A Timely Vision

“Deal!” She put out her heavily ringed hand to shake mine and we sealed the agreement. “Wait until the girls back home see this! Of course, I’ll have to add it to my will.”

Will! Why hadn’t I thought of it before? Miss Elizabeth had a last will and testament, but Miss Mildred wasn’t dead. The only legal document that could give someone the power to sell her property would be a power of attorney. If Miss Mildred knew Silas was still alive, she probably had put that in his name in the event of Elizabeth’s death. That meant Jerry Richards could sell the property if he had access to that document. He’d be fine as long as no one questioned it.

The customer wrote me a check, and I wrapped her items carefully. We parted ways congenially, both of us satisfied with the transaction. Two more customers came in behind her and bought some souvenir items. Mary Lou followed after them with some Turtle Rescue Day flyers to put up in the shop window.

“I hope you’ll be there, Dae, and that you’ll pass the word.” She took my tape dispenser and hung up several flyers in the windows and around the store. “This is an important opportunity for fund-raising and education. Thousands of baby sea turtles are lost every year, you know. We have to protect them.”

I’d heard it so many times already, it had lost some value for me. I knew the turtles were important, but Mary Lou was a little too focused on the subject. “I’ll try my best to be there,” I promised. As mayor, it was the least I could do.

“I’m so disappointed, really. You know, Millie promised part of her beachfront would be made into a turtle sanctuary when she passed. I wish I could hold her to that promise now.”

“She hasn’t passed yet,” I replied, thinking about the auction coming up Wednesday. If what Mary Lou said was true, it seemed even more possible there was a missing document that could shut down the whole property sale. A written promise to donate land to the Turtle Rescue League was enough to take to court.

“No, but she might as well have. I haven’t heard anything from her lawyer about the land. Her promise might as well not exist.” Her mouth made a disapproving frown that marred her otherwise smooth complexion. She was really a very pretty woman still, and I guess Gramps saw that, as well as her ability to play a mean game of pinochle.

“I’m sure she meant well,” I said soothingly. “Who’s her lawyer?”

“Oh, I don’t know that she had one. I suppose if she did it would’ve been old Bunk Whitley. But I don’t think he’s living, so I don’t know. I’d love to stay and chat, Dae, but I have to get around town with these flyers. I’ll see you Wednesday, if not before.”

It was nearly noon when I looked at the teapot clock. Mary Lou left only moments before Kevin got there. Gramps followed him in the door. “We need to talk,” Gramps said with a serious frown on his face.

“Let me close up and we can go eat lunch.” I shut off the lights and put up the “Closed” sign. “I’m starving. And I have plenty to tell you both.”

Hoping not to run into Shayla or Trudy, I chose to have lunch at Wild Stallions on the boardwalk. Normally, I wouldn’t care if they were around, but time was running short on solutions for Miss Mildred. I didn’t want to have to catch them up on everything.

We went into the dark bar and grill. Cody and Reece took our orders right away. We talked about Cody’s new son for a few minutes. He was a big boy, eight pounds and four ounces. His name was Zak. Cody planned to name a burger after him.

“So what do you have for us?” I asked Gramps when Cody and Reece were gone.

“I went to see Olivia this morning. We had a nice breakfast at that new pancake house they built in Manteo. Anyway, she knew about OBX Land Trust, LLC. Turns out the owner is Silas’ grandson. You won’t believe who that is.”

“Jerry Richards.” Kevin and I said at the same time. Gramps sat back with a scowl after we spoiled his news.

I told him about my encounter with Chuck that morning. “This has to be at the heart of why Miss Elizabeth was killed. But Chief Michaels said Jerry has an alibi for the night she died.”

“What else did the chief have to say?” Kevin asked.

“I hope you didn’t try to confront him, Dae,” Gramps added.

“It kind of slipped out. I really didn’t plan to upset him.” I explained everything the chief had said to me.

“Richards showed up at the courthouse while my SBI friend was there,” Kevin said. “He overheard him asking about a power of attorney document for Miss Mildred. He wanted to know if she’d ever had one filed with the county. Without one stating her intentions, he can take her estate. He’s technically next of kin.”

“That’s funny because I was thinking the same thing this morning,” I said. “What did they tell him?”

“They couldn’t find one for her. There was a will for Miss Elizabeth. My friend checked on it. It left everything to Miss Mildred, like everyone speculated. There’s no help there.”