Winds of Fire

was her husband? At this point, Frankie didn't know what to think.
“I assume you have a lawyer. Why isn't he helping you?” Frankie asked.
Kendall twisted her fingers. “I came here on my attorney's recommendation. He secured the cashier's check for me. He said you've done work for him before and Barker and Obrien are the best private investigators in the tri-state area. And the best is what I need.”
“Who's your attorney?” Johanna asked.
“Alec Oakman.”
Johanna lifted a surprised eyebrow. “Yes, we've done some work for Alec.” She jotted the name on her notepad, and then cast a bewildered look in Frankie's direction.
Frankie shrugged her shoulders and frowned at Johanna as she continued to sit and observe Kendall Longman. Kendall had stopped twisting her fingers and now held her hands tightly clasped together in her lap. If this woman was telling the truth, Alec Oakman could fill in the missing pieces. Right now it appeared that all the pieces were missing. If what Kendall said was true, why hadn't Alec contacted them personally instead of sending his client over, especially without prior notification? When an attorney was involved, these types of cases generally worked that way. Johanna and she received their information from him, did their work, and gave him their reports without ever meeting his clients personally. She'd call him as soon as Kendall left. If Kendall's story was true, then Johanna and she had just been handed a not only unusual, but also captivating case. If the woman wasn't in her right mind, which was what Frankie still suspected, then hopefully, with Alec's help, they'd get her the help she needed.
The more Kendall talked, the more Frankie realized something was definitely off with her. The details of everything Kendall said Thatcher Longman had done to her seemed inconceivable for the supposedly wealthy heiress that she proclaimed she was. This woman obviously wasn't the real Kendall Longman, but someone with an infatuation with the family. Frankie didn't sense that Kendall posed any immediate danger to Johanna or her, but she kept her guard up just in case. Her eyebrows knitted together. She felt sorry for the woman, but it was the pain in Kendall's eyes that pierced her heart.
Frankie focused her attention on Johanna. She was pleased that Johanna was back in the swing of things as she continued to question the woman and jot down notes. The spark was back in Johanna's eyes; the spark that had been missing through the long weeks of her recovery. Yes, she was back doing what she loved to do. When there was a lull in Johanna's questioning, Frankie jumped in. She needed an answer to the question Johanna hadn't yet asked.
“I need to ask you something, Kendall.”
“Anything.” She turned her head and looked expectantly at Frankie. “Can you begin tonight? I need to know where he goes and who he sees.”
“We can.” Frankie cleared her throat as Johanna shot a quick glance at her. “But we still need you to answer a few questions first.”
Kendall nodded. “I'm sorry. What do you need to know?”
“What does he do for a living?”
“He's involved in many enterprises, but his primary focus is in hotels.” She paused. “At least I still think that's his primary focus.”
“So, he manages them,” Frankie replied.
“Not exactly.” Kendall pensively pulled at her chin. “You've heard of Bronson Enterprises.”
“Of course,” Johanna said. “Who hasn't?”
Frankie frowned. The Bronson Enterprises included a chain of luxurious hotels, which were located all over the country. They mostly catered to the upper class. With the success of the hotels, they had branched out into other areas. Now what path was Kendall Longman leading them down? Her story was becoming more ludicrous with every word she spoke. Frankie sat back in her chair. Next, the woman would probably tell her that she owned the hotels and not the Bronsons.
“Like the lovesick fool I was, I gave absolute control of everything to him. The hotels are part of the estate my father left to me along with all the other enterprises.” She pulled her driver's license from her wallet and handed it to Frankie. “You made a copy of this on Friday. Look closely at my photo. It really is me.”
Something in Frankie's memory clicked as she took a good look at the photo on the driver's license. Her eyes almost popped out of her head. A quick look at Johanna showed that she had the same reaction. Now the pieces of the puzzle started coming together. That's where she'd heard the name Longman. She recalled a newspaper article from a few years back featuring Kendall Bronson Longman and her new husband Thatcher Longman.
“You're telling me that you're Kendall Bronson.” Frankie didn't believe the woman seated next to her was the same woman featured in that long ago article. Kendall Bronson had been a striking beauty and had frequently been featured in magazine and newspaper articles because of her many generous charitable contributions to the community. There had been no shortage of suitors for the slim, beautiful woman. What the hell was this woman up to? How had she gotten Kendall Bronson Longman's ID? Had the real Kendall lost it or had it stolen? If it weren't for the woman's gentle nature, Frankie would have detained her and called George. But there was something that stopped her. In any event, she couldn't let the woman leave the office without getting to the bottom of it.
“Yes, I'm Kendall Bronson.” She once again twisted her fingers together. “I know you must have a lot of questions. I urge you to call my attorney, Alec Oakman, and he'll vouch for me that I am who I say I am in case you still have doubts.” She turned her head and looked at Frankie, then looked straight ahead at Johanna. “I'd have doubts, too, if I were in your place. Alec will explain everything to you. I'll be in touch to fill in any blanks that you still may have.” She rose. “But please,