stepped forward and switched them closed at the same moment her cell phone started ringing. She hurried back and picked it up on the fourth ring.
“William,” she greeted him, but that’s all she got out before he ran her over.
“You said you wanted the estate all wrapped up, but there are papers you need to sign to finalize the transfer to Diane and Derek.”
“I thought I signed everything.”
“We need to straighten this out,” he said, sounding on his own path. “Your belongings are still in the house.”
“I know.” She could imagine Diane and Derek having conniption fits about not being able to take possession of the house. “I’ve just got a few things to wrap up, and I’ll be back.”
“Have you spoken to Dr. Rasmussen?”
Callie tried to hide her impatience. Bringing up her psychiatrist was a calculated move on his part. “I am better, William.”
“Good. That’s good.”
“I’ll see her when I get back, but being here’s been the best thing for me. William, listen,” she said before he could hit her with anything else. “Can you find out some information for me about a family named Laughlin who live somewhere around the LA area, I think? Victoria Laughlin is the matriarch. She had a grandson named Stephen who’s deceased, and another named West who was with the LAPD up until recently.”
“Why do you want to know?”
“I just do. I promise I’ll be back soon, but if you could find out anything. Google the names, maybe. I don’t have Internet service.”
There was a hesitation and she could picture him smoothing the sides of his silver hair. “Sure, I can do that. Is there something I can tell Derek and Diane?”
“Tell them I’ll be there soon,” she stated flatly.
“Did you know Jonathan took out a mortgage on the house?” he suddenly put in.
“Yes. He took care of all the finances, but yes. He told me about the mortgage.”
“You know he wasn’t really in a position to mortgage the house,” William said. “Legally, the house was in his name, but it should have been in the family trust.”
“There’s nothing I can do about that.”
“Find the paperwork, when you get back. That’s what you can do. There was a . . . well, I don’t want to call it a mistake, because we really don’t know what Conrad had in mind, but Jonathan shouldn’t have been able to take out that mortgage.”
“All right, I will.” She just wanted to get off the phone now.
“I wasn’t the attorney when Jonathan’s father was alive, but Derek and Diane always had the understanding that the family home was theirs along with Jonathan, and if any of them were deceased, it would not go to their spouses or heirs.”
“I know.” Callie resisted the temptation to snap back at him. “I’ll take care of it all.”
“So, you aren’t aware of what Jonathan did with the money he borrowed?”
“You would know better than I.” William’s firm, along with the Cantrells’ CPA, had filed their tax return and all the requisite forms.
“Maybe he made an investment of some kind?”
“If he did I don’t know anything about it.”
“Possibly there’s a separate bank account?”
“If I knew anything, I’d tell you. Jonathan didn’t share. You know that.”
“I do. But I’d like to avert a lawsuit between Derek and Diane and you.”
“They’re threatening to sue?” She was taken aback. She’d done everything they’d asked of her and more, and she hadn’t left until the last t was crossed, the last i dotted, or so she’d thought. They think I took the money , she realized and felt her cheeks warm with anger.
“We’re just looking for the paper trail.”
“Maybe he spent the money,” she tossed out. “He liked nice things.”
“When you get back, maybe you could check his papers again.”
“Sure.” As if she hadn’t checked and checked and checked. But this conversation would keep going in circles if she let it, and she wasn’t interested in continuing.
“William,” she greeted him, but that’s all she got out before he ran her over.
“You said you wanted the estate all wrapped up, but there are papers you need to sign to finalize the transfer to Diane and Derek.”
“I thought I signed everything.”
“We need to straighten this out,” he said, sounding on his own path. “Your belongings are still in the house.”
“I know.” She could imagine Diane and Derek having conniption fits about not being able to take possession of the house. “I’ve just got a few things to wrap up, and I’ll be back.”
“Have you spoken to Dr. Rasmussen?”
Callie tried to hide her impatience. Bringing up her psychiatrist was a calculated move on his part. “I am better, William.”
“Good. That’s good.”
“I’ll see her when I get back, but being here’s been the best thing for me. William, listen,” she said before he could hit her with anything else. “Can you find out some information for me about a family named Laughlin who live somewhere around the LA area, I think? Victoria Laughlin is the matriarch. She had a grandson named Stephen who’s deceased, and another named West who was with the LAPD up until recently.”
“Why do you want to know?”
“I just do. I promise I’ll be back soon, but if you could find out anything. Google the names, maybe. I don’t have Internet service.”
There was a hesitation and she could picture him smoothing the sides of his silver hair. “Sure, I can do that. Is there something I can tell Derek and Diane?”
“Tell them I’ll be there soon,” she stated flatly.
“Did you know Jonathan took out a mortgage on the house?” he suddenly put in.
“Yes. He took care of all the finances, but yes. He told me about the mortgage.”
“You know he wasn’t really in a position to mortgage the house,” William said. “Legally, the house was in his name, but it should have been in the family trust.”
“There’s nothing I can do about that.”
“Find the paperwork, when you get back. That’s what you can do. There was a . . . well, I don’t want to call it a mistake, because we really don’t know what Conrad had in mind, but Jonathan shouldn’t have been able to take out that mortgage.”
“All right, I will.” She just wanted to get off the phone now.
“I wasn’t the attorney when Jonathan’s father was alive, but Derek and Diane always had the understanding that the family home was theirs along with Jonathan, and if any of them were deceased, it would not go to their spouses or heirs.”
“I know.” Callie resisted the temptation to snap back at him. “I’ll take care of it all.”
“So, you aren’t aware of what Jonathan did with the money he borrowed?”
“You would know better than I.” William’s firm, along with the Cantrells’ CPA, had filed their tax return and all the requisite forms.
“Maybe he made an investment of some kind?”
“If he did I don’t know anything about it.”
“Possibly there’s a separate bank account?”
“If I knew anything, I’d tell you. Jonathan didn’t share. You know that.”
“I do. But I’d like to avert a lawsuit between Derek and Diane and you.”
“They’re threatening to sue?” She was taken aback. She’d done everything they’d asked of her and more, and she hadn’t left until the last t was crossed, the last i dotted, or so she’d thought. They think I took the money , she realized and felt her cheeks warm with anger.
“We’re just looking for the paper trail.”
“Maybe he spent the money,” she tossed out. “He liked nice things.”
“When you get back, maybe you could check his papers again.”
“Sure.” As if she hadn’t checked and checked and checked. But this conversation would keep going in circles if she let it, and she wasn’t interested in continuing.
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