Page 35 of Smokescreen

Reid pulled them out of his leather briefcase and set them on the wooden desk.

“You’re going to have to give me a minute to review these,” Wayne said as he pulled out some black reading glasses and perched them on the end of his nose. “My apologies if it seems slow, but I’ll need to compare this document with the original we have on file.”

He pointed to another thick stack of papers already on his desk. The original will, Olive assumed.

“Take all the time you need,” Reid assured him.

Wayne began to scour the documents. As he did, Reid and Olive remained quiet, letting him concentrate.

But Olive was anxious to hear his thoughts.

Wayne let out a few grunts as he turned the pages. His eyebrows rose a couple of times. He jotted several notes on his notepad.

Finally, fifteen minutes later, Wayne closed the packet and looked up at them. “Well, isn’t this interesting?”

“Please, don’t keep me in suspense any longer.” Reid shifted in his seat. “Tell me this is all a fraud and I have nothing to be worried about.”

Wayne’s face tightened instead of offering reassurance. “I wish I could do that. I really do.”

The muscles constricted across Olive’s back.

That was the last thing she’d expected him to say, and it meant bad news was coming.

CHAPTER 15

“In cases like this, we try to verify signatures and seals, examine formatting and language, and we look for a certain level of quality,” Wayne began as he pulled off his reading glasses and set them on the desk. “I’ve been comparing this document to the original we have on file from your father, the one my father drew up for him nearly ten years ago.”

“And?” Reid asked.

“And the will itself is very similar, only with a few changes—including adding Lucy as a beneficiary. According to this, your father bequeathed her five hundred acres on the eastern side of the property.”

“But my father wouldn’t have done that.” Reid’s voice rose slightly.

“You and I know that, but others might not.” Wayne let out a sigh. “If my father was still around, of course he could refute it. The fact he’s not with us anymore only makes this more complicated.”

“Couldn’t Lucy have taken the original will and made changes to it that would look legitimate?” Olive asked.

“Possibly.”

“What about the law firm on the letterhead?” Olive continued. “Have you heard of them?”

“Radcliffe, Johnson, and Pearson?” Wayne stared at the names across the top of the paper. “I can’t say I have. But I’ll do some research and see what I can find out about them.”

“She could have faked the letterhead,” Olive said. “People who like to con others are good at faking documents.”

Wayne frowned again. “I agree. But the seal on this document appears legitimate. In fact, it looks convincing enough that Lucy might have a case to take you to probate court.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Reid muttered.

“I wish I was. You and I both know your dad would never leave anything to Lucy Bondurant. He’d rather burn the whole ranch down before he let that woman get her hands on it. But someone unfamiliar with the situation might find these documents believable.”

Reid closed his eyes and let out a breath before pulling himself back together. His gaze zeroed in on Wayne. “If that’s the case, will people think I manipulated the will to make it seem like Lucy wasn’t included?”

A frown flickered across Wayne’s face. “I’d like to think not, but it’s hard to predict these things. If you don’t mind, I’d like to keep this copy and do more research. If this document has been fabricated, then you’ll have a case for fraud. So this could go a lot of different directions.”

“It sounds like it.” Reid frowned and shifted in his seat. “What do I do in the meantime?”

“Just sit tight. I’ll work on this today because I know you’re anxious to get some answers.”