Irrevocable Trust (Sasha McCandless Legal Thriller Book 6) (14 page)

So was she. The image of Cole
’
s haunted, tired face kept floating across her mind while she wrestled with the myriad potential disasters lurking in the blue-backed estate documents strewn across her lap.

She exhaled.
“
Okay, sure. I
’
ll walk you through it. Can you finish up that dough and let it rest or whatever it is you do? I could use some fresh air. We can walk and talk.
”

He rubbed her bare arm. The light pressure sent a shiver along her spine.

“
Sure thing. Grab your shoes. I just need a minute.
”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

By unspoken agreement, they headed for Fifth Avenue and Frick Park
’
s gardens
—
an oasis of green in the concrete city. The smell of jasmine blossoms carried on the warm night air and mixed with exhaust fumes from the buses and cars rumbling past.

Connelly reached for her hand and entwined his fingers through hers. They walked in silence for a moment while she gathered her thoughts.

“
Okay, I
’
m going to try to break this down for you, but I have to warn you, it
’
s complicated.
”

“
What makes it complicated?
”
he asked.
“
The fact that the kids are all minors?
”

“
In part, sure. But the whole thing
’
s a giant, interconnected mess. It
’
s like a final exam essay question dreamed up by the most sadistic law school professor to ever roam the earth
…”
she trailed off.

“
What?
”

“
Just thinking of Naya taking all those finals.
”
She shuddered in mock horror.

Connelly rewarded her with a throaty laugh.

“
Okay, but seriously, back to the kids.
”

“
Okay. The biggest problem I see is predicting how the law will apply in light of the fact that the Brickers entered WITSEC.
”

“
What difference does WITSEC make?
”

“
It
’
s the crucial fact
—
I think. Anna entered into witness protection to prevent Bricker from ever finding her and the kids, right?
”

“
Yeah, that
’
s the point of the program.
”

They jogged across Fifth against the light. Connelly nodded to a young couple walking their dog.

After the friendly golden retriever had finished smelling her hand, Sasha continued,
“
And time was of the essence, right? I mean, pretty much as soon as Anna and the kids stepped foot out of the compound, the government swooped them up and hid them.
”

“
That
’
s more or less true. So?
”

“
So Anna was issued a new identity right away. She legally changed her name and was assigned a new Social Security Number, correct?
”

“
Yes. And the same for the kids.
”

“
Right. So, nobody thought to have Anna Bricker initiate divorce proceedings, file for custody, or change her estate plans first.
”

Connelly stared at her as if she
’
d suddenly started speaking a foreign language.

“
Did they?
”
she prodded.

“
Uh, no. As far as I know, no one did any of those things,
”
he answered in a strained voice.

Sasha exhaled.
“
Right. So, Anna Bricker and her children no longer exist as far as the government is concerned, but those kids are still alive, Connelly. And Jeffrey Bricker is still their father. I don
’
t see anything in the statute governing the witness protection program that would serve to terminate his right to take under the estate, let alone his parental rights.
”

“
What are you saying? That
’
s crazy, Sasha. They
’
re in the program to protect them from him.
”

“
Actually, that
’
s not completely accurate. They
’
re in the program because their mother was in the program. And that
’
s the other problem. Is there any basis for them to stay in witness protection? None of those kids testified against Bricker. And he hasn
’
t overtly threatened any of them. In fact, assuming he did kill his wife, he can argue that he had the opportunity to kill those kids
…
and didn
’
t.
”

Connelly dropped her hand and stopped in the middle of the path.

“
Have you lost your mind? He
’
s a convicted murderer. An escaped felon on the run. He tried to take us hostage at our wedding. He hunted and slaughtered his wife like an animal.
”

Sasha placed a gentle hand on his chest to quell the shaking fury that was emanating from him in waves.

