Page 50 of Murder on Charity Lane

“Aha!” Mrs. B said.

“—but I’m not getting enough for her to care about. A hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, which is nothing to Karina.”

“That’s a pretty specific amount,” Ocean said.

CJ wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, Frank wanted to leave me a quarter million, Karina wanted to leave me nothing. They compromised.”

“She told you that?”

“I didn’t mind. He didn’t need to leave me anything, you know? He didn’t owe me. I owed him. He took care of me for a lot of years, then I took care of him.”

Mrs. B asked, “Are you sure about the size of your bequest?”

“I dealt with the estate lawyers, I’ve seen the will. It’s not a secret. Frank wasn’t secretive about that kind of thing.”

“Who else got money?” Ocean asked.

“The rest of the staff. A few distant family members, but the overwhelming balance went to Karina.”

“What about his philanthropic giving?”

CJ’s mouth turned down. “That wasn’t his finest moment. He didn’t leave anything to nonprofits. He just included language asking Karina to treat them generously.”

“Why not give them the money himself?”

“Because he didn’t want to be controlling from beyond the grave. Even though I encouraged him to. What could be more fun than crazy demands in your will? I guess he dug his heels in with me, that time.” She smiled at the memory. “He didn’t make any demands in the will, just suggestions. The money is Karina’s to spend however she wants.”

Ocean didn’t understand estates and trusts, so she texted Lily-Ann and Hamilton to look into them while Mrs. B asked, “Was it normal for Frank to go upstairs before the party was over?”

“Inevitable. He’d say goodbye, then leave Karina to see the guests out.”

Mrs. B set her tea on the saucer. “And did anything unusual happen during the party?”

“Not that I noticed. Jane bragged about meeting the Dalai Lama, Karina bragged about her mad bocce skills. Helene ate twice her weight in finger foods, and George talked about a novel I’ve never heard of.”

“So was it just you and Frank upstairs when he fell?” Ocean asked.

“Karina, too.” CJ’s eyes glimmered with tears. “I was sticking close because he’s been so weak lately. She rushed to join us. She didn’t like when people saw me taking care of him.”

“Then there was a crash?”

“A wine bottle rolled off the bar. I mean, a liquor bottle. And everyone looked, including Frank.” CJ fell silent, her gaze growing distant. “That’s why he slipped. I reached for him and he fell. I know Karina is grieving, and this isn’t about me, but she didn’t need to kick me out. I guess I hoped we could put aside our differences, but she blames me for his death.”

She started to cry, then shook her head as if to deny she was crying. Ocean took her hand and Mrs. B said, “Well, we’re happy to welcome you to the Marigold Cottages. Do you have a place to stay tonight?”

“A hotel room. There’s no rush, I’m okay for a few days.”

As Mrs. B demanded that CJ move in the next day, Ocean texted the group chat:

Ocean

Mrs. B just invited the prime suspect to live with us

Lily-Ann

I should have anticipated that.

Hamilton