A fancy restaurant on the mainland, Thursday
It didn't make sense that the younger brother of a ex-boyfriend would send Mary flowers. So when she got an invitation to lunch, Mary accepted. There were some things that she needed to find out for herself.
Mary
It didn't take her long to spot Victor Manning. He looked so much like Casey in his designer suit.
"Hello," she said as she approached him. "I got your message, but I'm not sure I understand what this is about."
Victor
"Mary Connell," said Victor, taking her hand and bending to kiss it. "You're just as lovely as I remembered. No wonder my brother fell so hard. You know, he was enamored with you 'til the day he died. Did you get the flowers I sent you?"
Mary
"Yes, thank you. They were... unexpected," said Mary.
She hadn't really thought about Casey's death. It really would have upset her more except that it happened the same week her father went on trial, and she was clearly distracted. "I'm so sorry about your brother, Victor," she said. "I wish there was something I could do."
Victor
"Actually, Mary, there is something you can do for me," said Victor, gesturing for her to sit down at his table. "I take it that you remember that Casey left everything to Sam Marquez?"
Mary
"And Sam couldn't raise enough cash to pay the back taxes on the Montecito, so it was seized by the government and sold at auction to A.J. Cooper," said Mary. "Yes, I'd heard about that."
Victor
"You and Casey were rather intimate before his death. Does it make sense to you that he would leave his estate to his ex-wife?" asked Victor.
He flagged down a passing waiter. "I believe we're ready to order. I'll take gin and tonic, please. Mary, what would you like to drink?"
Mary
"Club soda with lime for me," said Mary automatically.
"Honestly, I wasn't surprised. Sam was very important to Casey, even after the divorce, and he knew that all she wanted from him was that casino," she replied.
Victor
"I've done my research, Mary, and I've heard a different story," said Victor, leaning forward. "Casey was a little bitter after the divorce, and he was crazy about you. Can't say that I blame him, though," he added, looking her up and down.
Mary
"What is this all about, Victor?" asked Mary, starting to feel suspicious.
Victor
"There was a second will, one that Casey wrote much later on," explained Victor. "In the second one, Casey left adequate funds to pay the back taxes, and he left his estate to me. I intend to get what I deserve, and I'll need your testimony about Casey's state of mind when I contest the will in court."
Mary
"Why bother, Victor?" asked Mary. "It's been months since your brother's death. The Montecito's already been sold to a new owner and you have a good job as the manager of the Hawaiian Villas. What do you have to gain by contesting the will now?"
Victor
"Because it's what we deserve, Mary," said Victor, taking her hand. "You know, when a man died in the Old West, his brother stepped in and married his widow. I just want to take care of you in the same way Casey would have."
Mary
"Stop it," hissed Mary, pulling her hand away. "I'm happy with the life I have now, and I don't need you or your brother's money to make me happy."
Victor
"I'm surprised, Mary," said Victor. "I mean, you and Sam always seemed to have the same taste in men, from what I hear. You've both been with Danny McCoy, you've both been with my brother... And now that I'm done with Sam, it's your turn."
Mary
Mary didn't need to hear anymore. "I'm not interested, Victor. And you can take that new will and shove it," she said, getting up. She didn't look back as she ran out of the restaurant, got in her car, and drove away.
[[NFI, NFB, OOC = <3 and all that stuff.]]
Mary
It didn't take her long to spot Victor Manning. He looked so much like Casey in his designer suit.
"Hello," she said as she approached him. "I got your message, but I'm not sure I understand what this is about."
Victor
"Mary Connell," said Victor, taking her hand and bending to kiss it. "You're just as lovely as I remembered. No wonder my brother fell so hard. You know, he was enamored with you 'til the day he died. Did you get the flowers I sent you?"
Mary
"Yes, thank you. They were... unexpected," said Mary.
She hadn't really thought about Casey's death. It really would have upset her more except that it happened the same week her father went on trial, and she was clearly distracted. "I'm so sorry about your brother, Victor," she said. "I wish there was something I could do."
Victor
"Actually, Mary, there is something you can do for me," said Victor, gesturing for her to sit down at his table. "I take it that you remember that Casey left everything to Sam Marquez?"
Mary
"And Sam couldn't raise enough cash to pay the back taxes on the Montecito, so it was seized by the government and sold at auction to A.J. Cooper," said Mary. "Yes, I'd heard about that."
Victor
"You and Casey were rather intimate before his death. Does it make sense to you that he would leave his estate to his ex-wife?" asked Victor.
He flagged down a passing waiter. "I believe we're ready to order. I'll take gin and tonic, please. Mary, what would you like to drink?"
Mary
"Club soda with lime for me," said Mary automatically.
"Honestly, I wasn't surprised. Sam was very important to Casey, even after the divorce, and he knew that all she wanted from him was that casino," she replied.
Victor
"I've done my research, Mary, and I've heard a different story," said Victor, leaning forward. "Casey was a little bitter after the divorce, and he was crazy about you. Can't say that I blame him, though," he added, looking her up and down.
Mary
"What is this all about, Victor?" asked Mary, starting to feel suspicious.
Victor
"There was a second will, one that Casey wrote much later on," explained Victor. "In the second one, Casey left adequate funds to pay the back taxes, and he left his estate to me. I intend to get what I deserve, and I'll need your testimony about Casey's state of mind when I contest the will in court."
Mary
"Why bother, Victor?" asked Mary. "It's been months since your brother's death. The Montecito's already been sold to a new owner and you have a good job as the manager of the Hawaiian Villas. What do you have to gain by contesting the will now?"
Victor
"Because it's what we deserve, Mary," said Victor, taking her hand. "You know, when a man died in the Old West, his brother stepped in and married his widow. I just want to take care of you in the same way Casey would have."
Mary
"Stop it," hissed Mary, pulling her hand away. "I'm happy with the life I have now, and I don't need you or your brother's money to make me happy."
Victor
"I'm surprised, Mary," said Victor. "I mean, you and Sam always seemed to have the same taste in men, from what I hear. You've both been with Danny McCoy, you've both been with my brother... And now that I'm done with Sam, it's your turn."
Mary
Mary didn't need to hear anymore. "I'm not interested, Victor. And you can take that new will and shove it," she said, getting up. She didn't look back as she ran out of the restaurant, got in her car, and drove away.
[[NFI, NFB, OOC = <3 and all that stuff.]]