Death's Door. Meryl Sawyer

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СКАЧАТЬ she’d had him, Aspen had learned what “cookie” and “walk” meant. She grabbed his leash off the dresser, clasped it to his collar and walked him out to the foyer where Rob was waiting.

      With a smile, he held the door open for them. Outside, it was still warm and the last remaining light from the setting sun glistened on Biscayne Bay. The beauty of nature was eternal, timeless, she thought, unlike the fleetingness of life, where people could be snatched from you in an instant.

      “You know, I’m already attached to this dog,” she told Rob. “I think Aspen must have been someone’s pet. He’s well behaved and knows several commands.”

      “No telling where he came from. Some labs are very careful while others take any dogs they can get.”

      They paused and waited while Aspen did his business on the greenbelt. An elderly woman dressed to the nines was walking a small white poodle with a Burberry collar nearby.

      “What did you tell the police about Aspen?” Rob asked in a low voice.

      “Nothing. I took the bill of sale off the counter and stuffed it in my purse before the police arrived. I planned to explain when I went down to the station for the interview, but when Dr. Wallace told me someone had deliberately sprayed stuff in Aspen’s eyes, I didn’t mention him.” She reached down and patted Aspen’s sleek head. “I was afraid they would give him back to those terrible people.”

      “You’re absolutely right. They would have.”

      “Did you tell them Erin called you about Aspen shortly before she was killed?”

      Rob shook his head. “No. I can’t imagine the break-in had anything to do with her death. Those people are fanatics about animals. They don’t go around killing each other.”

      “But won’t the police find your number in Erin’s phone records and know she called you shortly before she was murdered?”

      “No. She told me she used a pay phone. Animal rights activists are really careful not to leave a trail to others. They won’t find anything on her computer or her phones that will link her to the group.”

      Madison turned, hearing someone calling her name. A paunchy man with gray hair and eyebrows like steel wool was heading their way. She didn’t recognize him, and she was fairly certain he hadn’t been at the chapel. She’d given instructions to the guards to admit anyone to the island for the reception.

      “Ridley Johnson,” he told them in a breathless voice. “I’m Erin Wycoff’s attorney. Sorry I couldn’t get to the funeral. I had a deposition.”

      Madison stared at the man, not quite believing what she was hearing. Why would Erin need an attorney? She’d never mentioned one. But then, there had been a lot of things her friend had neglected to tell her.

      “I have to fly to New York tomorrow morning.” He shrugged. “That’s the price of being a one-man operation. You’re on the go all the time.”

      Madison tried for a sympathetic smile, but her mind was still on Erin. What else hadn’t Erin told her? Maybe if she’d been more open with her, Madison might be able to help the police find her killer.

      The lawyer looked at Rob, but spoke to Madison. “Could we talk in private? It’s about Miss Wycoff’s estate.”

      Madison almost laughed at the word estate. Other than a few pieces of gold jewelry, Erin didn’t have much. “This is my friend Robert Matthews. He was also a close friend of Erin’s. You can talk in front of him.”

      The lawyer arched one eyebrow skeptically, then said, “Miss Wycoff had me draw up a will for her about six months ago. She left you everything.”

      For a gut-cramping second the world froze. “She did? I’m surprised Erin bothered with a will. She didn’t have much.”

      He gazed at her for a long moment in a way that struck her as odd. “Like I explained to the police, the exact worth of her estate won’t be clear until the sale of the property is finalized and some back taxes paid. But it’s in the neighborhood of eleven million dollars.”

      Eleven million? The magnitude of this news poleaxed her brain. She managed to whisper, “Are you sure?”

      “What property?” asked Rob.

      “It’s six acres outside Tallahassee. She inherited it from her parents. It was in the sticks when they bought it. The town’s spread out and a new shopping center is going in. She agreed to sell the land to the developer. It’s in escrow right now.”

      “Oh my God,” Madison whispered. The police were already suspicious of Madison. Now they would have a motive for murder.

      CHAPTER FIVE

      What does forensic mean?

      MADISON BROUGHT Aspen to work with her the morning following the funeral. The dog must have spent most of his life in a cage. She refused to lock him up inside the house all day long. There wasn’t any yard where she was staying. When she bought her own place, it would need to have an outdoor area for Aspen.

      She wasn’t exactly sure when she’d decided to keep the retriever, but it had been in the back of her mind since she’d seen her closest friend’s dead body. The dog meant a lot to Erin or she wouldn’t have taken him home. There was nothing she could do for Erin now. It was too late for that, but she could help the dog. She was positive that’s what Erin would have wanted.

      “You, like, got a dog,” Jade said the second Madison walked through the door. The receptionist’s black hair was now a suspicious shade of red and gelled heavenward. “How cool is that?”

      “His name is Aspen.” She looked around but didn’t see Aiden or Chloe in their cubicles. “He’ll be coming to work with me until I find a place with a yard.”

      “I’m sorry about your friend,” Jade said as she gave Aspen a pat. “Like, what a terrible thing to happen.”

      “The worst, believe me. The worst.” She let her eyes roam over the small cube farm for a moment. It had been days since she’d been in the office. “What did I miss?”

      Jade didn’t have an official title. No one but Aiden and Madison were called anything but associates. This had been the cornerstone of their “anticorporate” philosophy, but as part of the divorce settlement, Aiden and Madison became copresidents. Since Jade’s desk was up front, she was the receptionist by default to the few visitors. Her main function was to assist Aiden and Madison. Jade’s Goth appearance might be off-putting, but she was sharp. Madison knew Jade had been on top of everything while Madison was away.

      “Not much happened,” Jade replied. “I put all the messages on your desk. Aiden may have, like, checked your e-mail for you.”

      “Why would he do that?”

      Jade shrugged and her expression curdled. “I guess he was trying to help. How cool is that?”

      “Help with what?” she asked, trying to conceal her anger but hearing its undertone in her voice anyway. Once, they’d flitted in and out of each other’s cubicles, checked each other’s e-mails and written responses for each other. Those days were over. They no longer visited each other’s СКАЧАТЬ