustered brown ones. "I went through her purse after she disappeared the first time. You want to tell me why you brought a relative of the kid who broke into your Dad’s clinic into this house?"
Leigh reddened. "Um, well, yes." Ouch . This looked bad. She hadn't thought about how bad until now. "Adith is Ricky's grandmother. She asked me to try to find out what he was really up to, because she doesn't believe he broke into the clinic to steal drugs. But that's not why she's here. She just happened to follow my car over here, and—"
Nikki's hard eyes showed a flicker of perception, then softened ever so slightly. "Don't tell me. She just
Leigh's mind wandered as she scanned the room. Most of those present were on their way out now, but Dean and Rochelle didn't appear to be going anywhere. They had backed the poor attorney into a corner, literally, and the only thing standing between them and him was a particularly belligerent-looking Nikki.
Leigh put a finger to her lips and rose. "I'm going to move a little closer and see if I can hear what they're saying." Adith's eyes gleamed and she started to rise as well, but Leigh put a hand on her shoulder. "We can't be too obvious. I'll report everything later, I promise."
The older woman sat back down with a resentful look, and Leigh worked her way inconspicuously forward until she could make out the lawyer's words. Understanding what Dean and Rochelle was saying was not a problem.
"But why doesn't it say who this heir is?" the young man bellowed. "It has to!"
"I believe," the attorney answered, "that Mrs. Murchison wished to allow the individual the option of remaining anonymous. The choice of whether to come forward and claim the inheritance is theirs."
"Well, what if they don't come forward?" screeched Rochelle. "Who gets the money then?"
"As I stated earlier," the lawyer continued with admirable poise, "the blood heir is given five years to come forward. If they do not present suitable evidence of their parentage within that time, the inheritance is to be divided equally between Dean Murchison and Dr. Koslow's choice of feline charities."
The couple fell silent a moment. Then Dean rolled his eyes. "I have to share millions with a bunch of mangy cats?" he whined.
"It's still millions," Rochelle answered stiffly. "Right?"
The lawyer cleared his throat again. "Almost certainly. Although I must caution you both again that—"
"Let's get out of here," Rochelle said loudly, grabbing her husband's arm. "We've heard all we need to hear."
Dean cast a goofy, conciliatory glance back at the lawyer and Nikki as he allowed his wife to turn him around. "Yeah, okay." The two stomped through the parlor back to the foyer and let themselves out with a bang.
Nikki exhaled loudly and plopped down on the arm of the couch. "Sorry about that, Mr. Sheridan," she exclaimed. "I'm surprised you don't bring security with you for these things."
The lawyer smiled unconvincingly. "All in a day's work, I assure you. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
Leigh backed up again, hoping neither Nikki nor the lawyer had been paying any attention to her. As the two of them walked to the front door, she crept back to the settee and scanned its empty cushions with a sigh.
Adith was gone again.
Chapter 6
"Mrs. Rhodis!" Leigh hissed desperately up the back stairway. "Come down here! We're the only people left." There was no response, except for the eerie howling and mewling that been echoing down from the bedrooms for almost an hour now.
"Mrs. Rhodis, eh?" Nikki's drill sergeant voice, coming from a few inches below Leigh's ear, made her jump with a screech.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly, whirling around. "I know this is incredibly rude, but Adith—"
"I know who she is," Nikki said evenly, her gray eyes locking on Leigh's flustered brown ones. "I went through her purse after she disappeared the first time. You want to tell me why you brought a relative of the kid who broke into your Dad’s clinic into this house?"
Leigh reddened. "Um, well, yes." Ouch . This looked bad. She hadn't thought about how bad until now. "Adith is Ricky's grandmother. She asked me to try to find out what he was really up to, because she doesn't believe he broke into the clinic to steal drugs. But that's not why she's here. She just happened to follow my car over here, and—"
Nikki's hard eyes showed a flicker of perception, then softened ever so slightly. "Don't tell me. She just
Similar Books
