One Hoof In The Grave [Carriage Driving 02] by Carolyn McSparren

near Dawn who wasn’t a multi-millionaire was a fortune hunter. Giles desperately wanted an heir to his empire. Since Dawn was an heiress, she was expected to marry the putative heir with his own fortune. Until she does, and produces at least one son, Dawn does the scut work, Giles makes the decisions.”
    Interesting that she kept speaking of her husband in the present tense. “Thank you for speaking to me so frankly, Ms. Raleigh.” He stood. “Now, do you know where I can find your step-daughter?”
    “I’m sure she’s at the stables. The horses still take priority, so she tries to work from home whenever she can.”
    “Did Mr. Raleigh have a home office?”
    “Obviously he couldn’t work in here.” She waved a hand at the peach toile. He has a private study upstairs.”
    “I’d like your permission to search it.”
    “Don’t you need a search warrant?”
    “Not with your permission.” He saw her stiffen.
    “I don’t think I can give it.”
    When he raised his eyebrows, she said, “I don’t know what he had in there, Mr. Wheeler. You might find something that could hurt the family but had nothing to do with his death. I’m not even certain the house is still mine. So I guess you better get that search warrant.”
    Geoff nodded, although he knew no judge would sign a search warrant for what would essentially be a fishing expedition. Any search warrant would have to show probable cause to look for a specific item in a specific place. Not gonna happen as things stood.
    “I understand.” He did understand, but he was still annoyed. “It would, however, be in the family’s best interests not to destroy or conceal anything that might turn out to be useful in solving the crime. The state of Georgia takes obstruction of justice very seriously.”
    “I’m not a fool. I locked the office first thing when I got home Sunday evening. That sheriff took Giles’s keys. I have the only other one.” She came off the couch in one elegant move, started toward the door of her office and asked too casually,” What would you look for?”
    “His will.”
    She caught her breath, but kept walking.
    He’d rattled her. Maybe nothing was hers since Raleigh’s death. So long as no one knew about the disposition of Raleigh’s assets, she would remain the lady of the manor. It was a manor worth fighting for.
    “Do I need a lawyer?” Her hand went to her throat and grasped the gold chain at the neck of her sweater.
    “Do you think you need a lawyer?” he asked.
    “Actually, I do.” Suddenly cold and formal. “Please call my attorney in Atlanta, Agent Wheeler.” She reached into the pocket of her slacks, pulled out a business card and handed it to him. “This is his number. If you want to talk further, make an appointment. The next time we speak, he will be present.” So she’d had her lawyer’s card all ready to hand him.
    He could only accede gracefully. “Certainly. Of course, that will mean you’ll have to come to me. Thank you for seeing me, Mrs. Raleigh. I’ll see myself out.”
    At the door, he turned back to her and said, “I’m sorry for your loss.”
    As he closed the door behind him, he swore he heard her whisper, “I’m not.”
    Dawn Raleigh might be four years younger than her stepmother, but she looked five years older. Her chestnut hair was short, and she wore little or no makeup. If she’d had on lipstick, she’d chewed it off rough lips. Her skin was starting to show the results of too much time in the sun. Not only were there crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes, she had shallow parenthetic lines on each side of her mouth. Frown lines. She was handsome enough, and had a lean, taut body, but she wouldn’t be launching a thousand ships anytime soon. She had, however, inherited her father’s piercing blue eyes. When she spotted Geoff, the mouth lines deepened and her nostrils flared.
    “Can’t you leave us alone to mourn?” She handed the leather horse collar she held to a stable