Chapter 9 - The House Sale
Margaret’s hands shook.
“She was buying my house?”
Through an LLC.
At a price thirty percent below market.
Margaret had signed the sale after Robert died.
Laura told her the market was cooling.
Said they needed speed.
Said moving would help grief.
Now everything sounded different.
Rebecca Sloan, a local elder-law attorney, reviewed the contract.
“You can stop this closing.”
Margaret looked relieved.
“Good.”
“Why?”
“Because Laura filed one with the title company.”
Margaret stared.
“I never gave her power of attorney.”
Rebecca opened the scan.
The signature looked convincing.
Too convincing.
Margaret whispered, “That isn’t mine.”
Another forgery.
Harris added it to the investigation.
Now the pattern was broader.
Money.
House.
Medication.
Robert’s death.
Still, no one said murder.
Not yet.
Then the medical examiner agreed to review Robert’s case.
But Robert had blood drawn at a hospital two days before he died.
The sample had been retained.
Toxicology could be rerun.
Margaret barely slept.
Neither did Charlie.
At 1:03 a.m., Charlie began crying.
He paced in circles.
Then ran to the front door.
I opened the lobby.
He sat beneath the coat rack.
Robert’s brown work jacket hung there.
Margaret had brought it in with the box.
Charlie clawed at one pocket.
Inside was a folded receipt.
A pharmacy.
Cash purchase.
Same sedating medication.
Date: three days before Robert died.
L. Bennett.
I called Harris.
He arrived before dawn.
“Could be Laura.”
“Could be another L. Bennett.”
“Exactly.”
He checked the pharmacy.
Security footage was still retained.
We watched on a small monitor.
At 3:16 p.m., a woman stepped to the counter.
Laura.
May you like
She paid cash.
Then looked over her shoulder before leaving.
