Breaking Ground Read Online Free PDF Page B

natural death?”
    â€œSo it seemed to me, Dalton,” Townsend answered, “and my sense is that Chief Barlow considers it murder. Do you agree, Julie?” She did. “And perhaps you’d like to add to my report,” he continued.
    Julie said she couldn’t improve on the chair’s report except to add that the chief had asked her not to discuss with anyone else what she had seen.
    â€œThat’s quite correct,” Howard said, “and I was told the same. I trust I haven’t said anything I shouldn’t have, but I believe thetrustees are entitled to some explanation. Are there any other questions?”
    â€œIs there anything we can do as trustees to help you, Julie?” Henry asked.
    â€œI can’t think of anything now, Henry. We just have to wait till we hear from Mike Barlow, I guess.”
    â€œI know this sounds harsh, but it needs to be asked for practical reasons: What about the construction?” Dalton asked. “Luke Dyer was all set to start the excavation today as soon as the ceremony ended.”
    â€œI’m sure Barlow will keep the site protected for a bit,” Henry said.
    â€œHe called for the Maine State Police and the Sheriff’s Office to do that,” Julie said. “So I think we’ll have to wait.”
    â€œI understand,” Dalton said, “and, again, I know this sounds awful, but I hate to lose good weather. We really need to get the site work done so we can get a shell up before winter.”
    â€œI’m sure Mary Ellen would agree with you about proceeding, Dalton,” Howard said, “but we’ll just have to see what the police tell us. Perhaps you could be in charge of that, Julie—checking with Barlow, and then letting Luke Dyer know?”
    â€œOf course,” Julie said.
    â€œThere won’t be any other problems about the project, will there?” Clif asked. Julie and Howard exchanged glances, neither sure how to respond. “About the money,” Clif said. “I
am
the treasurer, after all, so I suppose I’m the one who has to ask. Do we still get Mary Ellen’s money for the building?”
    â€œI wouldn’t see why not,” the chairman answered. “Julie?”
    â€œI agree. Mary Ellen pledged $1 million, as you know, and then she added that $100,000 challenge last year so we could finish the fund-raising, and at least half of that is in, isn’t it, Clif?”
    Julie knew very well that $600,000 of the pledge was already in the society’s construction fund. She also knew that Mary Ellenhad told her she wanted to complete the pledge with a $500,000 gift over the summer. But Julie had learned to defer to Clif on financial matters. Doing that was easy, but what wasn’t easy for Julie was participating in this conversation about the project and its funding so soon after Mary Ellen’s death. She couldn’t quite believe her ears.
    â€œI believe we have at least half, yes,” Clif replied. “But I’m thinking about the rest of it—is that pledge binding on the estate, Henry?”
    Henry paused before answering. “Let me make my situation clear,” he began. “I can speak as our solicitor, but most of you know that I’m also Mary Ellen’s attorney. So I have a conflict of interest here. As your solicitor, I can advise you that Mary Ellen’s written pledge clearly protects the society by indicating that in the event of her death, her estate will honor it. It’s quite specific, and frankly, I made sure of that, to protect the society, but I also made it clear to Mary Ellen that she had every right to have another attorney draw it up for her or to ask me to withdraw as the society’s solicitor in that instance. But she was content, and I feel confident of my ethical conduct.”
    â€œOf course, of course,” Howard said. “No one here doubts your ethics, Henry.”
    â€œThanks, but I just