Chapter 2: The Death of a Legend

I was sitting at my desk when the phone rang. The secretary told me it was Peg O’Shea.

“Lois, we found the Captain dead in the barn this morning. He apparently had a massive heart attack while feeding his horses. He told me over a year ago that he had talked to you and had arranged his funeral through you. Is that correct?”

“Yes, it is. He put it in his will so if you want, I can handle everything for you as per his wishes. And just so you know everything and anything that is or was in his name goes into the family trust. There are no surprises.”

“Thanks Lois, I would appreciate you handling everything and if you need anything let me know. Grandmas Becky and Ginger are really taking it hard, so I will appreciate your help.”

“Please give our condolences to your entire family and be assured I will handle the funeral like Captain Jack wanted it.”

I got busy making the calls. The funeral home, the church, the Marine Corps. My brothers on the other hand were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. The O’Sheas are our biggest clients and had always been. They were worried about losing them. I reassured them that we would not and that our Grandma, my namesake, had set up the O’Shea Family Trust long ago and nothing was going to change.

To say the funeral was packed would be an under-statement. After Mass at the Catholic Church, where there were three eulogies, we all drove out to the farm and gathered in the family cemetery. The Marines provided a detail who blew Taps and fired their rifles. Then folded the flag and presented it to Becky and Ginger. After his casket was lowered into the grave, everyone filed by and threw in a handful of dirt. We stopped at the house where there was a mountain of food for all the guests.

I saw T standing with this short, blonde man. I stared at him and he stared back. I saw him say something to T and they started to walk towards me.

“Lois, I would like to introduce you to my brother Andy. Andy this is Lois Griffin, my attorney.”

I extended my hand and Andy took it. He did not let it go.

“I would like to thank you for getting my big brother out of trouble. It seems that trouble has a way of finding him. Sometimes I think T is short for Trouble not Tony”

I was excited! I kept looking into those blue eyes of his as we exchanged pleasantries.

We found a couple of chairs and talked until most of the people had left. What did we talk about? The law of course. I told him about my firm and handling the O’Shea trust. He told me about his firm and the retirement development in central Florida that the O’Sheas’ had financed. I knew about that, but it was before my time.

T came over and told Andy he needed to get back to town. He is Town Marshall and has some things he needs to check on. I told him not to worry about Andy, I would make sure his brother got home tonight. Andy agreed to my offer and T left with the Phys-Ed teacher and the Sheriff’s daughter, Theresa. What’s going on with that?

But my attention was quickly back on Andy. He was telling me how his brother had found a home up here in Mississippi. Their mom lived with him since their dad had died suddenly last year. I did not know that. He had to get back home the next day because he was the only lawyer in the firm. I told him I wished he could stay another day or two and look over the will and the trust. Since he represented the O’Shea family on the retirement development projects in Florida, he should be aware of a few things. He agreed and we left for town. He was staying at T’s house. As I dropped him off, he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek! That surprised me!

As he entered the house I wondered where he was sleeping. It is a two-bedroom house, and I imagine T is in one room and the schoolteacher is in the other. But why is the sheriff’s daughter’s car in the driveway?

I had to get home. Jade will be worried.