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“Were they a couple?” asked Miller. They were all trying to be patient with the woman, but getting answers felt a bit like pulling teeth.
“No. Norman Meisner was a resident at Maison Soleil. It’s the senior community where we all live. He went to see Madame Serena, and she told him that he would have great fortune if he trusted the numbers eleven and nineteen.”
“And what happened?” asked Ian.
“He won more than two hundred thousand dollars playing those numbers at the casino. Charlotte was told to see an acupuncturist in Slidell. A very specific person. She could barely move any longer because of her debilitating arthritis. Just two visits, and she’s now walking two miles per day.”
“Those are all wonderful things, Agatha, but they could also be coincidence,” said Alec, trying to show empathy and understanding to the woman.
“And what about my friend Maureen? She told her to trust that she would find love, and she left Madame Serena and ran into Al, his coffee spilling on her. Two weeks later, she moved out of her condo at the community and into Al’s Garden District home and now shares his condo. They leave tomorrow for a ninety-day cruise.”
“I know it all seems strange, Agatha, but these could still be coincidences. If nothing else has been suspicious, it could definitely be that the car jumping the curb was just a tragic accident.”
“I see. So, you won’t help me,” she said with a sour expression.
“Yes. Yes, we will,” said Alexandra, standing to walk toward the woman.
“Alex, baby, we can’t…” started Gaspar. Alexandra, all five-feet-two of her, glared at her husband, giving him a warning.
“Let us do a simple investigation into all of this and see if there’s anything truly suspicious. No charge.” Nine started to speak, but Erin gave him a look that said, ‘if you ever want sex again, you won’t argue.’
“I know you think I’m just a crazy old woman, but you didn’t let me finish. This psychic has seen many of our residents and has been right about everything with them. Except sometimes it’s not for the good; it’s for the bad.”
“That would have been helpful to know,” smirked Ian. “Explain, please.”
“Well, she said that Browning would be relieved of his pain with his children. They weren’t very nice to him when they came and visited, always asking him for money. He did well in the stock market and retired with more than enough to live on.”
“What happened with him?” asked Nine.
“He spent the weekend with them and returned so sick they couldn’t save him. All of his money went to his children.”
“That doesn’t seem out of the norm,” said Ghost.
“It is when I’d been the witness to the changes in his will. He’d left everything to a granddaughter, not his daughter and son.” Ghost stared at the woman, then at the other men.
“Agatha, you have to understand that we’re not even sure where to start here. This psychic has successfully predicted some things, but I can’t see where anything ties back to her. I don’t know where to begin with this.”
“I didn’t say it did tie back to her. But if you want a place to start, I think you should begin with Mike Dodd.”
“Mike Dodd,” repeated Ghost, writing the name down. “Who is he?”
“He’s a resident in our community and supposedly in charge of security. He told everyone to stay away from Madame Serena. It turned out that he knew Al, my friend Maureen’s new partner. When Browning died and the estate went to his daughter and son, I was suspicious. I mentioned it to one of the nurses, and she said he must have changed his will back. I thought that would be weird, but not as weird as learning that Mike married Browning’s daughter.”
Now, she had their attention.
“Mike Dodd married Browning’s daughter, the woman who inherited half of his money?” asked Ghost.
“Yes and then she suddenly died a few months later.”
“And Maureen and Al? They’re leaving on their cruise?” asked Miller.
“Yes. They are. But Al was a police officer with Mike. They were on the same squad when they were younger, although, to us, they’re both terribly young. Just turned sixty-five. I’m terribly worried about Maureen.” Faith and Grace stared at the table.
“Agatha, you’re telling me that these two sixty-five-year-old men have been manipulating the lives of people in their eighties?” asked Grace.
“Yes. I think so. I don’t think it’s the psychic, but they definitely seem to be everywhere all at once.”
“Alright, Agatha. You have our attention,” said Gaspar. “Let’s get some more information from you, and we’ll look into this.”
