“I’m being sued!”

Katelyn looked up as the distressed woman burst through the door, looking so different from when she had first met her. Leaping up from her desk, she rushed over. “Eleanor, what do you mean? Who’s suing you?”

“That, that, that…oh, my God!” Bursting into tears, she plopped down in one of the chairs.

Katelyn hurried, “Let me get you some water,” and rushed to the back, slamming into Gareth as he came out of his office.

His hands grabbed her shoulders to keep her from landing on her ass. Bending to look at her face, he said, “What’s wrong? Who’s out there?”

“Shhh,” she whispered. “It’s Eleanor and she’s crying. She says she’s being sued.”

Rearing back, he repeated, “Sued? By who?”

Shrugging, she replied, “I don’t know. We didn’t get that far. I’m going to get her a water from the fridge and then let’s bring her back to the conference room.”

Nodding, he headed back into his office to grab his laptop as Katelyn went to get Eleanor. Once settled, Gareth asked, “Eleanor, what’s happening? Katelyn said you are being sued?”

Eleanor took a sip of the water and dug a tissue from her purse. Wiping her tears, she said, “I know you can’t do anything, but I just needed to tell someone. It’s all so awful…it’s not like I haven’t been through enough, and now this.” Sniffing, she lifted her head and said, “I got a summons this morning. I’m being sued by Carrie Reynolds for a percentage of Walter’s estate.”

Gareth and Katelyn looked at each other, shock registering on both their faces. “But…but why would his receptionist sue?”

Anger laced through her voice as Eleanor said, “Because she claims to be not just his receptionist…but his daughter!”

* * *

As soon as Eleanor left, Gareth called Mitch. “Are you available? Eleanor Berry was just here and her new information may impact your murder investigation.”

Nodding to Katelyn, he said, “Lock up. We’re going to the police station.”

“You want me to go too?” she asked in surprise.

“Yeah…I want your input as well.”

Inwardly pleased, she grabbed her notes and within five minutes they entered the police station. Mildred Score, the station’s indomitable receptionist and dispatcher, waved them back and they entered the work room, seeing Mitch, Grant, and Ginny already inside.

“Burt and Sam are out on patrol, but we wanted to hear your news as soon as possible,” Mitch said, as he indicated for Gareth and Katelyn to sit.

“Carrie Reynolds, the young receptionist at Walter Berry’s accounting firm, is suing Eleanor for a percentage of his estate, claiming that he is her father.”

At that statement, the three officers looked as shocked as Gareth and Katelyn had when Eleanor told them.

“Daughter?” Grant repeated as though he heard wrong.

Nodding, Gareth replied, “Yes. She claims she is Walter Berry’s daughter from a previous relationship between her mother and him almost twenty-one years ago.”

Rubbing his hand over his face, Mitch leaned forward, his eyebrows lowered. “Eleanor had no idea?”

“No, this came as a complete shock to her. She’s upset…it obviously happened a long time ago, but they were married at the time, so it means he had an affair. She doesn’t understand why he would have kept this from her.”

“But he must have kept it a secret from the others at work as well, because they would have certainly mentioned it,” Katelyn supposed aloud.

“How might this information fit into the murder investigation?”

Gareth rubbed his chin, “I don’t know, but I’d like to interview her—“

“And her mother,” Katelyn interrupted, gaining the attention of the others. Looking at Gareth, she said, “She was crying at the funeral and now we know it was for a man she was once intimate with…had a child with. Who knows what other underlying emotions are there? Anger, rejection…even greed.”

The group simultaneously leaned back in their chairs, the implication hitting all of them. Mitch appeared thoughtful as he said, “I need to talk to both of them but,” he looked across the table and added, “Katelyn, I want your input as well.”

Unable to hold back her grin, Katelyn glanced over to Gareth, pleased at his smile as well. “Can we talk to them separate from you? After all, Gareth and I have no authority over them so we don’t present a threat.”

“That could be a good idea,” Ginny piped up. “They might get more out of them initially. As soon as we start questioning, they could lawyer-up.”

