The Ghost Who Wanted Revenge (Haunting Danielle Book 4) by Bobbi Holmes Page B

question, did Isabella put Earthbound Spirits in her will as she said—or was she just telling us what we wanted to hear, while trying to annoy her uncle. I much prefer doing it this way, instead of creating our own forgery.”
    While comparing the two documents, Peter sighed. “Earthbound Spirits was obviously the beneficiary, if only for a brief time. I was rather hoping Stoddard’s will was a forgery.”
    “None of that matters, as long as we have this one!” Cleve said excitedly. “This is the original. We know Stoddard’s is nothing but a photocopy—which we can easily argue was forged.”
    “I suppose this is my fault, having to do it this way.” Peter wearily shook his head. “I should have realized I was pushing her too hard.”
    “It wasn’t as if you asked more of Isabella than any other member,” Cleve argued.
    “But the pressure alienated her from us, and that didn’t have to happen. Had I only known she was telling the truth I could have eased off. Then maybe she would have never changed her will back, leaving everything to her uncle.”
    “I disagree. You didn’t do anything wrong. Isabella was always more difficult than the others. Treating her differently would have set a bad example.”
    “True, Cleve. But at one time, she was one of the more dedicated members.”
    “It really doesn’t matter now. Isabella is gone, we have both wills, and Stoddard is dead.”
    “And with him gone, easier for us to cry forgery when we hand over Isabella’s will, leaving us her estate. And considering what Stoddard did to that woman, trying to pass her off as Isabella, shouldn’t be too hard to convince the court this was just another one of his cons.”
    “This is going to work.” Cleve smiled with satisfaction. “If Isabella knew what her uncle was capable of doing, she’d thank us for setting this right.”
    “I feel better about it now, now that you have both originals. And you’re sure all other copies have been destroyed?” Peter asked.
    “Positive.” Cleve sat in a chair facing Peter.
    “Clarence won’t be a problem.” Peter set the documents on the desk and looked at Cleve. “But what about that woman who worked for him—Gloria Comings—wasn’t that her name?”
    “Yes, but she moved from the area. Considering what we have, there’s no reason for anyone to track her down.”
    “All I have left to do is finalize things with Darlene.” Peter leaned across the desk and pushed one of the wills toward Cleve. “Shred it. I don’t want anyone coming across this.”
    With a nod, Cleve stood up and took the document. He glanced at it briefly, making sure it was the newer will, the one leaving Isabella’s estate to her uncle. He smiled and then walked over to the paper shredder.
    “I’d like you to put it in probate tomorrow.” Peter said. “But wait until you hear from me, and we know everything is set with Darlene.”
    “Sure.”
    Peter studied the will leaving Isabella’s estate to Earthbound Spirits as Cleve fed the other document through the paper shredder. “There is one thing that’s still bothering me. We all know Stoddard assumed Earthbound Spirits stood to inherit Isabella’s fortune—that’s why he took that woman. I can’t believe he just stumbled across Isabella’s current will in his files. Someone had to have told him where to find it.”
    “I suppose we need to be prepared for that possibility—one of Isabella’s friends coming forward with a story about how Isabella told her—or him—that she’d changed her will back and put a copy of the revised document in her uncle’s file cabinet.”
    “One way to handle it, we’ll show there was a bribe—a payoff,” Peter suggested. “If someone comes forward. There is a lot of money at stake.”
    “I suppose it wouldn’t be too hard to discredit one of Isabella’s friends—if one does come forward. But from what I understand, she lost touch with most of her old friends when she got involved with