A/N Thanks for all your reviews and favorites/follows. Scotchsista - It wasn't that Olivia didn't think that the other agencies were looking, she just knows that her team is very good at pulling together that kind of information and wanted to help. The faster they can get it the better. She just gave the information they found and hoped it helped. It could have turned out that they already knew about that particular suspect, but it didn't. There was a lot of footage to go through.

Why are you all hatin' on the poor SOD lol?

Chapter 38 – Posthumously Yours

Olivia grabbed her cell phone and answered. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Warner, I had to help out with the bombing situation and I was indisposed."

Edward sighed. "I understand. Can you meet me now?"

"I'm on my way," she said ending the call.

Hal took Olivia back to her office and then she ran upstairs and grabbed her purse and car keys, and then drove to the attorney's office.

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIi

"Please, have a seat," he said motioning to a chair.

Olivia sat and waited, suddenly feeling a little nervous.

"As you know, Verna was not married at the time of her death and she had no children. The rest of her family is deceased. So, there are no heirs to her estate."

"So, what does that have to do with me?"

Edward took a moment to study the woman in front of her. He would kill to know what Verna had on her. "First, I need you to watch this video," he said holding up a DVD.

Olivia stood. "I'm sorry, but I will not sit here and listen to her going on and on about the past, or being angry over losing her job."

"Ms. Pope, please sit down," Edward said firmly. Verna had warned him that she might be agitated. "I am trying to do my job. It was her last wish and I am required to show you this video and have you sign a piece of paper that you did in order for me to get paid."

"I'll sign the damn paper, but I want no part of this," Olivia said defiantly.

"Please. Just do this and we can finish up and you'll be on your way. It took her two hours to make the recording, by the way. Can you at least listen to it?"

Olivia just stared at him.

"Please. To say Verna was a difficult client is putting it mildly. I will be just as glad as you to be done with all of this and maybe I can actually take a freaking vacation. I forget what my wife looks like," he said throwing his glasses onto the desk.

"She was blackmailing you too wasn't she?" Olivia asked curiously.

"I decline to answer that," Edward said putting his glasses back on.

Olivia sat back and crossed her arms. "Fine. As one blackmailee to another, I will watch it and sign your paper and then leave."

James breathed deeply. "Thank you."

He put the DVD into the laptop and then turned it around for Olivia to view.

It was clear that it was taken right before her death. She had on an oxygen mask and was having issues breathing.

"Olivia, if you are watching this than I have passed away. I know you're probably happy about that, but I couldn't die without knowing that you would hear what I have to say," Verna sucked in some oxygen.

"I understand why you did what you did. I put you in a horrible position and backed you into a corner. Hell, in a way I'm proud of you. Olivia, I always saw the greatness in you. I know I pushed you but that was for your own good. Was I supposed to let you sink into a depression and ruin your life over the sins of your parents?" She stopped and inhaled more oxygen.

"Rowan was always an ass. I used him just as much as he used me. Your mother was in no condition to be a parent to you. I taught you everything I knew because I saw how good you were at it. You are amazing. I did not make you fix things out of hate or payback. I was trying to get you to leave the past behind and make a name for yourself. I know I'm hardened, and I go about things the wrong way, but it was for your own good. Wallowing in all that hate would have made you go crazy," she said coughing. She paused and breathed into the mask for a moment.

Olivia's eyes welled up with tears. "Damn her," she said under her breath.

"I love you, Olivia. It might be sick and twisted, but I do. I hope someday you can forgive me. I'm leaving you everything. I have eighty-five million between cash, businesses, holdings, and property."

Olivia almost fell out of the chair.

"It would be more, but having to pay off blackmailers takes a toll after awhile. After taxes and whatever that scoundrel Edward takes out, you should get a little over half of that."

Edward shook his head.

"I don't give a damn what you do with the mansion. Sell it or turn it into some kind of shelter for battered women. It's yours to do with as you see fit. Hell, you can burn it down, but before you do anything, there is a file cabinet in my home office that is locked. Edward will hand you an envelope. It has the key that opens it and it is a treasure cove of information that you can use for your business. I have things on people that will make your head spin. Use it wisely, Olivia. I know your upset, but it will come in handy one day when you desperately need it. If you burn or destroy it then that would just be foolish. Politics is ugly. You know that." She took another breath before continuing.

"Use the money for your business or to do some good in this world. Your associates are your family now. They depend on you just as much as you depend on them. You are doing well in this town. Don't blow apart your life because of your anger towards me and your family situation. I'm begging you. Find a way to make your love for him work. You deserve it. And yes, I know about him."

Olivia looked at the screen in fear.

"Don't worry. I have no physical records of it. I would never do that to you. All that crap about our covenant is crap. If anything, I owe you. I'm happy you found someone even though you had to pick the one person that you couldn't fully share your life with at the moment." Verna laughed and then coughed. "Priceless."

Olivia cracked a smile.

"Fight for him. Most people in this town are here due to their love of power and money, true love is a rare thing in Washington. I wish I had gotten a chance to say all of this to your face. I understand why you didn't want to see me though. Good luck, Olivia. Please stop and think things over before you decide what to do about everything. Don't let your anger cloud your judgment. Instead of leaving you with a legacy of pain, I'm hoping that I leave you with something more positive. Goodbye," she said as her voice cracked with emotion.

Olivia just stared at the screen in shock as she tried to process everything.

Edward put the paper in front of her and handed her a pen. She looked down briefly and signed it and he put it away and then moved past her. "I'll give you a minute. Please don't destroy my office," he said before walking out the door.

Olivia buried her head in her hands. "You are un-freaking-believable," she yelled looking up. She stopped for a second. "Maybe I should be looking down."

She thought about the money and her mind went blank. It was too much. She knew that Verna came from money but she didn't realize it was that much. The home was her great-great-grandfather's. It is huge and could be used as some type of shelter or program to get women and their families back on their feet. She would definitely think about that.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the office door. "You can come back in now."

Edward eyed her nervously and then walked into the office. "Just remember, don't shoot the messenger."

Olivia sat. "I'm not going to shoot anybody. I'm going over to Verna's house. If there is a file in there I can either burn it or give it to you and you can destroy it. Which one will it be?"

He leaned forward. "You would do that?"

"I know how it felt to be oppressed by her. After having to put up with her, you deserve it no matter what you did."

Edward breathed deeply. "Thank you, Olivia." He gave her an envelope. "This is the one that Verna referenced, and this is all the paperwork I need you to read and sign."

"Jesus," Olivia said looking at the huge folder.

"There are deeds in there and many other documents that need to be signed."

"I hope she is paying you well," Olivia said meeting his gaze.

"Very. I need them as soon as you can."

Olivia felt like she was getting a headache. "I'll try to read and sign them all in the next few days."

"Thank you."

Olivia got up and left. She somehow got back to her car and called Harrison. "I need you and Huck to meet me at this address." She rattled it off. "Bring the truck. We need to move a cabinet."

"We are on our way."

Olivia drove towards the mansion barely holding it together.