Truth and Justice - Fern Michaels Page 0,74

person he would call to take care of her.”

Kathryn stood up and stomped her way to the other side of the table. “And how is it that you know what Bella’s husband wanted for his wife, Mr. Montrose?” Kathryn snapped.

The Sisters as one were on their feet, surrounding Paul Montrose. Yoko pressed her tiny hands down on Montrose’s shoulders. In his life, he’d never felt such pain.

“Talk to us!” Alexis said.

“What the hell . . . who are you people? What’s going on here? Where is Bella?”

“I asked you a question. Don’t make me ask you again,” Kathryn said, leaning in so close that she could smell the man’s aftershave and minty breath. She nodded to Yoko, who grinned and increased the pressure on the retired colonel’s shoulders.

The kitchen doorbell rang. Isabelle moved to open the door for Bella. “Right on time, good girl!” she said, and smiled at Bella. “Come in, come in, Mr. Montrose just got here, and he was just getting ready to tell us something about Andy.”

“Good Lord, he looks . . . he looks like he’s in pain.” Bella’s face registered shock at the scene before her at the table.

“He is,” Yoko said cheerfully. She stepped back.

Bella watched the color flood back into Montrose’s face. Her hand shot out. “Bella Nolan. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Montrose. I appreciate your coming to help us. Me in particular.”

Montrose looked around. “I don’t understand any of this.” He homed in on Maggie and asked her directly for an explanation as he struggled with the pain in his shoulders, which was slowly easing up.

Maggie sucked in a deep breath and let it out with a loud swoosh of sound. She then let loose and brought Paul Montrose up to date. He looked stunned as he stared at Bella. He thought she was one of the prettiest young women he’d ever seen. He almost said so, but then he remembered she was his best friend’s widow. Better he should keep his opinions to himself. For now, anyway.

“No, no, no, that can’t be right. I mailed Andy’s packet to his sister. In fact, because it was so important, I went to the FedEx office and sent it that way immediately after I dropped Andy back at the base. I can even prove it, since I’m sure I still have copies as well as the receipt. I kid you not, Andy made his flight with a second to spare. On his mad race to the cargo plane, he threw this manila envelope onto the tarmac and yelled for me to mail it for him but to make a copy first. I did what he asked. Then I deployed myself the following day. I never saw Andy again,” he said with a catch in his voice. “I didn’t even know he’d been killed until about two months ago, when I came East to a wedding for one of the guys. There were six of us from the outfit at the wedding. When it was over we all went to the nearest bar and got drunk, drinking toasts to Andy.”

“We’re going to need that packet and the receipt, Mr. Montrose,” Annie said.

“What was in the manila envelope?” Myra asked. “Did you look at the contents?”

“I didn’t read them word for word if that’s what you mean. Andy did talk to me about it, so that’s how I know. Andy drew up a new power of attorney for Bella. He made a will, and I witnessed it, and so did Zack Bradley. Andy said he left everything to his wife. I asked him about his sister, and he said she was rich and didn’t need his money. There were some other . . . personal papers I’m not comfortable talking about in the envelope.”

“You mean the sperm donations?” Kathryn barked.

Montrose flushed. “You know about that?”

“Andy told me,” Bella said. “I’ve never seen or heard from Andy’s sister. As Maggie told you, it was all such a horrible mess. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t hear from Andy for months and months. I didn’t even know he’d been wounded. I was told he never told anyone he was married, so any and all communications were with Sara, who took it all. His military insurance, his pay, everything. I never got a dime. If she knew about me, she made no effort to get in touch with me. She knew Andy was dead, and she didn’t care enough to let me know. I