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They all sat, and DuBose took out her notebook and pen. She made a show of looking around and then settled an expectant gaze on him.
Randolph fidgeted for a bit. “I’ve... some business prospects didn’t pan out. And my divorce...”
DuBose said, “Those things can take their toll.”
“What exactly do you want to know?”
Jack said, “We will take a sworn statement from you before the trial starts, but we need to get some information so we can prepare that. And it will be very, very soon because the trial will start shortly.”
“Okay.”
“So, what did you tell Mr. Battle?” asked DuBose.
“I told him that my father had mentioned to me that he was going to leave some money for Jerome Washington in his will.”
DuBose said, “When did he tell you that?”
“About four months ago. I had gone by to see them one evening.”
“Do you know the terms of your parents’ will and the disposition of their estate?”
“No. Curtis Gates is supposed to tell us shortly.”
“Mr. Randolph,” said DuBose, “we were told by Mr. Gates that Jerome Washington is not mentioned in your parents’ will.”
Randolph looked surprised. “Then my father must have changed his mind. I thought it was absurd. He wasn’t family. Why should my parents leave him anything?”
Jack said, “Did Jerome know your father was planning to leave him something?”
“I imagine so.”
“Why?”
“Because my father liked to lord his wealth over people. And if he thought it would make this Jerome person work harder? So odds are very good that he did tell him.”
“So you’re saying that Jerome had a motive to kill your parents?”
“Yes. And I told Mr. Battle the very same thing.”
CHAPTER 45
THOSE WERE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BOTTLES lying around,” said Jack.
They were in the Fiat driving away from Sam Randolph’s house.
“And there were bills marked ‘Past Due’ on his coffee table,” noted DuBose.
“So the man is ill and clearly in need of money. Which gives him a motive.”
“But the real wealth is apparently in the property. And it’s held in trust until either Sam or Christine dies.”
“Why would he do that to his children, Desiree?”
“Sounds like Leslie Randolph was upset about something.”
“The man who visited with a doctor’s bag?”
“Maybe,” replied DuBose.