Mitch agreed and, with a nod, said, “Okay. Do it today and get back with me. If they have cause, I want to know about it.”

* * *

“This is getting real, isn’t it?”

Gareth looked over at Katelyn, seeing the tension lines on her forehead. Uncertain what she meant, he waited to see what would follow. He had already learned that she needed time on her own to process what was on her mind. Then, and only then, was she ready to talk about it.

After a moment of comfortable silence, she added, “What we’re doing matters…it can affect lives.”

Another moment of comfortable silence followed. “At first, I was just excited to be looking for clues as to where Walter might be, thinking he might be with another woman. I like Eleanor and didn’t want to hurt her, but I got caught up in the thrill of the search. Then, when he turned up dead, I realized how serious it all is.”

Turning in her seat to face him, she said, “This isn’t just trying to fit some clues together…this deals with people’s lives…their hearts.”

Reaching across the console, he laid his hand, palm up, on her thigh. She immediately placed hers in his, linking their fingers and clutching tightly.

Responding, he said, “Remember that we are not going in accusing anyone of anything. We’re simply on a fact-finding mission, still working for Eleanor right now. We don’t determine the outcome, or what has happened in the past.”

Sighing heavily, she nodded, her mind still in turmoil as she watched the gulls flying over the bay bridge.

* * *

“Come in. I would say welcome, but I’m not sure that’s appropriate.”

With that curious greeting by Cindy Reynolds, Gareth and Katelyn walked into the Reynolds’ home and immediately viewed Carrie and her father standing in the comfortable living room. Once introductions were out of the way, they all sat, each observing the others.

Katelyn noted Carrie’s pale face and her hands continually clasping and unclasping in her lap. Her face was pinched, her eyes darting frequently over to her mother. Jerry Reynolds sat comfortably by his wife’s side, his arm draped around her shoulders as Cindy sat ramrod straight, her tight-lipped expression matching her daughter’s. Cindy’s blonde hair was perfectly coiffed, in contrast to Carrie’s, which was in a ponytail. A quick glance around the room showed family pictures of the three of them over many years.

Gareth began, “For disclosure purposes, my client has given me permission to give her name. We are working for Eleanor Berry and she has now been served with papers claiming Carrie is Walter Berry’s daughter. We’re here just to find out more facts, if you will talk to us.”

“Mr. Harrison, I have nothing to hide—”

“Hmph,” Carrie snorted. The others looked over at her, but she remained silent.

Cindy proceeded again, “I now have no reason to hide, and will answer your questions.”

Nodding slowly, Gareth offered a slight smile before beginning. “If you don’t mind, can you tell us, in your own words, how the paternity claim has come about?”

“It’s quite simple, actually. I met Walter at a business dinner when I was a senior in college. We had a relationship that lasted for a few months. He never told me he was married and I was naïve enough to not consider it. When I graduated, I was offered an internship and since we were not a formal couple, it was easy to leave and move to California at that time. I was already there when I realized I was pregnant.”

“And you never told him?”

Plucking an imaginary piece of fluff off her pants, Cindy blushed slightly before looking back up. “Quite frankly, I was not in love with Walter. He was not a man I saw myself marrying. Oh, he was quite charming and was truly a good man…just not what I wanted.” Shrugging, she said, “I was young and decided to have my baby on my own. I was offered a job back here in Virginia after the internship, but never ran into him again.”

Katelyn saw Jerry smile slightly as he rubbed Cindy’s shoulder, before she continued. “Carrie was only two when I met Jerry and fell in love. He loved Carrie as his own and together we became a family. He’s been the only father she’s ever known.”

Gareth took in Carrie’s knitted brow and decided not to ask her any questions until he had more information. Looks like she’s struggling to deal with all the new information.

Turning back to Cindy, he asked, “So what made you decide to let Walter know…I’m assuming you let him know?”

Nodding slowly, Cindy replied, “About a year ago, I was out with Carrie having lunch and a man walked over. I looked up and, to my surprise, it was Walter. He had recognized me and when I introduced Carrie as my daughter, I could tell that he immediately made the connection.” Lifting her shoulders slightly, she offered, “She looks like his side of the family.”

