“OK. We’ll find out how long Blaine Delancey has been in town.” Jackson unwrapped a square of gum and put it in his mouth. He chewed with aggressive, angry back-and-forth motions of his jaw. “Does Blaine inherit anything if you die?”

“Not directly, no.” Louisa opened her hands. Blood rushed into her fingers with pinpricks of heat. She studied the fading bruises on her palms. “The way the trust is structured, if I die with no children, then the money goes to my father, but in reality, the trust is controlled. He’d receive both my annual trust income and his, but only a portion of the estate is accessible. If my father and I both pass with no heirs, the money is distributed among a number of charitable organizations. If I have children, then a portion of the principle is carved out for each of them, with them receiving an annual income, et cetera. The idea is to preserve the family money for future generations.”

Jackson absorbed the information. “Are you on good terms with your father?”

A flash of anger brought Louisa’s gaze to meet Jackson’s. “First of all, my father has no interest in money, which is why he told my mother not to leave it to him.”

“Everybody is interested in money.”

“He’s a hopeless academic. All he desires out of life is to spend his days with his books and research. My father has no interest in anything besides his work.”

“When was the last time you saw him?” Ianelli asked.

“He came home in May. He stayed two weeks and returned to Stockholm.” He couldn’t wait to get away from her and her failure. “He’s guest lecturing at a university in Sweden through next spring. My father has a generous allowance from the trust. He gives most of it to his sister, Margaret, to run the house in Maine.” Louisa stopped. “Margaret can never directly inherit, but she would likely have increased access to the trust income through him if I died. Blaine is her godchild, the son of her oldest friend. If she indirectly controlled the fortune, she would be very generous with Blaine.”

“That feels like a pretty thin motive.” Ianelli’s mouth pursed. “Isn’t this Blaine guy rich too?”

Louisa shivered. “I assure you Blaine is very shrewd. He’s been kowtowing to Margaret for favors since he was a child. His father lost the family money in a series of bad business decisions. Blaine has been bitter about that his whole life. But honestly, what makes me more uncomfortable about Blaine is his insane jealousy regarding anything he perceives is his. This might include me.”

Jackson made a few notes and tucked his pen back into his pocket. “We’ll be sure to check Blaine Delancey out thoroughly.” His tone didn’t promise results.