29

Heather continued to take shallow breaths, but the pain increased as the Tylenol with codeine wore off.

Steve leaned toward her. "Take your pain pill."

"I don't want to miss this. I'll take Motrin, but not the hard stuff."

Jack lifted her purse to the table, and she retrieved two pills from their bottle. One pill didn't make it down on the first try, causing her to cough. She gripped his hand until the squiggly lines in her vision passed.

"Jack," said Steve. “There are documents in her satchel we’ll need later. Make sure she doesn't reach for them."

Steve pushed back from the table, rolling his chair, and stood. "A few weeks ago I was sitting at home minding my business when Charley Voss called me with an unusual request. He asked me to be the executor of his will. Does that strike anyone else as unusual?"

Heather watched as several heads nodded.

Mae, as usual, preferred a verbal response. "He was a crazy old man. What does this have to do with my property?"

"You don't have any idea what a profound question that is." Steve moved to a spot behind her. "Property division is what I'm going to talk about. But first, I have to lay the groundwork. Let's start with the will." He paused. "No. I'll save that for later. Let's begin with the person not mentioned in the will but who is the descendant of Hector DeLeon, Anna Perez."

Sid interrupted. "You're wasting our time, Mr. Smiley."

"I assure you, Mr. Walsh, the story I'm about to tell will change your mind, and your life."

Steve lifted his right hand to belt level with palm open, directing people’s attention to Heather. "Sitting by Ms. McBlythe is Mr. Jack Blackstock. This afternoon he escorted Anna and Angelina to their bank in Llano, where they searched Anna's safe deposit box for documents. They located the marriage license for Anna and her late husband. They also retrieved Anna and Angelina's birth certificates. Jack has those documents with him. Of particular interest is Anna's birth certificate. She was born four months after her mother, Rose, married Hector DeLeon."

"So what?" said Mae. "He knocked her up, and they had to get married. It happens all the time with those people."

Steve ignored the comment. "Jack, look in Heather's bag and find the receipt for wages paid to Hector DeLeon. Read the note at the bottom."

"The first file," said Heather.

Jack retrieved it. "It reads: Hector DeLeon hired as ranch hand. The note is dated and signed by Robert E. Voss."

"Who's that?” asked Sid.

"Our grandfather," said Roy. "He was a mean old cuss."

Mae and Roy didn't see eye-to-eye on much of anything, but Mae's head bobbed in agreement with his statement.

"Get to the point," said Sid.

Jack looked across the table. "The point is, Hector didn't hire on at the Rocking V until Anna's mother was four and a half months pregnant. Before that, we believe he lived in Mexico."

The room fell silent as people processed the information. A smile of enlightenment tugged at the corners of Roy’s mouth, but Steve didn't make the rest of them wait long. "There's no record of Hector DeLeon's existence in the United States before he arrived at the Voss ranch. Heather, Jack and Sheriff Blake checked all available databases and came up blank, except for a work visa issued by INS. After examining other documents, we’re sure of a couple of things. Hector DeLeon wasn’t granted a work visa until after he was hired by Robert Voss, and he married Anna's mother the day after Robert Voss hired him."

Sidney, a seasoned attorney, was quick with an answer. "That's easily explained. She found herself in trouble and didn't want the shame of having an illegitimate child. She found an illegal, brought him up from Mexico, arranged for him to work on the ranch and married him."

"We considered that," said Steve. "But we also came up with other possibilities after Heather and I interviewed Anna. She told us her mother never lived with Hector on the ranch. He came to town every payday and left enough money for them to live a decent life."

"What else did he have to spend money on?" asked Mae. "We provided his home and food."

Roy contradicted his older sister's account. "Grandpa made him sleep in the barn until Hector could build the cabin in his spare time. As for food, he never got much more than dry beans and tortillas while Grandpa was alive. That changed after he died."

Steve took up where Roy left off. "That brings us to the next point. I found it interesting that Charley waited until after his father died before he married."

Roy issued a scoffing laugh. "Who'd want to bring a bride home with that old buzzard running the show?"

"I also found it interesting," said Steve, "that Anna's mother died a month prior to Charley Voss marrying Pearl, mother to the heirs gathered here today."

Sid slammed his hand on the table. "I'm calling a halt to this. Are you going to award the land to Mae or are we going to settle this in court?"

Steve spoke in a soft tone that required everyone to listen carefully. "Don't worry, Mr. Walsh. Your chances of going to court are getting better by the minute."

"What do you mean?"

The sheriff placed a hand on Sid's shoulder. "Sir. You're dangerously close to going to jail for disturbing the peace."

