Missing Heiress (A Jackie Harlan Mystery Book 2) Read online

  “I shall, and Mathew, be here at eight o’clock sharp, or I will leave without you.”

  “I’ll be here.” He walked out and slammed the door.

  For all her pretending, Laura was not that strong, and as soon as he was gone, she sunk back into her chair. “How I hate that man. He has taken everything from me.”

  She was truly terrified, and it took a moment for Teresa to be certain he wasn’t coming back. She moved finally, and sat in the chair opposite Laura. “Your daughter died?”

  “If you believe Mathew, she did. I don’t believe him. It wouldn’t be the first time he lied to get what he wanted.”

  “But you do have a daughter?”

  “A daughter I have never seen.” She got up, went to the liquor cabinet, and poured her fifth straight shot of the evening. “I was in a coma for days after she was born. When I came out of it, Mathew had hidden my baby from me.”

  “How?”

  “I do not know how, I was too ill to know anything at all. I do remember the doctors saying the baby was fine. Mathew assured me she was being well cared for, and I believed him. If it wasn’t for the ultrasounds, I’d not even know it was a girl.”

  “You nearly died?”

  “So they said.” She downed that drink and reached for the bottle again. “How panicked my poor Mathew must have been. If he lost me, he would lose the trust fund and the inheritance.”

  Teresa was totally shocked. “From the very beginning, you didn’t know where your baby was?”

  “I still don’t.” Laura poured another shot. “As soon as I was able, a private jet flew us both home. I thought my baby would be here waiting for me, but she wasn’t.”

  “But how could he do that to you…I mean, why?”

  “At the time, my father was already worth millions. Mathew would do anything for money, and he knew daddy would skip over me and give it all to a granddaughter.”

  “Did you try to find her?”

  “My dear, I spent a fortune hiring private detectives, but without a name, none of them could find her. She was born in a small town in France and the hospital has no record of the birth…or so they claim. However, they built a new wing the next year. No doubt with my money.”

  Teresa was confused. “Would your father not have helped you find her?”

  Laura walked to the sofa and sat down. “I couldn’t tell him.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because Mathew made me a promise. He said if I stayed silent, and stayed married to him until after the inheritance came through, he would tell me where she was. Father didn’t die and the years just kept passing.” Laura lowered her voice as though someone else might hear. “I think Mathew had my tubes tied. I have a small scar at the bottom of my bellybutton and I don’t remember hurting myself there.”

  “Did you ask a doctor about it?”

  “No, there was nothing they could do about it anyway, and Mathew refused to touch me after that. He was afraid I would produce yet another heir, you see.”

  “Yes, I do see.”

  “Father would have loved having a grandchild. He might even have forgiven me for marrying against his wishes, if he’d had eight or nine grandchildren to adore.” Laura held out her half-full glass. “Get me another drink, will you? Make it scotch this time.”

  Teresa didn’t get up. “Laura, the liquor makes your cheeks red. Perhaps you should resist until after the ball tomorrow night.”

  “Will makeup not cover it?”

  “We’ll do the best we can, but…”

  “You are right, of course. I’ve had enough anyway and Mathew won’t come back tonight.” She reached out her hand and waited for Teresa to help her up. “Oh my, I believe I have had a bit too much.” She let her maid take her upstairs and help her into bed. Before long, Laura was sound asleep.

  After she put Laura’s clothes away and before she turned out the light, Teresa lovingly touched the side of Laura’s face. “Rest, dear one,” she whispered. “This will all be over soon.”

  *

  At long last, the house was quiet and Teresa could go to her room. She considered looking to see if Mathew had come back for a swim, but she really didn’t want to see him again. Instead, she bolted her door, checked to make certain her gun was still there, and then sat on the bed.

  Her heart was truly broken. Teresa lay on her side, pulled her knees up to her chest, and wept.

  *

  “Hurricanes on the east coast, earthquakes on the west, we might as well go fishing in the Rocky Mountains after this case,” Michael moaned.

  “It was just a little earthquake in California,” Jackie said. It was early morning, she was already dressed and sitting at the table in front of her laptop.

  “Yeah, well I hope never to see another one, not even a little one. They scare me.” He filled his coffee cup, brought it to the table, and sat down. “Are you thinking temp agencies?”

  “I wasn’t, but I am now. She sold paintings, but I doubt she made enough to support herself. Find a list here in Denver and you can hack into one temp agency while I call some of the others.”

  “It’s Saturday, don’t forget.”

  “I know, but there might be someone there.”

  “Someone who can’t give out that kind of information?”

  “You’re right. Okay, I’ll see what I can find on some of the job sites.” She clicked on her search engine icon.

  “And by the time we are completely exhausted this evening, you’ll be saving the last dance for me.”

  Jackie loudly exhaled. “That’s right, the ball is tonight.”

  “Oh gosh,” Michael mocked, “I forgot to get my hair done.”

  “Are you implying I should go get mine done?”

  “Not at all, I love it all messed up like that.”

  Jackie rolled her eyes. “Work, Michael, work!” Even so, she got up, went to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She should have made a hair appointment, but it was too late now.

