Trouble in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law, #1)(57)

“If only that were true, Wheeler,” Maryse said, “but your client neglected to inform you of the billions of dollars in oil that are in the marsh. Seems she neglected to tell everyone that little bit of information, but apparently someone out there knows.”

Wheeler stared at her for a moment, then drained half his glass of water. “Billions? I can see where that might be a problem. So what can I do?”

“I need to know what my options are. That’s why I gave you that list of questions to research earlier.”

Wheeler nodded and pulled a tablet from his briefcase. “I have all the answers here. Where would you like to start?”

Maryse took a deep breath and looked over at Luc, who nodded. “Can I give the land back to the estate?” Maryse asked.

Sabine stared at Maryse in shock. “If the land goes back to the estate, won’t Hank inherit? I’m not saying you shouldn’t do it, Maryse, but I thought you were dead set against that idea.”

Maryse put one hand up. “I’m not saying that’s what I want to do, but I need to know all my options and how they would work.”

Maryse looked expectantly at Wheeler, but he shook his head. “I couldn’t find any provision that would allow you to forgo your inheritance.”

“Except being dead, of course,” Luc threw in, his expression dark.

Wheeler paled and tugged at his tie. “Well, yes, of course there is that.”

Maryse shook her head. “That’s the kind of option I was looking to avoid.” She drummed her fingers on the table and thought about her next move. “And the will you’re drawing up for me won’t be legal until the week has passed, right?”

Wheeler nodded. “That’s correct. The land isn’t yours to give until after the probationary period has passed. The only way you could create a document legally leaving the land to another party before the week was up is if there were no other direct heirs in line to inherit, but since there’s Hank…”

Sabine straightened in her chair and glared at Wheeler, her normal good manners shot to hell. “This is bullshit! You’re telling me she’s inherited this land whether it gets her killed or not, and she has no choice but to sit around and wait for someone to fire the shot?”

Wheeler blotted his forehead with the napkin again. “I’m afraid that’s the long and short of it, and I am truly sorry. I never would have let Helena put you in this position if I’d had any idea it would come to this. I just never imagined…” the attorney trailed off, obviously not even able to put what he couldn’t imagine into words.

Maryse sank back into her seat and considered the information. “So you’re telling me there’s no way to back out of this except to take a short ride in a long hearse. And if something happens to me, you have no choice but to pass the land to Hank, a direct heir, who will most certainly lease it to the oil companies before my body’s even cold. There’s no option to preserve this marsh other than me remaining alive for another three days?”

Wheeler gave her an apologetic look. “You could kill Hank.”

Sabine glared at him. “Do not give her any ideas.”

Maryse patted her friend on the arm. “Don’t worry, Sabine. As satisfying as that may sound, particularly at this moment, I’d still have to find him first.” She leaned in closer to Wheeler and scanned the café, just to make sure no one could overhear. “Okay, Wheeler, so we agree there’s no legal way for me to get out of this inheritance except dying, which sorta isn’t a good option for me, so what if we drew up a fake document that said I was giving up all rights to the land inheritance and shifting the title to Hank?”

Wheeler stared at her in obvious confusion. “But such a document wouldn’t be legally binding. That’s what we just discussed.”

Maryse nodded. “I know that, and you know that, but would anyone else?”

Wheeler’s face cleared in understanding. “Normally, I would never be party to such an act, and I’m not real clear on the legality of my drawing up such a document, even just for talk, but given the situation, I agree that this might be the only way to buy you the time you need.”

“Then let’s do it,” Maryse said. “Who knows. I might get really lucky and bring Hank out of hiding long enough to serve him divorce papers. I’d really like a divorce before I die and not the other way around.”

Wheeler cleared his throat and looked at her, obviously uncomfortable. “Of course, this plan will only work if whoever is after you intended Hank to inherit in the first place.”

Maryse nodded and stared down at the table. She’d already rolled that one around in her mind, but really, what other choice did they have? Surely whoever murdered Helena thought Hank would inherit. If even Wheeler had to look up the complete restrictions of the land inheritance, could anyone else possibly know all the mundane details?

Then there was the other thought, the thought still nagging at her from her earlier conversation with Luc. Maybe whoever wanted her dead hadn’t planned on Hank making it through the week either. What if by pretending to shift the inheritance to Hank, she made him the next target?

“How long would it take you to draw up the fakes?” Maryse asked.

“I can probably have something by this afternoon,” Wheeler said, “and there’s nothing stopping me from notifying all concerned parties now about the documents in the works if I knew where to find them. That would buy you some safety. I’ll give you my home number in case you locate Harold over the weekend.”