Page 25 of Deadly Avarice
“I can see how that might be true. I think I’ve got the Speedlers on board.”
“They’d be easier given that it’s Thomas’s remains that are buried. They’d want to know that.”
“That’s the angle I approached the situation from. Thomas Speedler didn’t have any close relatives, so there’s not a lot of emotion driving their actions, or financial gain for that matter. Mrs. McMahon is a different matter.”
“There’s also a good possibility Titus McMahon’swidowknows perfectly well that her husband is still alive.” I remembered Pablo Jimenez telling me what sparked the insurance company’s concern to begin with. The late, supposedly grieving, Mrs. McMahon had been seen dating someone who bore a striking resemblance to her deceased husband.
“There is that,” Detective Cardoza agreed.
“And your boss?”
Another grunt. “I’ll deal with him. I’ve got a couple of aces up my sleeve. I just need a few days to put them in play. I’ll get the go-ahead to bring you out this direction again, Necromancer Boone. I promise you that.”
I believed Cardoza’s conviction. “As soon as you do, let me know. I’m happy to help how I can.”
“That’s exceedingly decent of you.”
I thought that was stretching things a bit but didn’t argue.
“Again, this is all new to me. I’m assuming there’s a fee involved.”
“Consider this one a freebie.” There was a chance Detective Cardoza would call for my services in the future and I didn’t want him to think they’dallbe at no charge. No doubt Pops would give me shit for giving this one away. To my mind, I’d already been paid well enough by the insurance company Pablo Jimenez worked for. Besides, spreading a little necromancer good will was never a bad thing.
“That’s…that will make it easier with my boss.” For reasons I didn’t understand, Detective Cardoza sounded uncomfortable.
“I’m all about making life easier for the boys and girls in blue,” I attempted to tease. My levity was either way off or Detective Cardoza didn’t find me as funny as Franklin.
Clearing his throat, Cardoza ended with “I’ll contact you as soon as I have the final okay.”
“Sounds good. Just let me know and I’ll see what I can work into my schedule.” While I wanted to help, I was a busy necromancer and my plate was, thankfully, decently full. I wasn’t a machine. This past year had taught me that. I had limits and pushing them didn’t do my body any favors and, more than that, worried Franklin.
“Thank you, Necromancer Boone.”
I started to tell the good detective that he could call me Erasmus but the line went dead before I could even utter a quick, “bye.”
Staring at the darkening screen, I couldn’t figure out what to make of my conversation with Detective Cardoza. Overall, it had gone well. He was polite, but it was a distant politeness. Maybe that was his typical personality. Maybe he used that tone with everyone. I knew I shouldn’t judge, but past experience made it difficult not to think it had more to do with my species than the detective’s general personality.
“I’m being an idiot,” I huffed. At the end of the day, it didn’t matter what Detective Cardoza or anyone else thought of me personally. Momma, Pops, and Franklin—they were who mattered. They were my core and that core was surrounded by others. I had a buffer zone that consisted of Mrs. Hart, Miss Pattycakes, Captain Cicely along with several of Franklin’s other co-workers, and maybe a djinn. And that was without mentioning Sedrick Voss’s oddball pack just off the coast of Virginia. Sure, they might be miles away, but they still counted.
I thought of my conversation with Tenzen Huxley and found my nose crinkling as my face scrunched. Yeah, I wasn’t ready to place the Director of the Magical Usage Council in theNecromancer Erasmus Boone is a rockstarcategory.
Rubbing my hands over my face, Detective Cardoza’s call sparked another memory. I needed to contact Janet Meeker. She’d left an e-mail requesting my services. I’d had a chance to do a quick dive into Janet Meeker’s request. On the surface, it seemed legitimate. There’d been a fairly recent death in the family. I wasn’t privy to the financial specifics, but at least her story checked out.
Pulling up the contact information, I typed the number into my phone and hit the send button. I halfway expected the callto go to voicemail and was moderately taken aback when Janet answered a hesitant “this is Janet.”
Resting my elbows on my knees, I leaned forward, phone on speaker so I didn’t have to hold it to my ear. “Miss Meeker, this is Necromancer Erasmus Boone. I’m responding to—”
“Oh! Necromancer Boone. Thank the good Lord you called.” Janet’s Southern drawl was thick and oozed from every spoken word.
Uncomfortable with the Lord being thanked for a possible job, I cleared my throat and said, “I appreciate that.” I had no idea if that was the right response, but it was all I could come up with. “I understand there’s some issue with a family member who’s recently deceased.”
“Granddaddy,” Janet immediately answered. “Bless his heart, I loved Granddaddy dearly. We all did, but he wasn’t too keen on lawyers. Granddaddy said they were bloodthirsty sharks.” Janet chuckled. “Granddaddy did one of those online will things.” She tutted before continuing. “Granddaddy underestimated what needed doing.”
“I see,” I answered, although that wasn’t completely true. I got the general gist. Cases like this were my bread and butter. While the individual circumstances varied, the issues were universal. “There’s some debate within the family?”
Janet blew out a stressed breath. “That’s puttin’ it kindly. Granddaddy wouldn’t want this kind of thing splittin’ up the family. Something needs to be done. We need closure and to get that, we need to know what Granddaddy’s wishes really were.”
“That sounds reasonable. Do you have power of attorney?” Most thought someone’s legal power of attorney lasted only until death, but when a necromancer’s involved, death is more of a hazy guideline, not a hard and fast rule.