“
I know all that, honey. But that
’
s not how the law works.
”

“
Of course it is.
”

“
No, it isn
’
t. Estate law is going to apply the documents as they exist unless Marsh and Will can come up with a compelling reason not to. And family law looks to the best interest of the child
—”
She held up a hand to forestall the objection forming on his lips.
“—
Before you even say it, the fact that Bricker is a demented sociopath isn
’
t determinative. There
’
s Pennsylvania precedent that holds a father who murdered his children
’
s mother is not necessarily an unfit parent. He was deemed not to present a risk to the kids. I
’
m not saying it
’
s right, I
’
m saying it
’
s the law.
”

The anger blazing in Connelly
’
s gray eyes dimmed, replaced by sadness and worry.

“
Are you saying Bricker
’
s going to get custody of the Bennett kids?
”

“
I
’
m saying I don
’
t know
—
I can
’
t know, because I don
’
t know how a court will view the fact that they have new identities.
”

“
This all assumes Bricker will even contest the documents Allison Bennett created, right? Or that he even could. He
’
s on the lam. He can
’
t set foot in a courtroom,
”
Connelly said forcefully.

“
I hope that
’
s right. But let
’
s assume that he
’
s eventually recaptured and reincarcerated.
”

“
We don
’
t have to assume that; it
’
s going to happen. It
’
s just a matter of time.
”

She answered carefully.
“
Okay, when that happens, he
’
ll be in prison, but he
’
ll be able to try to control me. If I
’
m the trustee, I
’
m the only one standing between him and his kids
’
money. He can toy with me, filing objections to the decisions I make. I
’
ll have no choice but to engage with him.
”

The words hung on the air between them, heavy.

“
We
’
ll make sure that doesn
’
t happen,
”
Connelly insisted even though he had no basis for his certainty.

“
Okay, let
’
s leave that aside for the time being. The kids are minors. Who
’
s going to act as their guardian, assuming Bricker is prison? Allison
’
s will doesn
’
t appoint one.
”

“
Why not? Why did she go through all the trouble of drawing up documents and not name a guardian?
”

Sasha considered the question.

“
She drew up powers of attorney, too, with no names. Probably because it
’
s a really big decision. She couldn
’
t name a relative
—
or really anyone she
’
d known more than a couple months, tops. She probably was hoping to find a friend in North Carolina who she clicked with, develop a relationship, and then amend the documents. I mean, you can
’
t just add six kids to someone
’
s life on a whim.
”

“
True.
”

“
Plus, she probably wasn
’
t sure how WITSEC played into that decision. I mean, if she named a neighbor, would WITSEC have enrolled
that
person into the program
—
how
’
s that work?
”

Connelly searched her face for a long moment.

“
I
’
m not sure what WITSEC would do. When the chief of police came back from his vacation this morning, he called the inspector assigned to Allison Bennett.
”

“
And?
”

He coughed into his fist.
“
And it doesn
’
t sound like they
’
re too happy that the kids were moved up here without anyone consulting them. The inspector and his supervisor are coming up here tomorrow to meet with Hank about it. He asked me to keep an eye on the kids while they
’
re meeting.
”

“
Wait. The rental house, all that furniture
—
Hank did that all on his own?
”

“
Yeah.
”

“
What do you think WITSEC will do?
”

“
I literally have no idea. Protocol would be to move them again, assign them yet another set of new identities. I guess they
’
ll want to act as
de facto
guardian, at least for now.
”

Her heart sank at the thought of those kids, still reeling from their mother
’
s death, being spirited away yet again.

“
They can
’
t do that, Connelly.
”

The worry in his eyes mirrored her own.

“
We
’
ll do what we can to stop it.
”

“
What if we can
’
t?
”

From the way he set his jaw, she knew what his response would be before he answered.

“
I will.
”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Tuesday night
—
Wednesday morning

Leo sat on the edge of the bed and watched his wife sleep. Focusing on her gentle, even breathing slowed his pulse, even as his mind continued to race.

I will.

The statement had flown from his mouth before he
’
d had a chance to consider what it meant, but now it had the weight and ring of a promise. A vow, not unlike the vows he and Sasha had exchanged in front of a moonlit ocean just hours after Bricker
’
s failed attempt to abduct them.