Silence settled on the group for a moment before Cindy continued. “He called me the next day…I wasn’t surprised. He of course wanted to know everything, but I didn’t want to have the conversation over the phone. I told Jerry and he agreed that I needed to be truthful. So, I arranged to meet Walter.”

Carrie heaved a sigh and Katelyn’s gaze jumped back to the young woman, her heart full of sympathy for how Carrie’s world had changed in the last few days.

Cindy’s eyes fell on her daughter and a look of sadness crossed her face. “Looking back, I should have told Carrie all along about her real father…but, to be honest, Jerry has been her real father. When I met with Walter, I did tell him about Carrie and, contrary to what you might believe, he was not angry about not knowing. Well, at first he was, but then he accepted it. Walter was a very pragmatic person. He even told me that he and his wife were unable to have children, so he said that he would like to help Carrie. She was still in college and he said his office needed a receptionist and he would help with college costs.”

“Your news came as quite a shock to his wife,” Gareth commented. “He did not tell her about his daughter.”

“Sounds like I was just everyone’s big ol’ secret,” Carrie bit out, her anger palpable.

Looking at her, Cindy explained, “Walter said his wife was unable to have children and he did not want to upset her.”

“So, he gives Carrie a job and this gives him the opportunity to have a relationship with his daughter in a professional setting. What about now? What about the lawsuit?”

Pinching her lips, Cindy said, “Walter and I met several times over the past year—”

“Did you meet at a hotel?” Katelyn interrupted.

“Uh...no,” Cindy stammered, blushing as her eyes cut over to her husband.

Gareth prompted, “Please continue about the lawsuit.”

“Walter told me that he wanted to make sure that Cindy would be taken care of. I assumed he meant in his will. I never asked him directly, but that was my assumption…and my mistake. When he died, I kept waiting to hear from their attorney. When I didn’t, I had my lawyer check and found out that Carrie wasn’t mentioned at all.”

Silence again lay over the group making Katelyn wiggle slightly, as though underneath an itchy blanket. Finally, leaning forward, she asked, “But why now? You’ve gone all these years without Carrie knowing about her real father…without his financial support. Why rock the boat now?”

“Because the fact of the matter is that he came into her life and he was her biological father. We did a DNA test, just in case we needed it, but he was so good to her that I never needed it. But now? He died and there is no mention of his daughter at all. I talked to Jerry and we decided that for Carrie’s sake and for her future to be financially secure, we needed to proceed.”

Turning to Carrie, Katelyn said softly, “Carrie, up till now, your mom’s been answering the questions, but let’s face it—you’re an adult. What’s your stance in all of this?”

Sighing, sounding more sad than angry, Carrie replied, “I’m having a hard time with all of this. In the last week, I’ve lost my…boss, who I adored, only to find out he was, in truth, my father. And now, I’m suing his wife, who’s completely innocent in all this mess, for money. It makes me feel…somehow dirty.” She looked up at Katelyn and added, “But then, I’m his daughter. I’d like to be treated as such and since he knew I was, then why didn’t he provide for me?”

Not answering her rhetorical question, Gareth glanced at Katelyn before saying, “We thank you for your candor. I’m sure the Baytown Police will be interviewing you as well, but I’ll be reporting back to Eleanor Berry.”

As Gareth and Katelyn walked out, Carrie grabbed her purse and said, “I’m leaving now also, Mom. I’m meeting Ed for dinner,” and hustled out the door. Once outside, she jogged over to Gareth’s vehicle. “I know this all makes me look like a selfish bitch. I really do feel sorry for Mrs. Berry…she’s just as innocent in this mess as I am.” With that, she walked briskly to her car.

Climbing into his SUV, Katelyn looked over and said, “Wow. Just wow. I don’t even know what to think right now.”

Gareth’s gaze drifted to the side of the driveway near the back yard where he noted a boat sitting on a trailer parked next to the garage.

Cindy and Jerry stood together at the living room window and watched the vehicles pull out of their driveway.

“Do you think that went well?” Cindy asked her husband. A shoulder squeeze was his only reply.