Gideon sighed. “That’s exactly what she said to the cops. That Molly said a friend was collecting her.”
I grunted in agreement. “Who was at the VIP party?”
Xavier handed over a list. “All corporate types. Most from Tampa and some from Orlando.”
Gideon’s voice went flat. “Boris isn’t going to like this.”
“Boris doesn’t have to like it,” Xavier snapped. “This poor kid could be anywhere.” I eyed my friend. Xavier was usually one ofthe calmest people I knew, but he was getting worked up over this one. Not that I didn't appreciate that he would take someone disappearing from Kingdom very personally. We were all careful to get our staff home safely, but Xavier always went the extra mile. “Eric got the police interview notes. Ruby said she knows her just from the gym, but when she saw she was on her own she invited her to join them. Molly complained of a headache and said she’d called for a ride. Ruby followed her because she seemed drunk, but Molly told her where the ride was collecting her, so Ruby just went with it. Her brief description of the driver roughly matches the ID. Vanessa’s distraught, obviously."
Gideon leaned back. “Options while we’re waiting for Eric?”
“Traffic cams I’m assuming are being checked?” Maddox asked.
Gideon just arched an eyebrow.
“What about her classmates?” I asked.
“The cops have already interviewed them, and no red flags,” Gideon confirmed.
It was frustrating. I glanced at my watch. Lottie was training for three hours today, but she’d been offered three mornings a week on a regular basis. I knew Lottie thought she should be working more, but I’d managed to convince her that until we saw the endocrinologist, she shouldn’t overdo it. Mornings weren’t too busy, and really Vera only needed someone to manage the front so she could get her baking done.
Just then all our mobiles buzzed with an alert from Eric. Gideon immediately leaned forward and clicked to answer. A second later, Eric’s face came on the screen.
“I have something on the uncle.”
It took me a moment because I was still thinking of Sidorov. “Wait, Lottie’s uncle?”
He nodded grimly, and my stomach bottomed out.
“I was going through her parents’ will, and yes they left everything to her, but there’s a reversionary trust clause.” We all looked blankly at each other. "I had a friend check the legal meaning."
“Which is?” I asked first.
“In the event of Lottie’s death before her twenty-fifth birthday, assuming she has no direct heirs” Eric paraphrased, “her entire estate including all assets, property, and benefits, shall pass in equal shares to her uncle, Stephen Mallory, or to his lawful heirs if he predeceases her.”
I frowned. “But doesn’t he get it anyway as next-of-kin? What does her age matter?”
“It's not that simple,” Eric said. “Because he also stops being her legal guardian when she reaches twenty-five, but more significantly she can write her own will. Once she's twenty-five she can leave the whole thing to a charity if she wants. It's called vesting and its legal gobbledygook but it's also typical in an estate this size. The main takeaway is that the uncle will lose everything, the properties, the business, the cars.”
I could practically feel the blood drain from my face. Lottie was twenty-four. I knew that now, “When’s her birthday?” I should know it.
Eric clicked and I saw his eyes widen. “Tomorrow.”
All four of us lurched from our seats and bolted for our cars.
Lottie
I eyed the small birthday cake Vera was just giving a customer for their daughter, and for the first time in years I wished for the same. I'd just about blocked my birthday out of my mind because once I'd left school no one cared, and as I'd gotten older, I had bigger things to worry about. In fact, it had only been when Vera had noticed from the forms I'd completed for the job that I remembered.
I'd begged her not to say anything because I hadn't decided what to say to Daddy. Asking for any sort of fuss after he'd been so good to me felt greedy, but I couldn't help feeling he might get angry if I didn't say something. I chewed on my lip. I was glad of the distraction when my phone rang but my stomach sank when I saw it was my uncle again. I was so tempted not to answer but I knew he wouldn’t let it go so I did. “Charlotte, you didn’t text me your address.”
“Sorry, I’m busy at work,” I fibbed.
“Well, if you work in town I can drop it off. I’m here now.”
My stomach twisted. I didn’t want to see him. Not at all. But Walker would be here. It would be okay. I could just…take the letter and go. Get it over with.
“That’s fine,” I managed. “I’m here until one, so…”
