Murdered in the Man Cave (A Riley Reed Cozy Mystery) by R. Barri Flowers Page A

moment in time. Now,
without further ado or droning on about how much I hate leaving you
behind or will be missed by family, friends, and fans, I will get
right to the point in expressing my wishes regarding divvying up my
estate..."
    Like everyone else, I was stunned in watching
Brent reveal his affliction, while proud that he did so with such
courage and dignity. I waited with baited breath as I watched my
friend making his final curtain call as a bestselling novelist, and
seemingly enjoying his moment at center stage, to the extent that
one could in speaking from the grave.
    "First of all, as a lifelong Spartan, I am
bequeathing one million dollars to my alma mater, Michigan State
University toward a scholarship in my name for creative writing
students. Now, moving on to my ex-wives... We certainly had our ups
and downs ladies, but there was a moment when we were on the same
page. And for that, I'm leaving each of you one hundred thousand
dollars. Spend it well."
    I wasn't sure any of them were expecting
that, by their reactions, but they seemed pleased, all things
considered.
    "On to my niece, Emily, we have not always
seen eye to eye on the direction your life has taken. I'm hopeful
that you will clean up what still needs to be cleaned up in your
act and get your life in order in memory of your mother, my dearest
sister. To that end, I am leaving you my mortgage free home and
most of its contents, along with my stocks, which when cashed in,
should bring you upwards of two hundred thousand dollars. I hope
you will use it toward education or furthering your pursuits in
life."
    I watched as Emily put her hands to her mouth
with emotion that seemed to be a combination of gratefulness and
maybe even a little resentment for airing their dirty laundry to
some degree.
    Brent continued, "To my longtime and loyal
housekeeper, Luisa, consider yourself employed for as long as Emily
lives in the house, with a twenty percent raise. Should she ever
decide to sell, you'll get a half a million dollars, so you'll
never have to work anywhere else. Aside from that, I'm leaving you
one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to help make your life
easier, along with my Mercedes, so you no longer have to take the
bus to work."
    "Thank you so much, Mr. London," Luisa
muttered, weeping openly as she stared at his face.
    I knew how fond Brent was of his housekeeper
and was elated that he had expressed it in death, leaving no doubt
as to how much he appreciated her.
    "Ivana, my darling," Brent said
sentimentally. "We haven't known each other very long, but then
again, it doesn't take long for two people to connect, does it? You
may be wondering why I would name you in my will at this stage of
our relationship. Well, all things considered, it seemed like the
smart thing to do for someone I've grown to care for. In case I
wasn't able to do this later, I wanted to leave you a little
something for what might have been, had we been given more
time..."
    Ivana wiped tears from her eyes as Brent kept
her and the rest of us in suspense.
    "Had we continued moving in the direction we
were, I think I would have eventually asked you to marry me.
Obviously, my current situation puts a damper on that. But,
assuming you would have said yes, and being a man of considerable
means, I leave you fifty thousand dollars to remember me by and to
make your life a little easier."
    "Thank you, my darling," she cooed, and blew
him a kiss.
    "Pierce," Brent continued, "I took you under
my wing as my research assistant, and watched you develop into a
fine writer in your own right. Thanks for putting up with me as
writer and making it seem like fun. I know you were always taken
with the seascape oil painting hanging over the fireplace in my man
cave. Well, it's yours, friend. I hope you find a nice place for it
at your home or office."
    Pierce nodded. "Will do, Brent. Appreciate
the thought."
    As I studied him, I couldn't help but wonder
if Pierce had been expecting more—perhaps