Free The Unbidden Truth by Kate Wilhelm Page A

1972, and in ’75 they moved the business to Eugene, where they’ve done fine. Their motto is ‘We Do It All,’ and they do, from buying the land to finishing whatever. They built this complex you’re in, in fact. Good work, no complaints. It’s a respected company, they’ve always had a lot of work lined up until the downturn in the economy. Strip malls, apartments, office buildings, a church or two, but mostly commercial projects. Featured in national magazines a couple of times for innovative design, and so on.”
    He grinned at the expression on her face. “It gets a little more interesting.”
    â€œIt better, or you can take a hike for all the good you’re doing.”
    â€œThe brothers are as different as bottled water and pond murk. Larry’s stable, married forever to one woman, two sons, pillar of the community type. Joe’s a case,” he said. “Or was, I should say. Three-time loser in the marriage game. No kids. Three exes. He had two passions, gambling and music.”
    Barbara sat up straighter. “What about music?”
    â€œRock. He followed bands around and taped them. One of the biggest tape collections known before the house burned. And he was a real horse nut, Hialeah, Churchill Downs, Pimlico, even England, Epsom Downs.”
    â€œWhat do you mean? Bet on races?”
    â€œNot just that. Followed them to Miami, Kentucky, New York. Three, four, five times a year he took off for weeks at a time. Horse races or else Vegas, even Monte Carlo. It raises an interesting question.”
    â€œWhen did he work?”
    â€œThat’s the question. The company built the new headquarters back in ’92, and although wife Nora has an office, curiously they forgot to put in an office for brother Joe.”
    â€œWhere did he get money?”
    â€œHe was on full salary until the day he died.”
    Barbara leaned back and drew in a breath. “Now that is interesting,” she said. “How long did that go on?”
    â€œDon’t know yet. Working on it.”
    She thought a moment, then said, “The ex-wives. They’ll know something. Do you have their names, addresses?”
    â€œNope. Give me a day or two. They’ve probably all remarried by now. Want me to go after them?”
    She shook her head. “I think that’s a job for Shelley and me. Anything else?”
    â€œThe fire roused some suspicion, but it died down. Electrical wire went sour, they say. No one home. It got out of hand before anyone reported it. And Joe’s signature at the safe-deposit box raised some suspicion, but it turns out that he was wearing a wrist brace and that accounts for it. Nothing there. The teller and the safe-deposit attendant made positive IDs.”
    â€œNo enemy list, anything like that?”
    â€œNothing real. He paid his debts when due and was a good tipper. I guess he figured easy come, easy go. He was a drunk, but he didn’t cause trouble with it, except for women, and they just shied away from him for the most part, except those he paid. I think the cops figure the missing thousand bucks was to buy himself a new girlfriend.”
    â€œKeep digging into the family, company, finances, house help, whoever you can get to talk about them.” She told him what little she had learned from Stuart Colbert. “So last we know, Frederick was in Virginia heading for Boston. See if you can dig out anything from the agency and the caseworker. Just a last name for her, Bergstrom, in Terre Haute, twenty-four years ago. She may be dead by now, and the case may be gone from the files.”
    â€œVirginia,” he said. Now he was scowling. “Better than before. Then it was just back east somewhere. Barbara, tell me something. What difference does it make?”
    â€œI wish I knew,” she said. “I don’t like blanks in my cases, and that’s a big one. No hospital record of her birth, just a home