LOWCOUNTRY BOOK CLUB by Susan M. Boyer

Thomas?”
    â€œ She wasn’t close to him. He’s all about power, position, money. He lives in San Francisco. Hasn’t been home in years. Until the funeral.”
    â€œ Are the family financial arrangements such that he would benefit from Shelby’s death?”
    â€œ No. They both have trusts. Shelby and I jointly owned hers. I’m the only one who benefits financially.”
    â€œ Who established the trusts originally?”
    â€œ Shelby’s parents. Hers was modified after we were married.”
    â€œ What about their estate?”
    He took a long swig of coffee, then set his mug down, raised an eyebrow. “They’re both in good health. But when they pass, a chunk of the estate goes to various charities. The remainder is owned by a trust. Shelby and Thomas were beneficiaries. But Shelby’s share…I don’t see that going to Thomas. They’ll probably divert that to charities important to Shelby—One80Place. The church. Charleston Library Society. Animal Rescue.”
    â€œ Any other family?”
    â€œ Shelby’s grandparents are at Bishop Gadsden retirement home—her mom’s parents. Her dad’s parents passed five years ago.”
    â€œ That’s it?”
    â€œ She has a few cousins in Atlanta. Aunts, uncles. But they don’t stay in touch.”
    â€œ None of them ever asked her for money?” Family that didn’t stay in touch might reach out if they needed something.
    â€œ They all have plenty of their own.”
    â€œThere are no deep dark family secrets? I’m not going to find out that Shelby had a dramatic childhood incident with an uncle—nothing like that?”
    â€œOh God, no.”
    â€œSo in your opinion, no one in Shelby’s family had a motive to kill her?”
    â€œI’d bet my life on it.”
    I looked at him for a long time. I didn’t have to tell him that was exactly what he was doing. “ What about your family?” I’d already profiled Clint and his family. But I wanted to hear what he had to say.
    â€œ What about them?” He took a long drink of coffee.
    â€œ Are they still in California?”
    â€œ My parents are. I have a brother, Cliff. He’s stationed at Fort Benning.”
    â€œ Are the two of you close?”
    â€œ Yeah. He has a wife and two daughters. They were all crazy about Shelby.”
    â€œ Did you see them at Christmas?”
    â€œ They were here for a week. Santa came here to see the kids.”
    â€œ You didn’t see your parents during the holidays, neither you nor your brother?” I asked.
    â€œ No. ” His face went hard. “ Shelby made damn sure my parents were taken care of. Against my wishes. But they aren’t much on family.” Clint’ s parents , Bill and Brenda Gerhardt, had both been to prison on drug-related charges. He and his brother had been in and out of foster care growing up. I knew this. It was in the file.
    â€œ Any chance they would show up here looking to be taken care of better?”
    He was quiet for a long moment. “ I wouldn’t rule it out.”
    â€œ What about friends?”
    â€œ Shelby’s best friend is—was—Jane Kinloch.”
    â€œ Kinloch? She married to Charles Kinloch?”
    â€œ That’s right.” He looked away.
    â€œ Any idea where Paul Baker got the idea Shelby was having an affair with Charles ? ”
    â€œThat would’ve been me.” A pained look crept across his face. “ They had coffee together a lot. And he had a way of watching her I didn’t care for. We had dinner with them about once a week.”
    â€œ He was in London when Shelby died. If he had anything to do with it, he would’ve had to’ve had an accomplice or hired it out. That doesn’t feel right to me. Do you disagree? Is there any reason I should give him a closer look?”
    â€œ No more or less than anyone else we