An investigation uncovers Durgin’s receipt of benefits

The investigation into Elmer Durgin’s finances turns an apparently neutral court appointment into a potential vulnerability in Max Devore’s custody campaign. After a detective hired by John Storrow traces Durgin’s recent purchases and debt payments, Storrow reports the findings to Mike Noonan: the lawyer has paid off major obligations, caught up on child support, and bought a boat. The revelations suggest a sudden financial windfall and give Mike and Storrow grounds to question the guardian ad litem’s independence.

Background: A Court Appointment with Influence

Durgin had been appointed guardian ad litem of Kyra Elizabeth Devore, a minor, and subpoenaed Mike to give a deposition about what he knew of her well-being. The deposition was to be taken on behalf of Castle County Superior Court, with a stenographer present, and was represented as the court’s proceeding rather than an action for either party. The formal neutrality of the process matters: Durgin’s role was to protect Kyra’s interests, not simply to advance Max Devore’s position.

John explains to Mike that a guardian ad litem is a lawyer appointed by the court to represent a child’s interests. Although the fee is small, the appointee’s assessment can carry exceptional practical weight. Judges are not required to follow the guardian’s advice, John notes, but they nearly always do, in part because rejecting their own appointee can make them appear foolish. The office therefore gives Durgin influence beyond the limited fee attached to it, making his credibility consequential to the custody dispute.

The Detective’s Findings

On Thursday night, John calls Mike with what he calls wonderful news. He has located a detective through Romeo Bissonette; the investigator, George Kennedy, works for a security firm and does investigative work on the side. John praises both his speed and his ability, explaining that Kennedy obtained much of the information by telephone.

Kennedy’s findings concern Durgin’s finances since late May. Durgin has paid off his car and his camp at Rangely Lakes, caught up on a large backlog of child-support payments, and bought a substantial twin-outboard boat roughly two weeks before the call. The overdue support involved seven children, whose ages ranged from fourteen to three. The number and range startle Mike and John, who respond first with disbelief and then with shared laughter at the incongruity of the lawyer’s financial and family circumstances.

The scene’s humor does not erase the investigative significance of the details. The paid-off property, accumulated support payments, and recent boat purchase together provide a concrete picture of a man whose finances have improved markedly. John presents them as a jackpot, while Mike recognizes that the findings matter because Durgin’s apparent new resources may undermine the trust placed in him as a court appointee.

From Suspicion to Leverage

The account does not identify the source of Durgin’s money or establish a particular payment from Max Devore. Its force lies instead in the suspicious timing and scale of the financial changes, which Kennedy has documented and John can use to challenge Durgin’s credibility. John links the discovery to the broader custody fight, remarking that Durgin could hardly have anticipated that someone with the resources to investigate him would appear.

Mike’s response captures the discovery’s double target: he wonders how Durgin could have been so careless, while recognizing that the same question applies to Devore. John’s report thus turns private financial details into potential leverage against the powerful side of the case. The investigation offers a counterweight to Devore’s money, lawyers, and local influence—not a final court ruling, but evidence with which Storrow can press the challenge.

Significance in the Custody Fight

The discovery exposes the distance between a legal role’s stated purpose and the practical power its occupant can wield. Durgin’s appointment is formally for Kyra’s protection, yet his recommendation is likely to carry great weight with the judge. Scrutinizing his finances therefore becomes part of scrutinizing the fairness of the process itself.

The findings also arrive amid other signs that money can shape the conditions surrounding the case. Mike believes Max Devore’s support for the Four Lakes Consolidated Library may be tied to librarian Lindy Briggs’s decision to fire Mattie Devore, leaving her unemployed as the custody hearing approaches. Against that background, Kennedy’s investigation gives Storrow’s side a way to contest an imbalance that had seemed to favor Devore. It does not settle the case, but changes the tactical picture: the court-appointed lawyer’s conduct and credibility are now open to examination.