Page 39 of Cause of Action

“No, thank you.”

“What is this evidence you supposedly found?” he asked.

“Unfortunately, I can’t tell you that just yet. We’re not even sure if it’s enough to get the judge to grant your son a new trial.”

“How is Theodore paying Mr. Hamilton? I’ve cut him off and drained his savings account to pay our lawyer, who handled the case. He has put this family to shame.”

“Mr. Hamilton took it on pro bono. Can you tell me about your son’s issues growing up?”

“They all started after my wife passed.”

“I’m sorry for your loss. How old was Theo when she died?”

“He was ten, and they were very close. He was never the same since he found her. He was always so angry and lashing out at anyone who looked his way. He started stealing and was arrested a couple of times for assault and battery. He was always in fights and getting suspended from school. The judge ordered him to seek therapy and attend anger management classes, which he did. When he turned eighteen, he seemed to have calmed down and got himself straightened out. He went to college, earned a degree, met Grace, and was on track to become my new V.P. of the company.”

“Did you know that Grace was cheating on him?”

“No. I had no idea.”

“You said the night of the murder that your other son Gregory was here with you, having dinner. Correct?”

“Yes. He was here. We were going over some real estatereports. Then I fell asleep, and when I woke up, I was on the couch, and Gregory was sitting in the chair across from me.”

“You fell asleep?” I cocked my head.

“Yeah. I guess I dozed off at the table. Gregory said he lifted me from the chair, took me to the couch, and cleaned up dinner.”

“There was no staff in the home at the time?”

“No. They had all gone home for the day.”

“How long were you out for?”

“A least three hours. Gregory said he didn’t have the heart to wake me.”

“You mentioned that Theo was the one who found his mother’s body. May I ask how she passed?”

“She overdosed on sleeping pills.” He looked down. “It was a very trying time for our family. There wasn’t a single instance I could recall that my wife had suicidal thoughts. She wasn’t depressed, angry, or anything. She was always a happy person. Whenever I’d come home after a stressful day, all she had to do was smile, and I’d forget about it all. There was absolutely no reason why she would commit suicide. And she didn’t even take the pills that often. Only when she couldn’t sleep.”

“She didn’t leave a letter?”

“No, she didn’t.”

“How was the relationship between her and Gregory?”

“It was fine. But something about Theo gripped her heart a little more. I knew it, and so did Gregory. He always tried to divert her attention away from Theo. The thought had crossed my mind that Gregory sometimes was jealous of Theo. I’m sorry, Morgan, but I don’t understand why you’re asking me about Gregory.”

“I only asked because Theo mentioned that Gregory hasn’t visited him since his incarceration.”

“He’s as ashamed as I am. I know this is terrible, but sometimes I wish we never would have adopted Theo.”

“But you said you were giving the V.P. position to him before Grace was murdered.”

“Yes. At the time, he deserved it. He was a damn good agent. He has a knack with people. He could sell a run-down shed for double the price. Do you really think he’s innocent? That he was telling the truth this whole time?”

“I do.”

He ran his hand down his face and sighed. “Then who murdered that poor girl?”

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