“No. I need to know all of his assets before we can agree to anything.” I stood, my ears perked to the rest of the office. “Where are Pauley and Oliver?”
Clark secured his file folders in his briefcase and strode toward the door. “Pauley is taking a test at the college, and Oliver had a dentist appointment. They should both be in later today.”
I liked that our office staff consisted of my cousin Pauley, who at sixteen attended the local community college, and Oliver Duck, a kid I’d represented a while back. They both worked odd hours for little pay and were tons of fun to have around. I’d let them choose their own business cards, and Oliver was the Czar of our office while Pauley was the King. “I’m thinking of getting Aiden a…keychain for Christmas? Maybe one of those that opens beer bottles.”
Clark paused and turned. “What?”
“What do you think?”
“If you’re going to break up with him, do it on the phone,” Clark said.
I sighed. Okay. No keychain. I stood and followed him through the hallway and doorway to the reception area, where a woman waited patiently in one of the two leather chairs my Uncle Sean had given us.
I paused. “Hello. I’m sorry, we didn’t hear you.”
She stood, wearing a long red overcoat, black snow boots, and sparkly jewelry on both hands. Her blondish gray hair was swept back in a thick updo, her eyes were a faded green, and her skin was smooth for a woman who had to be in her mid-sixties. “Hello. I’m Florence McLintock, and I’m here to tell you that there is no way Bernie killed Lawrence. He was with me, in my bed, all night. Well, all morning. So he couldn’t have done it.” Her lips pursed, showing fine wrinkles above her mouth.
I sighed.
Clark patted my shoulder. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours.” He half-bowed to Mrs. McLintock and then made a hasty escape.
“Why don’t you come back and talk with me,” I suggested, motioning the woman through the doorway to the hallway. “My office is all the way at the far end.” She moved, and I followed, passing two conference rooms, the restrooms, one office Pauley utilized, one empty office, and then reached mine at the end with the wide windows, which was adjacent to the kitchen.
She walked inside and sat in one of my two leather guest chairs, planting her monstrous green purse next to her. “We used to be married, you know? Sometimes he makes a booty call.”
I coughed up a little latte and strode around my desk to sit. Unlike Clark’s organized chaos, my case files were perfectly lined up to the right of my desk with a pen next to a pad of paper. My computer was behind me on the credenza, and the windows looked out past buildings to Lilac Lake. “Mrs. McLintock, I already spoke with Bernie, and he wasn’t with you that morning. So lying to me is just fine, but if you lie to the police, they could arrest you for hindering an investigation.” I leaned toward her, softening my voice. “Plus, the truth always comes out, and the police will think you’re lying to cover something up.”
Tears filled her deep-set eyes. “Bernie couldn’t kill anybody.”
“I know,” I said, not really knowing that fact but being willing to go on faith for now. “I’m glad you came in today because I was going to ask you to talk to me.” I reached for the notepad. “How long have you and Bernie been divorced?”
She released the wide black buttons on her coat. “Let’s see. We were married for seven years and have been divorced for about five now.” She fluttered her hands. “He’s a sweet man, but all he wants to do is play cards, watch golf on television, and then be Santa Claus once a year. Seven years of that was all I could take—especially since the dickhead cheated on me.” She leaned in, her eyes widening. “Although he is very well endowed, if you know what I mean. I would’ve left him a good year or two before that, but the man is…gifted.”
I could feel the latte coming all the way up, so I cleared my throat. I tried to clear my brain, but the image of Bernie being endowed was in there for good. “I see,” I murmured, wishing with everything I had that I did not see. “You obviously have remained friends?”
She nodded. “I’m friends with all of my exes. I did forgive him for cheating, but I couldn’t stay married to him.” She shook her head. “I’m a free spirit, Ms. Albertini. I’ve tried love several times, and I just can’t get it right.”
I took notes. “If you don’t mind my asking, how many times have you been married?”
“Oh, about five, I guess. Six if you count the ceremony jumping out of a plane with an Elvis impersonator reciting the vows—three husbands ago. I don’t,” she said. “That one doesn’t really count. You know, I was hoping that Lawrence would be lucky number seven and that we might make a go of it.” More tears gathered in her eyes and she brushed them away. “Why would anybody kill him? He was harmless.” Her voice lowered. “And also very well endowed, if you know what I mean.”
I held back a gag. “So you have a type.”
She jolted and then laughed, the tears dissipating. “I like you.”
I smiled. “I like you, too.” Although I could go the rest of my life without mentally picturing a bunch of Santas with big dicks. I handed over another notebook. “Would you please write down the names, addresses, and phone numbers of your ex-husbands, as well as dates of marriages and divorces?” It was a long shot, but maybe one of them hadn’t been happy that Florence was getting remarried. “Wait a sec. Does everyone know that Lawrence was going to propose to you?”
She reached for a pen. “Yes. He posted on social media when he was at Earl’s Jewelry Store last week. In fact, I have the ring.” She looked up, frown lines digging into her forehead. “I should return the ring so his son can have the money, shouldn’t I?” She drew a box out of her pocket and pushed it across the desk. “It’s the right thing to do?”
I slowly opened the lid and gasped.
She winced. “I know. It’s beautiful. I do love it.”
So did I. The ring was a simple diamond solitaire, and it had to be three karats, easy. The color and clarity were stunning. “Lawrence must’ve been well off,” I said, closing the lid before I was tempted to try on the darn thing.
She gulped. “No, he wasn’t. Well, he had a significant savings, but he spent it all on that ring.”
I leaned away from the box. “All of it?”
