Page 10 of Lorna's Savior
“Mr. Ball, welcome to my home. Thank you for coming.”
“Like I had a choice,” Andy said, and received a laugh in return.
“That’s why I hired you, Ball. You don’t mince your words. Please, have a seat and we’ll get started. Coffee?”
“Please,” Andy said as he took the offered seat across from the enormous desk. A maid poured them both a coffee, then quickly left, closing the door behind her as she left.
“I’m going to get right to the point, Mr. Ball. I’m a bastard when it comes to business. If you’ve done any research on me, since I hired you, you’ll know that I don’t mince my words, and I don’t apologize for anything I do.”
When he paused, Andy nodded. “Yes, I realized that. What do you need me to do?”
“I called you here to my home, because what I need to discuss with you is of a personal nature. My work has nothing to do with this matter. As you know my name is Marvin Hepplewaite. You may call me Marvin, or H, or even Mr. H. I don’t mind.” He paused to sip his coffee, draw in a deep breath, and let out slowly. “Almost thirty years ago, I was married. I was thirty-two at the time. I thought I had finally met the love of my life, until I found out she’d only married me for my money. I don’t think I have to tell you, Mr. Ball, that I’m rich. Very, very rich.”
“I’ve found that in my research.”
“Good. My marriage only lasted for a little over two years. A child was born of that union.”
“I did not know that.”
“Like I said, my private life is private. Everything you’ve found about me is my business life, or my charity work. Nothing private. The child was born two months after I moved out. Because my ex had cheated on me, I demanded a DNA test. She is my daughter. Due to the reason my leaving the marriage, infidelity on Kristen’s part, she was angry enough to deny me the right to see my child. I have never laid eyes on her. Hell,” Marvin paused, and scrubbed his face hard. “I don’t even know her name.”
“Okay, but I don’t understand what you’re trying to have me do.”
“Here is a copy of my divorce papers. At the time, I had a ruthless lawyer that was cutthroat. So was Kristen’s. Take this copy and study it, intently. Bottom line, I need to know if Kristen’s ever done anything she wasn’t supposed to because of the divorce.”
“Like? Can you nutshell it for me until I can read it?”
“Yes, because of my child, I pay the mortgage on the house they live in. I also pay the salaries for her household staff, as well as give her alimony of twenty-five thousand dollars a month. Living expenses, so she didn’t have to work while the child was young.”
Andy whistled long and loud. “That was generous of you.”
“No, it was stupid, but I still loved her back then. However, according to the divorce, if Kristen ever remarried, then everything stopped. No mortgage payments, no staff, no money. She’d have to get a job and live her own life, with her own money.”
“Okay, so what? You want me to see if she’d ever married again?”
“Yes, but…” he paused and drew in another deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Around the time my daughter would have been four years old, she was in some sort of accident. Kristen didn’t say anything until after the fact, but she was severely injured. To the point that she has to have extensive physiological, as well as physical rehabilitation therapy. I pay for that, as well as depositing fifty thousand dollars a month into a private account for her upkeep. Because my life is private, I’m trusting an outsider—you—to investigate the terms of my divorce, and the current condition of my daughter. Every time I ask for an update, I feel Kristen, and her lawyer are giving me the runaround. Though I do have receipts for the help my daughter receives.” Marvin pushed the folder in front of him toward Andy.
“Everything you need is there. The divorce papers, the receipts, the bank accounts. Everything there is based on what Kristen’s told me. I hired a private investigator years ago, but I think she got to him, because he told me everything was fine, and I never heard from him again.”
“Okay, are we looking at a timeline here?”
“Before the end of the year. That gives you seven months. I’ll pay you twenty-five hundred dollars a day for expenses. If you need anything, let me know.” Marvin nodded and stood, ending the conversation. Andy stood, and held out his hand.
“I’ll keep you abreast of what I find.”
“Good, however, this is my personal cell phone. Only six people have this number. Contact me on this, not here, nor at my office.”
Andy took the small piece of paper and programmed the number into his phone, before leaving the paper behind. After leaving, Andy went to his truck, then drove back to his apartment. The first thing he did after returning was to make a fresh pot of coffee, then he went to his office and started working. Several hours later, he leaned back and shook his head.
“Damn,” Andy tossed his pen on his desk, and shook his head. “What a clusterfuck.” He stood to pace, trying to wrap his head around the daunting task he had ahead of him. After fixing himself a sandwich for lunch, he went out on his deck and took in the sun as he ate, letting his mind flit around on what he needed to take as the next step. Instead of thinking about that, he had a flash of what happened the previous Friday night after he’d left his friend and that stuck-up woman at the bar. Never in all his life had he ever picked up a woman like he had Friday night. With a smile on his face, he remembered all that had occurred. Then, he remembered how he’d woken to an empty bed, with only a thank-you note. Thinking of how much he wanted to meet her again, he laid his head back, and dreamed of what he would do when they met again. He didn’t know he had dozed off, until he heard activity coming from the previously empty apartment next to him. Not wanting to be sociable, he gathered his things and hurried into his apartment, closing his sliding door when the one next door opened. After looking at the clock, he realized he’d wasted most of the afternoon, so he made himself supper, and after he ate, he went back into his office and returned to work. It was midnight when he came up for air again. After taking a shower, he called it a night, only to get up at six the next morning to start all over again.
Andy spent the entire week going over the papers Marvin had given him, on Friday, he was no closer to finding any answers. He realized he would have to pay Kristen Hepplewaite a visit. Deciding to table that thought for now, he went out onto his patio and enjoyed the late day sun. He looked over when his new neighbor came out and he stared in shock.
“Hello!” he called, and grinned when the woman jerked, and stared at him.
“Holy monk balls, what are you doing here?”
“I live here.” Andy grinned as he pointed over his shoulder to his apartment. I have for the last five years. You?”
