Chapter Thirty-Six
"No, there is absolutely no way to make someone's will, after it's been through probate, bend so you can get information from the beneficiaries about the decedent if it clearly states that to be taboo," Peter J. Petralli, the Sand Bar County District Attorney, informed both Clark, Jones and their shift boss Captain Tina Curry. "There is only a couple of exceptions," he finished saying.
"And those are?" Curry, the long legged, 35 year old brunette asked while leaning against her desk.
Petralli looked at her first and said, "Fraud being one of them and imminent danger being another. However, neither one of those will have any standing in Mara's case."
Clark answered for him, "I'm going to guess it's because too much time has passed, right?"
Petralli nodded his head and said, "Statute of limitations can be a bitch sometimes."
"Well wait a minute, if the statute is in place, why can't that work for us too? Those people have nothing to loose in spilling their guts about Mara, right?" Jones interjected.
"That is a thread to pursue, and I'll follow it, but I'm telling you, don't get your hopes up. So, let me make sure I understand what you're purporting. If the statute prevents us from prosecuting because any events occurred well over a decade ago, those beneficiaries are also in the same standing. They too can't legally be compelled to violate the terms of the will," Petralli hung his head and shook it from side to side. "Nope, we can't legally make them do or say anything. And their not likely going to volunteer anything either in fear of violating the standards set forth in the will."
Curry suddenly slapped her hands together in frustration, turned and walked around to the other side of her desk. "Okay LaShay, tell me again, why do we need info on Mara?"
"He's the last one to own the house before himself and many other people have dropped off the face of the planet. The reason he's a subject of interest is because something he did altered the house. It generates an awful lot of energy itself. We suspect it's from the remnant of sea water power converters the Navy experimented with decades ago. But, the large amounts of energy vanished when he was living there and that's been the case up to the present. However, many people have lived there, and in time, they disappear. Oddly, all of them became millionaires while living in the house, all except one, the last guy, but he too became rich after he's been gone. But it all started with Mara," Jones looked at Clark and said, "anything I forgot?"
"No, she's got everything covered, except Mara programmed computers as the home computer boom began," he said.
"Okay guys, we're beating a dead horse here," Petralli announced. "We have no imminent danger to the new occupant, except the house has a history." He looked at Clark and Jones and said, "Speak to the new occupant. Tell her to keep her eyes open for anything out of the ordinary, and to let you guys know if something comes up. That's pretty much all we're left with at present."
"We left our card on her door this afternoon," LaShay said. "We were there today and she wasn't there. You know, we did get a whiff of the, what did you call it Steven?"
"Ozone," he said.
"Right, the house has an ozone smell around it. But I can't swear it was coming from the house, it dissipated pretty rapidly."
"Well I have a ball game to go watch, and I gotta hit the store before the game," the DA announced.
"Enjoy," Clark said as he watched him grab his briefcase and exit the small glassed in office. He turned to Captain Curry, "Anything else?"
"Nope, it's the end of the day and I've got paperwork to finish and kids to get home to. Call it a day yourselves," she finally sat down in her chair. "Oh and one last thing."
That stopped both of the detectives from twisting the handle to the door that Jones had in her hand, "What's that?"
"No matter the outcome on this guys, good work. This is more than any of the teams have ever done on the history of this case."
"Thanks boss," Clark said.
****
Sylvia and Amanda returned and found the card on the door. It was briefly held onto as they entered the house and put on the island that separated the kitchen from the front room as they separated the shopping bags between the two buyers. Once two piles were identified to the proper owners, Sylvia said, "I need to run home for a bit. Can you watch the fort while I'm gone?"
"Actually, I thought I'd go get some food for this place. Anything in particular you want?"
"No, not really. But, do you really want me to stay?" Sylvia asked.
"Yeah, we're both on vacation, what else do you have to do?"
Sylvia smiled and said, "We can work on our tans."
"Or go figure out that thing downstairs," Amanda countered.
"What do you have running through your head?"
"Well, when I'm at the store," Amanda explained, "I'm going to get a magazine or a book. I plan on taking that down to the library and seeing if it takes us someplace."
Sylvia nodded her contemplatively and said, "I'm game for that."
"I'm thinking getting one of those fitness mags," Amanda said.
