Seductive Memory

“Linus Brooks.” Something sharpened in Miranda Bormann’s expression.

“I’ve done a pretty good job of not letting my heart have a say in any of this.” Paula took no notice of Bormann’s manner. “I’ve been pretty happy because of that. Guess I owe that to Linus. Dammit.” Again, she tugged her fingers through her hair. “Why the hell does he have to come messing with my head now?”

Bormann stood. “You’re a smart girl. I’m sure you’ll figure out the best way to handle it.” Bormann fidgeted with the ends of the braided ponytail she sported. Her dark hair was just beginning to show silver strands along her temples.

“Yeah, well...my head doesn’t work so well with him inside it,” Paula went on.

Bormann smiled. “It may not be such a bad idea to let your heart do a little talking either.”

Paula snorted. “Please tell me it’s time to change the subject.”

“Are you sure you want that?”

Paula threw back her head. “More than sure!”

Miranda Bormann’s smile looked defiant. “Just remember you said that.”

The woman’s tone had Paula eyeing her curiously. “What is it? What’s really going on with you, Professor B?”

Bormann retrieved the folder from the island. She offered it to Paula.

“I’m guessing this is why you really wanted to see me?” Paula took the folder.

Bormann shrugged. “Of course not. You know I always enjoy our chats.”

“But?”

“But I need another perspective on this.”

“What is it?” Paula asked even as she flipped through the folder.

“I’ve always taught my students that it’s better to be armed with a cache of facts before charging in with allegations.” Bormann’s unreadable gaze was set on the folder. “Those are my facts—what little I’ve been able to gather.”

Paula closed the folder and joined Bormann, pulling the woman along with her to the den area across from the kitchen. “Talk to me, Professor,” she insisted once they were seated.

Bormann laughed quietly. “It’s my own damn fault for digging up a mess I’d probably have been able to live my life blissfully unaware of.”

The renowned lawyer aimed an index finger at her former pupil. “Don’t let anyone tell you different, Miss DA—retirement is a wonderful drug, but boredom is one bitch of a side effect.”

“What’d you find?” Paula asked through a tight smile.

“I married into all this.” Bormann raised her hands toward the high ceilings. “I married into Hank’s money, and he wasn’t any more interested in it than I was.” She smiled at the mention of her late husband, Henry Bormann.

“Still.” She sighed. “The money management fell to him as the firstborn. When he died, he’d made arrangements so I wouldn’t have to deal with any of that. Most of my financial advisors are his family—the others are friends of the family.”

“You don’t trust them,” Paula detected.

“I don’t know who to trust. Which is why I’ve had an old friend from law school helping me on the sly, when my digging around uncovered some discrepancies I didn’t expect.”

“Discrepancies?”

“Oh, nothing’s been taken,” Bormann was quick to assure, “but I’ve noticed funds have...shifted on dates that coincided with times I’ve been away on speaking engagements. I wouldn’t have been involved with moving funds then. I haven’t come across anything that’s been removed and not replaced, but Hank had a lot of private property outside of the family holdings. My friend confirmed that some of those properties have been earmarked for development.”

Paula returned to shuffling through the folder. “Have you visited any of these sites?”

“Some, I’m sure. My husband’s holdings were vast. There’s no way of knowing which developments are on the up-and-up and which aren’t.” She gave an exasperated huff. “Maybe they are on the level, and it’s just the shifting of funds that has me suspicious. Regardless, I can’t go to any of the family with this.”

“Why’s that?”

Bormann’s exasperation mixed with frustration. “For one, my nephew has immediate control of my assets and I’d rather not alert him until I have enough to prevent him from wiggling out with a lie. If I alert anyone else...”

“It’s liable to get back to him,” Paula finished. Sighing then as well, she shook her head. “I’m out of my element here, Professor. My friend Sophie is the detective, not me.”

“Which is why I wanted to see you about this.”

“You want the police involved?”

Bormann shoved away the idea. “We aren’t there yet—this could all be a misunderstanding, which is the second reason I’m playing this close to the vest. My nephew, Hayden, took over the management of my finances from his father, Hank’s younger brother. When Hayden assumed control, safeguards were also put in place regarding my access and freedom with my finances. That freedom is how I was able to get in and look around in the first place. The safeguards are there should I ever become mentally incompetent to make certain decisions. I can’t alert the family that I’m questioning activity until I have proof to back me up. Otherwise, I risk questions regarding my state of mind and I—”

“Risk losing access to your own damn money.” Paula balled a fist, hating to see her mentor in such a bind. “You say you don’t want the police in on this but that you called me because of Sophie?”

Bormann straightened. “Actually, it’s her husband I’m interested in. He and his partners. I think his company, Joss Construction, is one of my nephew’s clients that Hayden may be using my assets to do business with.”

Again, Paula felt in danger of losing her lower jaw function.

“I believe my suspicions are spot on,” Bormann continued. “I may even have evidence that could link Hayden to one of the properties and prove to his clients that he’s dealing under the table.”

“So you don’t think his clients are acting under the table with him?” Paula asked.

“I’m willing to keep an open mind on that score. Still, I can’t be sure that none of them are speaking out because they’re unaware of the scam or because they’re benefitting financially.” Bormann’s expression turned apologetic. “I hate coming to you with this, hon. I know Joss has a very respected name in the business. This isn’t about bringing them down.”

“I get it, Professor B. You need someone in your corner who can’t be disputed.” Paula stood then, considering the situation as she paced the broad area flooded with natural lighting from the bay windows lining that end of the room.

“Professor B, why do you think Joss might be one of your nephew’s clients? Do you have any signed documents or—”

Miranda Bormann was already shaking her head. “Hayden was always a smart kid. I’d hoped he’d go into the law profession when he was younger, but I soon realized that he was lacking in character and would do nothing for the field except add to the heap of lawyer jokes we all know and loathe. He’s too smart to go and leave signed documents lying around, but Joss is the only client I can suspect him of having. He hasn’t even been seen meeting with anyone who could fit the bill.” She blew out a laugh. “He hasn’t even been seen meeting with Joss.”

“Then how do you know about them?”

“Paula, I may live in Boston, but I’ve still got a lot of friends and former colleagues in Philly. Some of those friends have known Hayden since he was a baby. He was seen going into Joss. Of course he could’ve been there to use their restroom, but something tells me his visit was about more than that.”

She nodded toward the folder Paula still held. “If you take a closer look, you’ll see that Joss has never handled a job for my husband or his family. But as I said, Joss is a pretty impressive outfit. There was talk of moving some projects there a few years ago. I recall Hank saying something, but so far the family business hasn’t broken ranks with Kincaid, which has been their contractor for decades. The company’s founder, Weaver Kincaid, is married to my husband’s cousin Doreen.”

“So your nephew wouldn’t have a reason to be there otherwise?”

Bormann nodded. “Not on family business, and I can think of only one other purpose. If I’m right, chances are strong that he was there to see Linus Brooks, and it’s widely known that no deals are greenlit for Joss without Linus’s approval. If you want in with Joss, you’ve got to go through Linus Brooks first. From what I hear, he’s a hard man to go through.”

Don’t I know it. Paula kept her agreement silent.