Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“What year was that?”
“Nineteen eighty-four. Years later, I want to say ninety-six, the police got a report about a man lying in the middle of River Road, and when they went to check it out, they found Hugh Evans dead in the street.”
“Just a body on the road.”
Quick tip of his head.
“Was he hit by a car?”
“No. The official report in the local paper said he was beaten, then strangled.”
“Holy shit.”
“Indeed.”
“Okay, so who was this Hugh Evans?”
“Well, when they searched his house after his death, the remains of thirteen children were found in his basement.”
“Oh God, I’m sorry.”
“We all were.”
“And one of the kids was Ms. Farley’s daughter?”
“Yes. Libby Farley was the youngest one taken.”
“I could have lived my whole life not hearing that story,” I told him.
“I know, but what I find interesting is that Hugh was a big man, strong, but somehow he winds up dead, in the street.”
“Did the police look for his killer?”
“Oh yes, but eventually the case went cold. And the feeling in the community was that he got what he deserved.”
“Without question,” I agreed.
“But the interesting part I was speaking of was that Oscar Farley, Ada’s brother, came to live with her earlier that same year that Hugh Evans was murdered.”
Wait. “You think what, that Oscar Farley somehow figured out what Evans had done and killed him?”
“I do. And as the years passed, a lot of people thought so too.”
“Was he ever charged?”
He shook his head. “No. And everyone adored Oscar. He was one of those charming, bright, effervescent people who lit up a room. There were always people coming from Portland to the parties he and Ada threw, and they had houseguests who stayed through the winter with them. Every room in the house was filled. It was wild all the way up until Oscar passed in 2012.”
“What happened?”
“A continuous cocktail of alcohol and drugs finally did in his heart and liver. And that horrible pipe of his. Never saw him without it.”
“You said Evans was a big guy. Was Oscar?”
“No, that’s the thing. He was tall but thin, almost delicate, like Ada. I think that’s what always made people think it couldn’t have been him.”
“But Oscar had lots of friends, you said.”
“He did. And as you know, in a rage, people are capable of terrifying things.”
That was true as well. I’d seen it for myself first-hand. “When Oscar was alive, was there a caretaker?”
“Yes, and a housekeeper and several maids.”
“And they all left after he died?”
“That I don’t know. I do know that she’s been alone for years. She hasn’t visited the bank in at least seven years.”
This was crazy. All of it.
“I have concerns about being the only one in charge of this amount of money,” I told him. “I mean, is there an accountant or anyone who oversees where it goes?”
“All you have to do is look at all the withdrawals to know there’s not.”
“I need some names of reputable people from you. Please.”
“Certainly. I’ll email them.”
“Thank you. I’m worried about how many people have been robbing her blind.”
“Many, I would guess. There has been almost ten million taken out in the last year.”
“Jesus.” It was an enormous amount of money. “I’m surprised no one else wanted the caretaker job.”
“I don’t think there’s a job posting anywhere. It’s just the house rental, and there aren’t too many people who want to live in a tiny town on the Oregon coast out in the middle of nowhere. I mean, the closest city to us is Seaside, which is not exactly big.”
“True.”
“Though I doubt anyone would have signed up to be a caretaker either. It’s not an easy job. I suspect you’re in for a rough road.”
I didn’t doubt that for a second. But whatever I was about to get into would keep me busy. And I needed to be busy until I could find my bearings.
“But I’m glad she found you. You seem like an excellent choice.”
He’d known me less than an hour but thought I was swell. I had to wonder if there was something in the air that made everyone so trusting.
“You know,” he continued, “with me suspending all other account holders but you and Ada, I would prepare to be inundated with phone calls and perhaps even visits. People will come out of the woodwork, and your name is first.”
“People will want to talk to Ada.”
“But you see, Ada’s had staff all her life. She’ll defer to your judgment first, and everyone who knows her understands that. There’s no getting around you to her. She’d find that rude.”
This sounded like it was about to be terrible.
“I suspect there will be an onslaught.”
“Great.”
“And of course, that money will rise again with the next deposit.”
“Sorry?”
“Her trust pays her quarterly, and that money, which runs between three and a half to four million, is then deposited into her account.”