  *

  Laura slept late as usual, and Teresa didn’t wake her. However, when Laura was up and eating lunch, she decided she wanted to wear a wig to the ball, which left no time at all to get it washed and styled at a beauty shop. Instead, Teresa washed and dried it, and then tried to style it the best she could. She surveyed her work and decided it would have to do. Laura was being very good. She only had one drink after lunch and held still while Teresa painted her long fingernails with white satin polish.

  As evening drew near, Teresa encouraged her to take a long shower, helped her into her robe and then sat her down at her dressing table.

  Next came the hard part – a make-do face-lift. Laura had several different kits on hand in her closet, all of which required using tape to lift her cheeks and to pull back the sagging skin under her chin. It took a bit of doing to get it right, but as soon as Teresa was finished, she artfully used the wig to cover the tape and then styled the hair around Laura’s face.

  After she applied just the right amount of makeup, Teresa took a step back and smiled. “Look at you - you look ten years younger.”

  “Thank you, dear.”

  At last, she helped her employer into the green gown and matching shoes, and then admired her work. “You look absolutely glorious.”

  “Do you really think so?” Laura asked.

  “I do. You shall be the most beautiful woman at the ball.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Eight forty-five. I heard the doorbell, so I suspect Mr. Connelly is waiting downstairs.”

  “He is early? Will wonders never cease?”

  Teresa handed her a small clutch bag and then opened the door for her. “Have a marvelous time.”

  “I intend to. I have not seen some of those people in years, and it is about time I got reacquainted.”

  Teresa walked her to the top of the stairs and then watched to see Mathew’s reaction. He completely ignored his glamorous wife, which made Teresa fume. As soon as she was at the bot
tom of the stairs, Laura went to the bar, swallowed a shot, and then turned to him and smiled. “Coming, Darling?”

  Mathew grunted something inaudible, opened the door and walked out, leaving Laura behind.

  Teresa rushed down the stairs to the door, held it for her and watched Laura walk to the limo. At least the chauffer held the car door for her.

  At last, the limousine drove away.

  *

  Maggie felt ridiculous standing on a street corner in a floor-length, off the shoulder, white linen ball gown. However, it allowed her to show off the tan she managed to get over the summer, with the help of her recent visit to the zoo. She wore her dark hair down with just a little curl, and kept her makeup to a minimum.

  When a white limo pulled up to the curb and stopped, she was surprised. Austin didn’t wait for the chauffer to open the door for him. Instead, he got out and quickly walked to her. He was even more handsome in his black tie clothing than he had been in a business suit. His smiling eyes were so compelling, it took her breath away.

  “You look stunning,” he said as soon as he came close.

  “So do you.” She pointed at the limo. “Spent a month’s salary on that, I wager.”

  “Almost. Who are you?”

  “Maggie.”

  “No, I mean what is your full name? How can I introduce you to my friends if I don’t know?”

  “Maggie Jackson,” she smiled and slightly curtsied.

  He grinned and proudly offered his arm. “Shall we, Miss Maggie Jackson?”

  “You are very kind, Sir.” She took it, let him seat her in the back of the limo and then waited while he went around to the other side.

  “Do you drink?” he asked once the door was closed and the limo started moving.

  “Very little, but perhaps something to calm my nerves.”

  “Don’t worry,” he teased, “axe-murderers don’t kill women in limos. Too many witnesses.”

  “That’s comforting.”

  He opened the bar in the back of the seat in front of them. “Rum and coke okay?”

  “More coke than rum, please.”

  Austin carefully poured and then handed the first drink to her. “I can help you get another job.”

  “I might need you to.”

  “Consider it done. Maggie, there is something I need to tell you before we get to the ball. I am an attorney. In fact, I am Nicholas Gladstone’s corporate attorney.”

  She stared into his eyes for a moment and then looked away. “If that be the case, I shall not offer to pay for half of what this limo costs.”

  Austin chuckled. “The limo, the driver, and more than you can imagine belongs to Nicolas Gladstone’s estate. He was a good friend and he passed away a few months ago.”

  “I see. I confess I looked you up on the internet after you told me your name, but it didn’t say all that.”

  “I would have looked you up too.” He reached into his pocket and handed her a cellphone. “I programmed it with my number, in case you need to reach me.”

  “So you can help me find a job?”

  “Or, when you need someone to talk to.”

  Maggie finally grinned. “And where do you suppose I am to put it just now? Down my blouse?” She almost made him blush.

  “You didn’t bring a purse?”

  “No, but I did bring ID and enough money for a cab if you turn out to be a letch.”

  “I promise that won’t happen. I have a reputation to uphold.”

  “Yes, but Jim says even men in business suits murder their wives and girlfriends.”

  “He is right, of course. Do you really feel threatened being with me?”

  “No, not really. Do you? After all, I could be the axe-murderer instead of you.”

  Austin pretended to catch his breath. “I had not considered that. Are you?”

  “Not yet, I can’t afford an axe.”

  He smiled and clinked his glass against hers. “Here’s to low pay for all prospective axe-murderers.”

