“What would happen if I die before I’m twenty-two?”
The attorney’s eyes widened. “Do you think you’re in danger?” He paused for a second before continuing. “Well, if you did happen to pass away before the trust became effective, it would revert back to your grandmother’s estate and be distributed to a charity.”
“My dad wouldn’t be able to inherit it?”
“No. It doesn’t work that way with trusts. They revert back to the grantor’s estate. Your grandmother designated Denver Food Bank as the charity to receive the funds if you were unable to.”
Maybe Shanna and Dad don’t know that. Why were they saying they wanted to get me out of the way? If I die, they wouldn’t get the money.“What if I get the money and then die?”
Garber pressed his lips together. “In that case, if you don’t have a will, it would go to your father. With this kind of money, you should really have a will in place by the time you reach twenty-two. Do you have any idea who knows about the money?”
Fallon blew out a breath, nodding. “My dad and his wife. I overheard them talking about the letters you sent and about my grandmother’s death. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have had any idea that my grandmother had died.”
He leaned back and folded his hands across his belly. “This is pretty serious. You should get the police involved in this.”
“I don’t know for sure it’s Shanna. She’s about six years older than me, so she could pretend to be me. I don’t know. Maybe they were just talking.”
“If she calls again, I won’t tip her off that you came and saw me. I can tell her a long-lost relative is threatening to contest the will. When that happens, it ties up an estate for years in probate court. But you really do need to have a will in place before all the money goes to you.”
“I plan to. I’d like you to do it. My grandmother trusted you and your firm, so I would like to work with you.”
He nodded. “If you need any of the money in the trust, let me know. Barbara made provisions for distribution of necessary funds before you turn twenty-two.”
“I should be good with the check you’re giving me. I’m going to turn twenty-two in a few weeks.” She laughed.
With the check in hand and promises of calling Mr. Garber soon, she and Diablo left the office. On the way back to Alina, her mind was spinning from what the lawyer had told her. She was pretty sure her dad and Shanna were planning to hurt her to get to the money, but her dad wasn’t stupid; he’d definitely know whether he could get the money or not, so he was probably planning on pretending Shanna was her and she’d get the money.With me out of the way, no one would really know. But once they find out Mr. Garber isn’t going to give it to them, will they be so mad they’ll kill me anyway?She rubbed her temples.I can’t believe Dad would kill me. He’s a mean sonofabitch most of the time, butkillme? No way. But I did hear them talking. I don’t know what the fuck to think.
She pounded her fist on her thigh.
“Something wrong?” Diablo said.
“No.”I don’t want to burden him with this. Anyway, I don’t even know if any of this is real.
“You’ve been real quiet since we left the lawyer’s. Did he tell you something about your grandmother to upset you?” He reached over and grasped her hand. “You can tell me.”
She shook her head. “Not really. She was my mother’s mother, but I never knew her. He said she told him she tried repeatedly to get in contact with me over the years, but my dad thwarted all her efforts.”
“That’s a bunch of bullshit.”
“It is if it’s true. I mean, I don’t know if my dad did that or not. My grandmother may just have been an old woman who knew she was dying and was afraid, so she tried to make amends by leaving me an inheritance. I really don’t know what to think.”
She leaned her head back on the rest and stared out at the open expanse in front of them. Before she’d gone to the law firm, she’d told Diablo a bit about the trust, but she didn’t tell him all the details or how much money she stood to inherit. Even though she trusted him more than she’d ever trusted anyone besides her mom, she was still wary; trust had been broken so many times in her young life that it was hard to give it one hundred percent.
“I know this sucks for you, but sometimes it’s best to let things be. Digging around too much opens a bunch of fuckin’ wounds it took years to heal.” He glanced at her.
“You’re right. I’m just going to forget all of it. I’m glad my grandmother thought about me before she died. Whatever did or didn’t happen doesn’t matter.”But I have to figure out what the fuck’s going to happen.
“You good now?” Diablo leaned over and gave the side of her head a quick kiss, his eyes fixed on the road.
She brought his hand to her mouth and kissed it. “Yeah. I’m good.”
Not.
