the caller was Brennan. I headed back to my office to give Cory some privacy.
A couple minutes later, he appeared in my doorway. He leaned on the jam, frowning.
“Something wrong?”
“Brennan’s father died last night.”
“That’s too bad. How’s Brennan taking it?”
“Okay. He said his father’s lawyer called him earlier this morning to let him know. The lawyer is making all the funeral arrangements per his father’s last wishes. The funeral will be on Monday.”
“Should we go?”
Cory nodded. “We can ride with Brennan. He said his father would roll over in his grave to see Brennan and me there together.”
“I’ll bet.”
“His father did pay his bail, though. The lawyer said he wanted Brennan to be able to hear his will. He read it to him over the phone.”
“I thought he wrote Brennan out of the will. Did he have a change of heart?”
Cory came into the office and sat. “No.”
“He left Brennan nothing.”
“Exactly.”
“So why did Brennan need to hear the will read?”
Cory curled his lip. “Because his father left his money to Brennan’s progeny, if—and I’m quoting here—he ever manages to be a real man.”
“Ouch. What a jerk.”
“That’s putting it mildly. Brennan knew his father had put the progeny clause in the will when he wrote Brennan out years ago, but he didn’t know the exact wording of it. He said it was better that his father passed now before we know if Matthew is his grandson. He wouldn’t have wanted to give his father the satisfaction of knowing his line was carried on past Brennan.”
“Any idea how much Matthew will inherit if he is Brennan’s son?”
“About two million, plus property. Brennan’s father lost a ton of money when the stock market dropped.”
“Wow, that’s a lot of dough, almost too much for a young guy like Matthew. It could be overwhelming.”
“Brennan said Catherine is still trying to find out if Matthew is his son. Her investigator got the door slammed in his face at the Gleason house by Suzanne. He’s in Albany now, combing through birth and adoption records.”
“So we have to wait and see.”
Cory flexed his fingers, cracking a knuckle. “Brennan said he also got a call from the hospice in Albany at nine a.m. One of the caregivers said she had some personal things his father wanted to give him. She offered to drive up here to drop them off. Brennan almost told her not to bother.”
I knew hospice care meant peace, comfort, and dignity with quality individualized care. I didn’t realize they provided a delivery service, too. Hard to believe the old man inspired such loyal service.
“She said she was headed this way anyway to visit her daughter. She was leaving the hospice right after she called. He said she’d be here by noon at the latest. He’s going to call me afterward and let me know what she dropped off.”
I glanced at the clock. It read eleven a.m. One hour to wait to find out what the old man wanted delivered to Brennan. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be hurtful like his will.
I grabbed the sheet of printouts from my desk. “Do you have a minute for me to run through a few of these purchase options with you? I found a handful that look promising to replace the Benz.”
Cory settled back in his chair. “Go ahead.”
I read the highlights for a Mercedes, a Jaguar, a BMW, and a Maserati, located in Albany. Cory groaned at the mere suggestion he would have to drive that route again to look at the vehicle. “Pick something closer to home, Jo.”
I clicked through the screens on the computer. “The Porsche’s in Buffalo. The ad says it’s pristine.” Of course, they all say that, which was why Cory had to go look the cars over before we made a purchase decision. “Never seen winter. Silver on black leather. 66,000 km. Heated seats, traction control, alarm, dual air bags and side air bags, windstop, Xeon lights with washers, five-speed manual, clear 3M chip protector. Even includes a Porsche car cover.”
“I like that one. I can visit my parents at the same time. Maybe Brennan can ride along. I can introduce them.”
“Great. I’ll call and see if I can get you an appointment for next week. Is Tuesday okay?”
“Make it Friday or Saturday. I’ll spend the weekend.”
“Done.” I picked up the phone and dialed.
Ten minutes later Cory had an appointment for Friday night at seven o’clock. I didn’t like the time. It would be dark by then, and it was always best to look at a