Does he have a family?”
Katherine felt her body clench up.
The zoo group began whispering again. “Lester Renfro,” sighed the big man who had hit her elbow. “The only family that’s likely to miss him is Felidae.” The others nodded sadly. Katherine studied their faces. Were they sorry he was dead, or did they just regret the disruption of their schedules? She was torn between listening to them or the director.
“A good question,” answered the director. “Mr. Renfro was an exemplary employee. Devoted to his work. It was his whole life. He had been going to night classes, working on a degree in biology at the University of Texas, so I think a good memorial would be a scholarship fund for keepers who want to pursue higher education. He could have done many more lucrative things, but he chose to be a zookeeper. He was at the Austin zoo for thirty-seven years. He worked with reptiles and small mammals before he became senior keeper of the Phase Two unit, large cats.” The director looked into space for a minute, seemingly in thought. Then he said with genuine conviction, “He really cared. He was an advocate for his animals. Uh, family? Well, he was a divorced man with no close family here, I believe. We were his family. The animals were his family. He died doing what he loved to do.”
“And that’s the truth. Amen,” the thin man with the cratered skin whispered, speaking more to himself than to the others in his group.
The press conference was over. The three men turned their backs and retreated to the director’s office.
Katherine moved away from the door of the men’s room as men began to head in that direction. She tucked her shirt down in back and took a deep breath.
Animals were his family, huh? Well, he does have some family. Right here and planning to inherit whatever it is he had in mind for me and anything else I can get. I came here for financial help and I intend to get it.
Even over his dead body.
5
AS the room cleared out, Katherine tried to think ahead. She supposed she’d have to endure some sort of funereal folderol before she could get down to the money. That could take for bloody ever and she had only twenty-two days before the foreclosure. Was it possible for an estate to get settled in three weeks? Probably not. She’d heard it was a lengthy process.
And, oh my God, what if he hadn’t written it down? What if there was no record of what he intended her to have? She had the letter, of course, but would that count as a legal document? And what about the key and the storage receipt? Should she wait, or go by herself and look?
“Be calm. One thing at a time, Katherine,” she whispered to herself as she approached the secretary’s desk. Right now she needed to identify herself and get on with the process, whatever it was. She pushed her hair behind her ears and cleared her throat. A name plate on the desk said, “Kim Kelly, Assistant to the Director.”
Kim Kelly was engrossed in conversation with the man who’d hit her elbow. Perched on the corner of the desk, he was saying, “But I went to all the trouble of clearing my schedule so I could go along. She may need sedating. I thought he’d want me to go.”
“So would I, Vic, but he said—” She stopped mid-sentence when Katherine cleared her throat for the second time.
“I need to talk to Mr. McElroy, please,” Katherine said.
“You have an appointment?” Kim asked.
“No.”
“He’s in conference right now. I don’t think he’ll be available all day. Do you want to leave him a message?”
“I really need to see him now. I’m Katherine Driscoll, Lester Renfro’s daughter. Would you please tell him that?”
Kim’s round brown eyes got rounder and she shot up out of her chair. “Yes, ma’am, I certainly will.” She walked into the director’s office without knocking, closing the door behind her.
The big man remained propped on the desk, looking steadily at Katherine. His face was dark with
Katherine felt her body clench up.
The zoo group began whispering again. “Lester Renfro,” sighed the big man who had hit her elbow. “The only family that’s likely to miss him is Felidae.” The others nodded sadly. Katherine studied their faces. Were they sorry he was dead, or did they just regret the disruption of their schedules? She was torn between listening to them or the director.
“A good question,” answered the director. “Mr. Renfro was an exemplary employee. Devoted to his work. It was his whole life. He had been going to night classes, working on a degree in biology at the University of Texas, so I think a good memorial would be a scholarship fund for keepers who want to pursue higher education. He could have done many more lucrative things, but he chose to be a zookeeper. He was at the Austin zoo for thirty-seven years. He worked with reptiles and small mammals before he became senior keeper of the Phase Two unit, large cats.” The director looked into space for a minute, seemingly in thought. Then he said with genuine conviction, “He really cared. He was an advocate for his animals. Uh, family? Well, he was a divorced man with no close family here, I believe. We were his family. The animals were his family. He died doing what he loved to do.”
“And that’s the truth. Amen,” the thin man with the cratered skin whispered, speaking more to himself than to the others in his group.
The press conference was over. The three men turned their backs and retreated to the director’s office.
Katherine moved away from the door of the men’s room as men began to head in that direction. She tucked her shirt down in back and took a deep breath.
Animals were his family, huh? Well, he does have some family. Right here and planning to inherit whatever it is he had in mind for me and anything else I can get. I came here for financial help and I intend to get it.
Even over his dead body.
5
AS the room cleared out, Katherine tried to think ahead. She supposed she’d have to endure some sort of funereal folderol before she could get down to the money. That could take for bloody ever and she had only twenty-two days before the foreclosure. Was it possible for an estate to get settled in three weeks? Probably not. She’d heard it was a lengthy process.
And, oh my God, what if he hadn’t written it down? What if there was no record of what he intended her to have? She had the letter, of course, but would that count as a legal document? And what about the key and the storage receipt? Should she wait, or go by herself and look?
“Be calm. One thing at a time, Katherine,” she whispered to herself as she approached the secretary’s desk. Right now she needed to identify herself and get on with the process, whatever it was. She pushed her hair behind her ears and cleared her throat. A name plate on the desk said, “Kim Kelly, Assistant to the Director.”
Kim Kelly was engrossed in conversation with the man who’d hit her elbow. Perched on the corner of the desk, he was saying, “But I went to all the trouble of clearing my schedule so I could go along. She may need sedating. I thought he’d want me to go.”
“So would I, Vic, but he said—” She stopped mid-sentence when Katherine cleared her throat for the second time.
“I need to talk to Mr. McElroy, please,” Katherine said.
“You have an appointment?” Kim asked.
“No.”
“He’s in conference right now. I don’t think he’ll be available all day. Do you want to leave him a message?”
“I really need to see him now. I’m Katherine Driscoll, Lester Renfro’s daughter. Would you please tell him that?”
Kim’s round brown eyes got rounder and she shot up out of her chair. “Yes, ma’am, I certainly will.” She walked into the director’s office without knocking, closing the door behind her.
The big man remained propped on the desk, looking steadily at Katherine. His face was dark with
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