Murder Checks Inn - Tim Myers [33]
Alex nodded. So Tony had done the right thing after all. “That was good of him. You know I would have done it myself, but...”
Nadine touched his shoulder lightly. “Alex, you don’t have to explain anything to me. I knew what Jase was going to do, though I tried to talk him out of it till I was blue in the face. He said his books would mean more to you than any stocks or bonds ever could. I’m afraid he might have seen your construction out there as a sign that you were doing well enough on your own financially.” She paused, then said, “You know how worried he was about your brother.”
“No, I didn’t know anything about that. What are you talking about, Nadine?”
She looked flustered. “Oh, dear. I’m afraid I’ve already said too much.”
Alex wasn’t about to let it go that easily. “Not enough, in my opinion. What’s going on?”
“Alex, I really shouldn’t say.”
He was in no mood for games. “Then I’ll just have to ask Tony myself.”
“No, you can’t do that,” she pleaded.
“One way or the other, I’m going to find out.”
Nadine nodded. “I know you, Alex, you’re like a dog with an old bone when you’re trying to get to the truth about something. All right, I’ll tell you, but you must swear never to let your brother know you’re aware of his situation. Tony’s in trouble financially. He came to Jase a few months ago and asked him for a loan. Your uncle gave him something, but Tony kept saying it wasn’t enough. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but the two of them had words. The walls here aren’t that thick.”
“Why didn’t he come to me if he was in trouble?”
“Alex, Tony knew you couldn’t give him the kind of help he needed. From what I gathered before, Jase’s inheritance will just barely get him out of trouble. That’s why he got so much of the stock.” She looked as if she was going to cry. “Oh Alex, please don’t tell him I told you about this. Your brother has a lot of pride, more than is good for him, I’ll wager.”
“I won’t say a word,” Alex promised.
Nadine said, “I’ve got to get some fresh air,” as she dabbed at her cheeks. “If you wouldn’t mind, could you lock up when you leave?”
As soon as Alex was alone, he walked to the safe where Jase’s body was found. There was no chalk outline on the floor, just a single stain on the carpet where he’d died.
A horrible thought suddenly struck Alex.
What if they were all on the wrong track about Jase’s murder?
What if Mathias’s will wasn’t the real reason Jase had been killed? Was it possible, the unthinkable thought floating around in his mind? Could Jase’s murder have been committed because of greed closer to home? He couldn’t imagine Tony actually murdering their uncle, but Nadine had said he was in dire financial trouble, and people had killed for a lot less than a hundred thousand dollars.
As much as he hated to admit it, Alex realized that if he looked at his uncle’s murder objectively, Tony had to be considered a suspect.
“Hey Alex, are you all right?”
Alex looked up from the box he’d been staring at to find Mor a few feet away. He’d been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t even heard his friend come back in. “Sorry, I must have zoned out.”
“You’re entitled to, buddy. This has got to be hard for you.” Mor looked around the room. “So what happens to all this? Do we pack it all?”
“Sandra’s handling the cases Jase was working on, except where they were going against each other, so she’s getting a lot of the files. A lawyer from Hickory’s coming over to handle the rest. He hinted to Sandra that he might be interested in buying the entire practice.”
“So you might see something out of this after all?” Mor asked.
“From all accounts, there’s not much to buy. Jase ran this law office as a hobby more than anything else. I’m glad he did; he was happiest when he was working on a case. I’ve got his personal books. That’s all I care about.”
Mor said, “I understand how you feel, but you’ve got to be pragmatic, too. I know what Hatteras West costs you to operate. If this guy makes an offer, I’d get what I could out of it.”
“We’ll worry about that when the time comes.