Love Means Courage - Andrew Grey

a briefcase?”

    “Not likely.”

    “Well, then he must have either purchased a cashier’s check or a money order. You should have a record of those, and we need a copy.” Len handed back the statement copy.
    The light finally seemed to go on and Gordon smiled for the first time. “Ah, yes. I’ll be right back.” Geoff was still playing, crawling around on the floor, making engine noises. Cliff appeared 82
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nervous and didn’t seem in the mood to talk, so Len sat and waited.
“I found it.” Gordon again sat behind his desk. “It was made out to Mason County Title.” He handed the copy directly to Len this time. Len stood up. “Can we keep this?” Len handed the copy to Cliff, who glanced at it, turned white, then handed it back.
    “Yes. I made that copy for you.” He stood as well and shook Len’s hand. Cliff stood up, moving in a daze as he, too, shook the manager’s hand, and then he gathered Geoff’s things before taking his hand and walking out of the bank without saying a word.
    “Thank you for your help,” Len told Gordon before he turned and followed Cliff out of the bank.
“Well, that was useless.” Cliff leaned against the truck, looking drained.
“No, Cliff, this tells us a lot. It tells us that your father purchased land and that Mason County Title handled the transaction. All we need to do is contact them to see what he bought.” Cliff wasn’t listening. “What is it?”
    Cliff lifted Geoff into his seat and strapped him in before climbing into the truck, saying nothing. Len didn’t press and got in as well, closing the door with a thunk.
    “The date on the check is the day before he died.”
“Holy cow—you don’t think…?”
    Cliff sighed and turned the key in the ignition, “Let’s find out.” He pulled out of the parking lot and drove the block down the street, pulling into Mason County Title and turning off the engine.
    “Daddy?” Geoff seemed to sense his father’s uneasiness and 83
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    handed him the toy truck he’d been carrying. “Feew bedder?” Cliff took the toy and smiled back at his son. “Thank you.” Cliff then kissed Geoff on the cheek and unhooked him from the seat. After thunking the truck doors closed, they walked across to the entrance.

    Inside the small-house-turned-into-an-office, there didn’t appear to be anyone around. Len coughed lightly and waited until an attractive young woman walked in from another of the rooms. “Can I help you?”

    Geoff was squirming to get down, so Len did the talking. “We need a copy of the documentation for a real estate closing. It would have been done in this office a little over a year ago.” Len handed her the copy of the cashier’s check. “The purchaser would be Carter Laughton.” “Oh my goodness, yes.” Her eyes lit as she turned to Cliff.

    “You’re Carter’s son, Cliff. I’m Jeanie Hudson. I used to babysit for you when you were his age.” She tickled Geoff gently, and he squirmed and giggled. “I’m sorry about your dad.”
    “Thanks. It seems like he purchased some real estate, but I don’t have a record of the purchase.”
She walked to a nearby file cabinet and pulled open a drawer.
    “I should have it right here. Yes.” She pulled out a file folder and opened it. “It’ll take me a few minutes to make copies and get them certified, and I’ll have to charge you.”
    “It’s okay. I just need the copies. Umm, can you tell me the date of the closing?”
She consulted the file. “March twenty-fourth of last year.” She left and went to make copies.
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    “I know why I don’t have copies of anything.” Len turned and looked into Cliff’s face, waiting for him to continue. “That’s the day dad died. I bet he and Ruby were on their way home from the closing when they got into the accident.”
    “Why didn’t they get the papers from the car?”
“There wasn’t much left of it, or the tree, and I doubt anyone bothered to look.”
    Len turned away and quietly shifted in his chair. What on earth could you say to that? “I’m sorry” doesn’t begin to cover it. So he sat quietly and waited until the clerk came back out and handed him the copies.
“I notarized the deed, so it’s official. The purchase was registered a year ago.” She looked over the paperwork. “The taxes for last year were paid at closing, but there will be property taxes due in the next couple months. Looks like you caught it just in time.” Cliff