  “Here, here.” She sipped her drink and let the warmth fill her empty stomach. Too nervous to eat, that was the only sip she intended to take. Drinking could very well spoil the entire evening and she wasn’t about to let that happen.

  “Tell me,” Austin asked, “why do you sign off without warning me?”

  “Oh that. It is because I really want to tell you all about me, but…”

  “But you didn’t want me to show up on your doorstep.”

  “How did you guess?”

  “You wouldn’t let me pick you up at home.”

  “Home is a bit embarrassing just now.”

  “You have no family here in the States?”

  She looked down and smoothed a wrinkle out of her skirt. “None that I would lay claim to.”

  “It is so nice to talk to you in person. I have often wondered what it would be like. You are the same in person as you are online.”

  “You are much taller,” said Maggie.

  Again, she made him laugh. “And you are far more beautiful.”

  Maggie frowned, “You’re not going to get all mawkish again, are you?”

  “Mawkish? Now I know you truly are the Sissy I have come to admire. I’m curious. How did you keep your company from collecting all those fees?”

  Maggie finally relaxed a little more and giggled. “I was supposed to turn off all the credit cards until the fees were charged and I didn’t. Customers started to see the charge on their statements and called.”

  “They complained, I take it?”

  “They complained, I got yelled at for an hour, and then I got fired for stealing. It was worth it, I guess. At least the company couldn’t cover their tracks as easily as they hoped.”

  “How short do you think they still are?”

  “I don’t know, I would guess several thousand, but I truly don’t know.”

  “Does Jim need my help getting a job too?”

  Her eyes widened. “Could you…I mean with his prison record?”

  “I would be happy to. We just happen to have a position open in our accounting department. What is his last name?”

  “McMorrow.”

  “Tell him to come see me Monday.”

  “I shall, thank you.”

  “What’s the name of the company you worked for?”

  “Oh, don’t mention that dreadful place.”

  “I’m just curious.”

  “A curious attorney?”

  “You caught me. What they did is illegal in this state and any other. They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it.”

  She took another sip anyway. “You’re not talking about turning them into the authorities, are you?”

  “They robbed their customers and fired you unjustly. I have a friend who handles those kinds of cases. He can get your lost pay and clear your record.”

  “So I wouldn’t have to admit I got fired on a resume?”

  “Not if you win, and you will win. Which company is it?”

  “GSTS.”

  “Never heard of them.”

  “Not many have. It’s a small company.”

  He finished his drink and this time when he looked at her, she was watching him. “What?”

  “Can I have that cellphone before I leave the ball? I am short of communication just now and I have no way to call Jim.”

  “Of course. It is yours to keep.”

  “No matter what?”

  “No matter what.”

  *

  With her husband chauffeuring the Connellys for the evening, the cook decided to meet a friend for a movie. At a quarter to nine, Teresa wished the cook well and happily watched her drive away too. That left the house completely empty. Even so, she waited a full ten minutes more to make absolutely certain none of them were coming back.

  It was time.

  Teresa ran to her room, got her gun and put it in her uniform pocket. It was all working out perfectly – more perfectly than she could ever have imagined.

&nb
sp; She went to the safe in Mathew’s bedroom. She moved the painting, turned the dial, pulled the handle down, and then pulled the door open. To her relief, he had not changed the combination. Next, she took the cash and the birth certificate out, and laid them on a nearby table. She opened the checkbook, tore two checks out of the back of the book, and laid them on top of the birth certificate. Teresa put the checkbook back; pulled a photo and a note out of her other uniform pocket, placed them on top of the checkbook, and closed the safe.

  She grabbed the checks, the cash, and the birth certificate, remembered to turn off the light in his bedroom, and then hurried down the stairs to the office. She sat down, spread the checks on the desk and carefully made them out. On both, she boldly entered her real name on the payable to line and dated them with the current date. The only difference between the two checks was the amount – the first was for five hundred thousand and the second, a cool million.

  Her nerves were becoming a little frayed when she opened the bottom drawer of the desk, removed the three-on-a-page checkbook she found a few days earlier, and then recovered Mathew Connelly’s signature stamp. Teresa made sure the inkpad had enough fresh ink, and practiced on plain paper a couple of times. It worked perfectly. She held her breath, pressed the stamp on the inkpad, and then printed his signature on the first check. She repeated the process for the second check, and then lightly blew on the wet ink.

  The signatures were perfect.

  With her camera phone, she chose the deposit icon for a bank account in Glasgow, Scotland, took a picture of the check, and pressed send. She sent the second check to an account in London and at last, Teresa remembered to breathe.

  Step one was complete.

  She put everything back exactly as she found it, grabbed the birth certificate, the cash and the checks, and raced up the stairs to Laura’s bedroom.

  She pulled the gun out of her uniform pocket, carefully wiped her fingerprints off with a cloth, and then walked to the nightstand beside Laura’s bed. She opened the drawer, positioned the gun so Laura could easily grab it and closed the drawer.

  Next, she went to the closet, opened a shoe drawer and removed an empty, quart size baggie and a roll of tape. She set the birth certificate aside, counted out a hundred dollars and set that aside as well. She put the checks and the rest of the cash inside the baggie and sealed it.