Morgan James - Promise McNeal 01 - Quiet the Dead by Morgan James

What’s wrong with that plan?”
    I hesitated. “Umm.” Gathering my purse and notebook, waving goodbye to Barkley, and easing quietly out of WQQX, I considered my answer. I didn’t want to go into my dream of Stella, though I felt the case was not as settled as Garland wished. My sense of being at the beginning of the book, and not the end, was too uncomfortable to ignore.
    “What is it, Promise? I know you. I can hear your mind churning. What are you thinking? Do we have a problem you haven’t told me about? I don’t like this client well enough to look for other problems.”
    Now that I was outside I could speak more freely. “Well, for one thing: I don’t think Paul sent the doll to Becca. If not him, then who? I know there is something else going on here, I’m just not sure what, yet. But I do know it has to do with Stella Tournay’s murder. Plus, where did the five million come from? Paul doesn’t know. He was genuinely surprised at the amount of his grandfather’s trust.”
    Garland was silent, thinking, I supposed. I let myself into my car, did a quick check on the cat family, and made a mental note to find a grocery store, cat food, water bowl, litter box, litter, and cute little furry toys that jingle when they are batted around the floor. Oh, Lord, I thought for the second time, what was I thinking adopting three cats? I haven’t been tied down with pets in years. Forget the furry toys; what I need is a haircut and to have my hormones checked. “Garland, you still there?”
    He cleared his throat and replied slowly, as though working out the details in his head as he went along. “I don’t really see how any of that is our problem. Stella Tournay has been dead for over fifty years. And who cares where the ugly doll came from, so long as our client wins? And who cares where the money in the trust came from? That’s not our business. Becca brought me copies of the trust records. The boxes are here in my office, and I went through them to make sure there was actually enough money to litigate about. The administrator is a reputable attorney in Columbia, South Carolina. The assets are real and kicking. What else do I need to know?”
    I don’t know what else I expected from Garland, my Knight of Swords. The man is, if nothing else, practical. “Nothing, I guess,” I replied, unconvinced, “It’s just that unfinished business from the past always seems to come around again for resolution. Have you ever noticed that, Garland?”
    “Yeah well, we are talking about a trust here, Promise, not one of your unhappy clients looking to shed some guilt about fucking her husband’s best friend. Just go on home. You’ve done a great job, as usual. And you did it in one day, instead of two or three. I’m proud of you. I’ll tell you what. I’ll get Paige to send you a check for two days anyway. How about that? I’ll call you after I talk to Ms. Becca and tell you what she says about Paul keeping the house.”
    Garland hung up and I was left sitting in my car wondering why he was so anxious to pay me for a day I didn’t earn. Not at all like Garland Wang, the same guy who adds up the lunch check every time in his head to make sure the waitress doesn’t over charge. It occurred to me there was another name I wanted to check out on Aileen’s computer, however, I was reluctant to go back inside the studio and ask Barkley for help again. Instead, I called Susan.
    “Granny’s. How can I help you?”
    “Hey, it’s Promise. Are you having a good day?”
    “Hey, Miz P. Actually, we are busy today. I think some early leaf lookers are in town. And you know, you were asking me about Fletcher Enloe this morning? Well, I was thinking, maybe we could offer free delivery for some of the old folks like him around here. I could drop a few orders off after the store closes. It might mean a lot to some folks who have trouble getting out. What do you think?”
    Susan, bless her heart. Sometimes I think she is more