He gave her a nod. “Frankly I’m surprised the warrant was so comprehensive. Typically the instructions are somewhat more limiting.”
“We have three dead, one in a coma, and no idea what the killer or killers were after. It’s a huge property with an incredible inventory of valuable goods that may have been the motive for the murders. It’s difficult to specify, given the circumstances. Fortunately we had a judge who understood the gravity of the situation.”
“Fortunate indeed.” Kilgore braced his elbows on his desk and steepled his fingers. “So, how can I help your investigation more than I already have?”
He had been kind enough to provide a limited number of details about the will to Bent already, but Vera understood that he hadn’t been happy about it then and obviously wasn’t now. “The real property distribution was surprising. As you know, motive is a tremendously important aspect of solving a homicide, and these details are just full of motive.”
Kilgore reached down for the file in front of him and opened it. Vera imagined it was a copy of the last will and testament of his client, Thomas Wilton.
“Then you’re aware that the entire real property—the land, the house, and all other structures on said property—will go to charity. This does not include any of the contents of said structures or the automobiles and such, only the real estate itself.”
“Would it be possible for you to provide a complete list of those charities along with the point of contact for each?” Seemed like a reasonable request to Vera.
“I can do that. However, I assure you that these charities are all legitimate, well-known organizations.”
Vera produced a smile. “I’m confident that’s the case, but the additional information would make our job so much easier.” She took a breath and went for the next big question nagging at her. “The will was changed after his first wife died and then again when he married his second wife. Was that only related to his change in marital status? Any other changes that might suggest issues with staff or business partners, relatives?”
His gaze narrowed. “What exactly are you looking for, Ms. Boyett?”
“Motive, Mr. Kilgore. Like I said, it’s an essential element for finding the person responsible for these heinous crimes.”
He studied her for a long moment—long enough that Vera worried he wasn’t going to give her what she’d asked for. But then he spoke. “The first will I prepared, the one he made about five years ago, was significantly different, yes. The real property and the majority of the monetary assets were bequeathed to a single charity: Quantum Leap.”
“I’m afraid I’ve never heard of that one.” Her instincts went on point.
“The way Thomas explained it to me was that Quantum Leap is a research facility with a singular focus devoted to helping mankind. I was surprised he didn’t leave some aspect of his vast estate to research and development of national defense, since that was his specialty. But no, he wanted to do more for the people rather than the government—he said he’d done enough for the government. He insisted this was very important to his wife, Lena. Quantum Leap was her pet project—his words, not mine.”
“That is a really generous gift.” A damned huge motive too. “But that aspect of the will changed at some point after she died?” Vera couldn’t wait to hear the details.
“Yes. It was perhaps a month after her death that he came to me and asked to prepare a new will. He wanted Quantum Leap completely removed.”
Surprising, in Vera’s opinion. If the project had meant so much to his wife, why cut it out completely? Unless doing so was to disavow her completely because she’d cheated. Which meant the rumor could be true. “Did he say why? Did he no longer wish to honor his wife’s pet project?”
Kilgore studied Vera for a long moment. “I’m certainly not a mind reader, Ms. Boyett. But I will say that he was quite adamant. Angry even. He wanted it done ASAP.”
Now Vera’s instincts were on fire. If the man was angry ... the cheating rumor was likely true. “Do you have the point of contact information for Quantum Leap?”
“I’m sure I can find it.” He turned to his computer and pecked at the keyboard.
Vera’s pulse was racing. Maybe this was nothing, but it sounded like a whole lot of something. She watched as he wrote something on a sticky note, then handed it to her.
“If I can help in any other way, please let me know. How is Mrs. Wilton?”
Now it was his turn to dig for info. Vera was happy to oblige. “She is stable but still in a coma. We hope she will fully recover. She’s the only witness to what happened in that cabin.”
“Good luck with the case, Ms. Boyett.”
That was her cue to go. Vera stood. “Thank you, Mr. Kilgore. We appreciate your assistance.” She stood but hesitated before leaving his office. “One last question. Were you aware Wilton intended to sell the property?”
The attorney considered the question for three or four seconds. “I was.”
A new urgency nudged Vera. “Under the circumstances, was he having an updated will prepared?” Stood to logic.
Kilgore nodded. “He was.”
Damn, was she going to have to pull it out of him like extracting teeth? “Any significant changes other than the real estate?”
He leaned back in his seat, eyed her cautiously. “Let’s just say, he was no longer feeling quite so generous anymore. But that will was still a work in progress, so the terms are irrelevant.”
