“If that’s the case, why are the two of us here?” Even if she hadn’t known him as well as she knew herself, Everett’s body language would have been easy to interpret—arms folded across his muscular chest, jaw clenched, one foot tapping out a restless beat.

“My clients wrote this will just over four years ago, not long after their marriage.” Raymond scanned the sheet of paper as he spoke.

Four years. Alyssa looked at Everett, wondering if the significance of the time frame had registered with him.

Clearly it had. “That was around the time Georgia Dodd, Sean’s younger sister, left my brother, Casey, at the altar.” His voice was tight with remembered anger. “Sean masterminded the incident because he thought that a deputy sheriff wasn’t good enough for his kid sister. Or possibly he didn’t want a law-enforcement officer in the family taking a closer look at what he was getting up to. The reason doesn’t matter. It was the end of our friendship.”

He flicked a look Alyssa’s way to let her know he hadn’t forgotten the rest. Soon after that incident, but for unrelated reasons, they had broken up.

“I’m assuming that Georgia, whom I recently had the pleasure of arresting at gunpoint, is the beneficiary.” Alyssa jumped slightly atEverett’s words. It wasn’t just the fact that he’d been involved in apprehending Georgia. They were a stark reminder of the dangers he faced every day.

“Although Georgia was released on bail, she broke the terms of her bail by attempting to leave town. She’s now back behind bars but that won’t affect her inheritance. So can we cut to the part where you tell us what our role is? Did Sean name us as trustees four years ago and forget to change it?”

“Georgia Dodd is not named in her brother’s will. The circumstances are…unusual. There is a section in the document that involves the two of you. Twelve months ago, Sean and Delilah came to see me to check it was still legal.” Raymond dabbed at his upper lip with his handkerchief. “This will be easier to explain if I invite my other guests to join us.” He pressed a button on his desktop phone.

“Other guests?” Alyssa looked around as the door opened and a middle-aged woman entered the room. She leaned to one side under the weight of a large bag shaped like a pink elephant; in her other arm, she carried a sleeping baby.

“This is Patty Griffiths of the Arizona Department of Child Safety.” Raymond indicated the child. “Kennedy is Sean and  Delilah’s six-month-old daughter, and she has been left in your joint custody.”