me. I've put in the initial calls. Monday morning, if I can't make this disappear or bail her, then we can talk to Grace about making a change. But I think hiring a large firm would draw exactly the kind of attention you don't want. I also think Grace should make her own decisions unless you're footing the bill.''
''No. No.'' Matthew shook his head and set aside his glass. There was weariness in his voice now. ''I inherited the company but Grace has always shared fifty-fifty in the profits.''
''That was generous of you considering you did all the work.''
''Generosity has nothing to do with it,'' Matthew assured her. ''My parent's will was specific. Grace and I shared half of everything unless one of us contested the will. If we did that, we got nothing. I'm not even sure Grace was aware of the stipulation. She never asked to see the will. She never asked where the money came from. It was automatically deposited in the same bank as a trustee until she was eighteen. She never changed the arrangement except to retain an investment counselor at that bank at some point. As far as I was concerned, she was just another entry on the balance sheet.''
''Grace never worked in the business?''
''Nope,'' Matthew answered. ''She ran away from school then she ran away from home. By the time she was nineteen I stopped looking for her. I had a life to live and a company to run. I let her go.''
''And now?'' Josie prodded.
''And now,'' Matthew clucked, raising his eyes to heaven. ''Now, I will do what needs to be done because Michelle would want it and Grace is innocent of whatever charges they've trumped up. She turned into a good woman, Josie. I don't want to see her railroaded.''
''Did you know Grace was on the balcony when Michelle jumped?'' Josie asked this without preamble.
Matthew dropped his head, he lowered his eyes. He was close enough that Josie could see a sparkling of silver in the dark waves of his hair and the clenching of his jaw as he absorbed the information.
''She told you that?'' he asked quietly.
`''She did,'' Josie confirmed.
''Damn.'' His head swung back and forth.
''It doesn't mean anything except that she was stupid not to tell anyone before now.'' Josie dipped her head trying to catch Matthew's eye. ''Look. Grace told me she was trying to stop Michelle and I believe her.''
''You do?''
''I've seen the coroner's report. I've seen the crime scene report. I don't believe for an instant that Grace is guilty of first degree murder. But if you know something that would change my mind, tell me now, Matthew.''
Josie put both hands on his shoulders and held tight. He was trembling like a man ill-prepared for the sudden frigid wind that had kicked up. Josie's hands slipped down his arms to his hands. Matthew's fingers intertwined with hers. It had been a long time since they had touched but it seemed no more than a moment ago. If she closed her eyes then opened them fast the intervening years would be gone and they would be lovers again. Young. All those wonderful things meant nothing when you had them and everything when you didn't. Matthew leaned closer, pulling her hands toward his chest, whispering, needing her, tightening his hold.
''All I know is. . .'' Matthew whispered only to pull up short when they heard the door open.
''I'm home. . .''
Startled, Josie looked over her shoulder, Matthew's head pulled up and both of them stared at Hannah Sheraton who stared right back, her green eyes sparking and a scowl on her face.
CHAPTER 13
''You should have come to dinner with us. He could have gone to the office on Monday. You didn't have to see him.''
''I don't have to do anything, Hannah,'' Josie reminded her. ''But it made a lot of sense to take the time to hear what Matthew had to say, don't you think?''
Josie leaned against the door jamb of the room that had once been her office. It had become Hannah's place without either of them really making a decision about it. There were clothes on the chair, on the
''No. No.'' Matthew shook his head and set aside his glass. There was weariness in his voice now. ''I inherited the company but Grace has always shared fifty-fifty in the profits.''
''That was generous of you considering you did all the work.''
''Generosity has nothing to do with it,'' Matthew assured her. ''My parent's will was specific. Grace and I shared half of everything unless one of us contested the will. If we did that, we got nothing. I'm not even sure Grace was aware of the stipulation. She never asked to see the will. She never asked where the money came from. It was automatically deposited in the same bank as a trustee until she was eighteen. She never changed the arrangement except to retain an investment counselor at that bank at some point. As far as I was concerned, she was just another entry on the balance sheet.''
''Grace never worked in the business?''
''Nope,'' Matthew answered. ''She ran away from school then she ran away from home. By the time she was nineteen I stopped looking for her. I had a life to live and a company to run. I let her go.''
''And now?'' Josie prodded.
''And now,'' Matthew clucked, raising his eyes to heaven. ''Now, I will do what needs to be done because Michelle would want it and Grace is innocent of whatever charges they've trumped up. She turned into a good woman, Josie. I don't want to see her railroaded.''
''Did you know Grace was on the balcony when Michelle jumped?'' Josie asked this without preamble.
Matthew dropped his head, he lowered his eyes. He was close enough that Josie could see a sparkling of silver in the dark waves of his hair and the clenching of his jaw as he absorbed the information.
''She told you that?'' he asked quietly.
`''She did,'' Josie confirmed.
''Damn.'' His head swung back and forth.
''It doesn't mean anything except that she was stupid not to tell anyone before now.'' Josie dipped her head trying to catch Matthew's eye. ''Look. Grace told me she was trying to stop Michelle and I believe her.''
''You do?''
''I've seen the coroner's report. I've seen the crime scene report. I don't believe for an instant that Grace is guilty of first degree murder. But if you know something that would change my mind, tell me now, Matthew.''
Josie put both hands on his shoulders and held tight. He was trembling like a man ill-prepared for the sudden frigid wind that had kicked up. Josie's hands slipped down his arms to his hands. Matthew's fingers intertwined with hers. It had been a long time since they had touched but it seemed no more than a moment ago. If she closed her eyes then opened them fast the intervening years would be gone and they would be lovers again. Young. All those wonderful things meant nothing when you had them and everything when you didn't. Matthew leaned closer, pulling her hands toward his chest, whispering, needing her, tightening his hold.
''All I know is. . .'' Matthew whispered only to pull up short when they heard the door open.
''I'm home. . .''
Startled, Josie looked over her shoulder, Matthew's head pulled up and both of them stared at Hannah Sheraton who stared right back, her green eyes sparking and a scowl on her face.
CHAPTER 13
''You should have come to dinner with us. He could have gone to the office on Monday. You didn't have to see him.''
''I don't have to do anything, Hannah,'' Josie reminded her. ''But it made a lot of sense to take the time to hear what Matthew had to say, don't you think?''
Josie leaned against the door jamb of the room that had once been her office. It had become Hannah's place without either of them really making a decision about it. There were clothes on the chair, on the
Similar Books
