“That’s what I need to find out,” Charlie said. “Did Pamela tell you anything else useful about her family?”
Jane recounted the rest of the conversation. Pamela’s father was a “mean man” who had died a couple of months ago. He had always blamed Pamela for her mother’s death because having Pamela had apparently sped up the disease that killed her. And then that strange comment about him still punishing her from the grave.
Jane finished. “When I asked what she meant about him punishing her from the grave, she got defensive and changed the subject. She said it wasn’t my problem and that she was working on fixing things.”
Charlie was quiet for a long moment, her fingers tapping against her phone as she processed everything. “What’s Pamela’s family name?” Charlie asked
“Sullivan,” Jane answered. “But I don’t know what her father’s name was, or either of her mothers’ names. Dad never talked about them, and I never met any of them.”
“Do you know how old Pamela is?” Charlie asked.
“Fifty-five,” Jane said with a shrug.
Charlie typed all of this into her phone, her expression growing more focused with each piece of information. “This is good, Jane. Really good. I can work with this.”
“You really think you can find out what’s going on?” Jane asked, hope and anxiety warring in her chest.
“I do,” Charlie said confidently.
“And Charlie,” Jane said when they had gone through everything, “I know I don’t have to say this, but?—”
“But this is between you and me,” Charlie finished. “Don’t worry. I got that. Attorney-client privilege and all that.”
Jane felt relief wash through her. “Thank you. Really. I feel like I’m probably being paranoid, but…”
“But your instincts are telling you something’s wrong, and you should always listen to your instincts,” Charlie said firmly. “Especially when it comes to someone like Pamela.”
“Please don’t say anything to Gabe either,” Jane added quickly. “He already suspects something’s off with Pamela, and I don’t want to worry him more until we know for sure.”
Charlie’s expression softened. “The thought didn’t even cross my mind. This is your information to share, Jane. When and if you’re ready.”
Jane nodded gratefully. “What do you think Pamela’s really after? If this whole hereditary disease thing is fake?”
“I don’t know yet,” Charlie admitted. “But I’m going to find out.Leave it with me, and I’ll get to the bottom of what Pamela is plotting.”
“How long do you think it will take?” Jane asked.
“A few days, maybe less,” Charlie said. “I have some contacts who can help me dig into medical records and find out if this Dr. Chen is even legitimate. And I can look into Pamela’s father’s death, see if there’s anything in probate records that might explain what she meant about being punished from the grave.”
“Probate records?” Jane repeated.
“When someone dies, their estate goes through probate. The legal process of distributing assets and settling debts,” Charlie explained. “If Pamela’s father died recently, there will be records. And if Pamela felt like he was punishing her from the grave, it probably has something to do with his will or estate.”
Jane looked at Charlie in surprise. “Oh. Maybe he cut her out of his will,” she joked.
“Maybe,” Charlie said. “Whatever it is, if it’s public record, I can find it.”
“Thank you, Charlie,” Jane said, feeling the tight knot of anxiety in her chest loosen slightly. “I really appreciate this.”
“Of course,” Charlie said warmly. She reached out and squeezed Jane’s arm. “I’ll get to the bottom of this.”
They stood there for a moment in the quiet ballroom, surrounded by half-finished decorations and the soft sound ofrain against the windows. Jane felt grateful for Charlie’s help, for her discretion, for the way she had listened without judgment and believed Jane’s instincts about Pamela.
“I should get back to Logan,” Charlie said after a moment.
They walked to the ballroom door together, and Jane unlocked it. Before they stepped out, Charlie turned to her with a serious expression.
“Jane, be careful around Pamela. Whatever she’s up to, she went to a lot of trouble to set it up. People don’t do that unless the stakes are high.” Charlie’s eyes held hers. “If she does blindside you, call me or Gabe. Don’t be around her alone.”
