The elderly woman, who told them her name was Imogen Layford, sat on a sofa in Jerold’s living room, fanning herself all the while she apologized. “I musta gave you folks a scare. More’n you gave me.”
Nelia handed her a paper cup of water they’d scrounged for her out of the kitchen. “Just glad you feel better now.”
“Oh, I do, I do. Jerold’s my neighbor. Was my neighbor. Still can’t believe he’s dead and murdered. He was gone a lot, you know. Asked me to take care of his fishies while he’s away. No one’s told me to stop, so I just keep doing it.” Her voice had a slight twang, and she added a little “uh” at the ends of words ending in “T.”
Nelia looked over at the tank with the fish floating on top. “From the looks of it, you might not have to do that anymore.”
Mrs. Layford followed Nelia’s gaze and put her hand over her heart again. “Oh, dear. I had a spot of the stomach flu. Didn’t think an extra day would hurt.”
Drayco said, “I doubt his family will mind. Did you ever meet any of them? His daughter Ashley or his brother Edwin?”
“I met Ashley once, not long after Jerold moved in. Seemed like a pleasant young thing, and she had that nice Chinese boyfriend with her.” Mrs. Layford lowered her voice. “I wasn’t spying, mind you, but I heard a little yelling. Thought perhaps the daughter didn’t get along with her father. Love or money, isn’t that what it usually boils down to?”
Drayco sat beside her. “You said Jerold was away a lot. Did he say where he was going so frequently?”
“A bit of a mystery, that. He didn’t say, you see. But he didn’t take a suitcase, neither.”
She took a few sips of the water from the paper cup. “Jerold was such a nice man. Said hello and would joke about my little bichon. Or ask if I’d won the lottery yet. He tole me I should enter Mrs. Senior America.” She gave a little cackle.
After the cackle turned into a coughing spell that made her drink more of the water, she apologized and continued, “Now Jerold’s brother, Edwin. He’s a nice man, too. I switched to Edwin’s pharmacy ’cause it’s close by. I didn’t have nothing against my old pharmacy, but I can take a bus to this one, it’s just two stops down. Guess I need my meds changed, ’cause I’ve been taking a turn for the worse since. Old people don’t like change, you know.”
Drayco smiled. “Old is relative, and change can be overrated.”
She reached over and patted his cheek. “Aren’t you a dear boy.” She smiled sadly. “Poor Jerold. Used to joke about my chewing tobacco, too. Gave him some to try. But he started gagging, and his nose turned red like one of those cartoon characters with steam coming out their ears. Such a sensitive stomach he musta had.”
“Did you witness any other arguments involving Jerold?”
“Not a peep out of him, ordinarily.”
Drayco was glad to see Imogen had recovered the pink in her cheeks but was disappointed she didn’t have anything newsworthy to tell them. He wasn’t ready to give up. “Did you see anyone unusual or hear anything odd the night Jerold died?”
“The police asked me that, too. Unfortunately, that’s my bingo night, you see. We have a bingo club here at the condo. In the rec room.”
She frowned, her face pensive. “I forgot to ask the police something, though. That lottery thing never panned out. Sent in the money as I was told, but never got one whit back. It’s been three months. You think I should call Canada?”
Sarg coughed, and Nelia’s eyes widened.
Drayco asked, “How much money did you send?”
“Close to three thousand, as I recall. Put a money order in the mail, just like they told me to.”
Right now, Drayco was betting he, Sarg, and Nelia were thinking the same thing. Getting Mrs. Layford back the money she’d been scammed out of could be next to impossible.
“Do you still have a copy of that lottery notice?”
She shook her head. “I hate clutter. I threw it away.”
That would make it harder to track down, but he made a mental note to call a friend at the FTC, to at least add it to their database. There wasn’t enough evidence for the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to get involved. Canadian lotteries, Jamaican, Costa Rica, Nigeria ... the victims of the fake schemes had been scammed out of billions over the past couple years alone.
The trio walked with the elderly woman back to her condo to make sure she got in safely. Then Nelia took leave of the two men to head for a study group session, but not before she aimed one parting shot in their direction. “Her story reminds me of a man who scammed elderly women out of home repairs on the Eastern Shore. The sheriff nabbed him, thankfully. Sleazebags. Castration’s too good for them.”
Sarg watched her drive off. “Remind me not to get on her bad side.”
Drayco didn’t have a chance to add just how fierce she could be because his cell rang. It was Benny Baskin with another update, bless his overworked hide—Drayco had found out after the fact the attorney already had a couple of other high-profile cases when he agreed to defend Maura.
He listened to Benny’s news and replied, “You sure? Good work. And thanks, Benny.”
After hanging up, he explained to Sarg, “Benny learned Jerold’s Will left everything to Ashley. All two million dollars of it, spread out over several bank accounts. If he lost everything via ‘bad investments’ as she said, where did all that money come from?”
“Do tell,” Sarg rubbed his hands together. “Sounds like it’s time to interrogate the newly rich estranged daughter again, don’t you think?”
“I’ll arrange it.” Drayco looked back at Mrs. Layford’s condo. She waved at him through the window. The FTC guys had heard countless stories like Imogen’s lottery fraud before, but it was still worth a try.