59 Duane's Legal Attack

Duane's office door knob turned. He looked up from his desk. Kathy poked her head in and asked, "Are you ready, Mr. Ferguson?"

"Send him in."

His attorney entered along with Kathy. He motioned for the attorney to join him around a low table in comfortable chairs.

Kathy was about to ask about drinks, but he waved her off and she left.

"Are we ready?"

"Yes, sir. First step has been implemented. The police will question Tommy's foster parents regarding the two bodies, or, what's left of two bodies the police found buried in the back yard. We found that the house actually belongs to a woman whom no one has seen or heard from in more than 10 years. I'm guessing and the police suspect that she will be one of those buried in that back yard. The other body no clue, yet. Apparently the current occupants knew they were there. Your niece's tips on that turned out accurate."

He studied his attorney. The man was so sure Tommy was in that house a few days ago as was his chief of security. "If they're connected it will make everything easy."

"We will let the investigation move forward and then make our detailed court filings to remove custody from Mr. Hesburgh. But whether they are or not it should taint them sufficiently in the eyes of the judge to at least loosen their hold and perhaps secure partial custody rights."

"Sounds like a divorce."

"Things are going well."

The man was a fool. Going well. At every turn some ridiculous hurdle presented itself. Mabel was a major disappointment. Fainting like that. He cut her off. What concerned him deeply was the fact that Trip allowed his grandson to remain with these common criminals. The investigations he had launched on those two so-called foster parents had revealed little, but what he had been able to turn up was not good. That Mason was a drug addict and petty thief. Daisy…My God…If what little he had obtained was true… The sooner they moved to get possession of his grandson the better. "The police report on the attack that night seems full of holes."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that the narrative doesn't make sense." He paused. "The whole attack was not very well executed…for supposed professionals." He frowned at the man. "In any case, I do not want to wait for another round. What is obvious is that there's still someone out there willing and able to shoot at the Hesburghs. I want the boy here where I can provide real security…and to hell with Trip and his wife. Nonsensical behavior. What were they thinking?" He hit the armrest. "What fools."

The attorney didn't seem disposed to answer. Duane said, "Why don't we file now…concurrently with the police investigation into the house?"

He watched the man ponder this or maybe how to respond. Duane continued, "Move more aggressively. Spin the worst scenario for the judge before someone can meddle with the investigation and maybe I can get full custody of the boy now."

"What do you mean?"

He had to spell it out for the man. What? Did he somehow have the only ethical lawyer in Seattle? "Tell the judge that the two of them murdered the old lady and took over her house. And didn't you say there were some forged signatures on her Social Security checks? Sounds pretty damning to me. Use the fact that that detective Merryweather was living there and say he knew about the bodies in the backyard. That should neutralize any influence he might have and it may even end his career. By the way isn't he dead? The report read like he was near death."

"No. He survived, and amazingly he's to leave the hospital soon. My contact at the hospital says he's recovery is a near miracle and he is well on his way to a full recovery."

"Wonderful. Well, he lived there. With two bodies in the backyard. And if he's still in the hospital then he can't defend himself."

The man wrote some notes and shuffled a few papers.

"Anything else?"

"No sir. I…"

"Then get busy."