Sydney cut her eyes to her husband. The icy stare did more to end his rant than the threat from the lawman.

"Let me recap," said Steve. "Hector arrived at the ranch and the next day he married a woman he didn't know. He never lived with her, but provided for her. Four months later, Rose DeLeon gave birth to a baby girl. That child grew up and is here with us today, along with her daughter, Angelina."

Steve allowed the words to settle. Blank looks covered most faces except for Roy’s. He grinned but remained quiet.

"Charley didn't marry until after Rose DeLeon died," said Steve. He paused again. "I made a mistake. I should have said Charley did not marry again until after his first wife, Rose, died."

Sid's eyebrows knit together as he put the puzzle pieces together. Sydney threw her head back in a sign of exasperation.

Mae shouted, "So what?"

Roy shook his head and said, "That old dog. He sowed his wild oats with a hot señorita and did the honorable thing. Grandpa found out and called in a replacement husband.”

Rance sat in silence, looking down at his folded hands while Sue Ann looked out the glass door where her children played in the pool.

Sydney finally said, "You'd better have proof."

The sheriff pulled a document from the file folder and placed it in front of Sydney. "This is a certified copy of the wedding license from Bexar County. Charley and Rose slipped away to San Antonio, where a Justice of the Peace performed the ceremony."

Jack put things in legal terms. "The existence of a legitimate heir with documented preeminence will render your client's claim moot."

Sid turned a painful shade of red. He looked across the table and pointed at Patrick Shaw. "You. This is all your fault."

Sydney stared at Jack. "If all you have is a wedding license and a birth certificate, you still can't prove Anna is Charley’s firstborn."

Mae cast her gaze to her husband. "What's everyone talking about? Would someone tell me what's happening? When do I get my land?"

"You're not getting the land," said Sue Ann.

Everyone looked at her.

"Haven't you been listening, Mae? You’re not the oldest child. Anna is."

Steve took over. "I want Jack to read a section of the will to you again before I conclude this portion of the meeting."

Jack found the words Heather had highlighted. “Charley wrote: The other part of me said it should go to my firstborn girl.”

Steve took over. "Did you notice how gender specific this instruction is? Charley Voss meant for his firstborn daughter to receive an inheritance. If I'd understood this earlier, it would have been Anna playing a hand of poker with Roy, not Mae."

Steve took his time walking around his chair and rolling it back to the table. "We've offered proof today that the firstborn daughter of Charley Voss is Anna Perez. I'm awarding the titles to the land to her. All other awards will remain as previously stated."

It was Sydney's turn to speak. "You've made a grave error, Mr. Smiley. Expect a summons."

Mae was on her feet with tears making black tracks down her face. "What about me? What do I get?” She turned to Patrick, but he stood and looked to the door.

"Sit down, Mr. Shaw," said Sheriff Blake. "Steve's not finished."

"One more thing concerning family matters," said Steve.

Roy clapped his hands together. "This soap opera is getting better by the minute. Does dear-old-Dad have another ten or twelve children we don't know about?"

"Not exactly," said Steve. "But you're on the right track."

Sue Ann turned around. "Do you have to tell them, Mr. Smiley?"

"I have to. They deserve the truth."

She nodded and cast her gaze back toward the pool.

"If you remember," said Steve. "We took DNA samples from each of the Voss children. DNA results also came from the autopsies performed on Charley and Hector. The results prove that three of the four Voss children have the same father and mother: Mae, Roy and Sue Ann. Charley Voss, however, is not Rance's father."

Rance's head slowly raised. His response sounded like it came from some place of hidden knowledge. "Hector’s my father?"

"Yes."

Steve's single word caused Angelina to gasp. "I'm related to Rance?"

"Not by blood."

Mae's eyes opened wide. "That means Rance isn't a Voss and shouldn't get any inheritance. I should get the million dollars from the life insurance and the cattle."

Steve shook his head. "No, Mae. Your father specifically named Rance in the will. He spelled out what he wanted him to receive. You, Roy and Sue Ann all signed away any claim to property or assets already awarded."

"It's not fair!" shouted Mae.

"This is ridiculous,” said Sid. “We're leaving."

"One more thing," said Steve. "Before you consider suing, you need to know we have a DNA sample from a lock of Anna's mother's hair. Anna is the firstborn child from the union of Charley and Rose, even though Rose went by Hector's last name."

The wolves turned on each other. Sydney pointed across the table. "Mr. Shaw. You've defrauded our firm. I'll not rest until you've paid back every penny with interest." She gathered her legal pad and purse and stood.

Patrick turned away from Mae and hung his head.

"Nobody leaves," said Sheriff Blake. "We have more unfinished business."