Page 56 of Little Child Gone

“I’m glad to help.” Deandra Price had been the Hendrickson family attorney until Karl’s death. Her fantastic white hair was cut into a stylish bob, her jewelry understated and her perfume the familiar Chanel No. 5. “Karl was a friend.”

Nikki shuffled through her things until she found her pencil and notepad. “How long did you work for him?”

“Nearly twenty years,” Deandra answered. “But I’ve known him much longer. I was the senior partner at Price and Lawry by then. My father had been the Hendrickson family attorney since Karl’s parents were young. I believe the Hendricksons were some of the firm’s first clients by then. Point being, I’ve known Karl since I graduated law school and joined my father’s firm. Nepotism I know, but I assure you I was qualified.”

Nikki smiled. “I have no doubt.” Nikki had done her research before meeting with Deandra. Until her retirement three years ago, she’d been among the top estate and tax attorneys in Minnesota. Her clients were all among the wealthiest in the area.

“Well, when my father retired, I took over the Hendrickson account,” Deandra continued. “Karl and his wife were well off then, but they’d been entertaining the idea of selling the machinery business to a national chain. At the time, they were past traditional retirement age. Both of their children had graduated from college and moved on. They wanted to travel.”

Nikki caught the wistful tone in her voice. “What happened?”

“A few weeks before the sale closed, Mrs. Hendrickson was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. Karl was devastated. She was gone within six months.”

Nikki couldn’t imagine being diagnosed with cancer, or, God forbid, Lacey or Rory. The idea of spending your life with someone to have them ripped away like that terrified her. It could happen to anyone at any time. “That’s awful.”

“It was,” Deandra agreed. “I thank God every day I still have my husband.”

“I know Karl and Stephanie had a strained relationship, but he seemed to get along with his son.”

“Patrick is a nice man.” Deandra’s lip curled in disgust. “Stephanie is… Stephanie. I’m no psychologist, but if she’s not a sociopath, I’d be shocked. I’ve never met a colder person.”

“That’s what makes her such a good defense attorney,” Nikki said.

“I suppose.” Deandra shifted in her chair. “I assume what you really want to know is about the amendment for Ms. Smith.”

“Yes, please. Did you ever meet her?”

“No, and I could kick myself. I took the summer off that year. My husband did, too. He was a corporate accountant. We both just needed to get away.”

“So, you don’t think Ms. Smith was trustworthy?” Nikki clarified.

“That’s not it at all,” Deandra said. “I just wish I’d met her. Maybe I could have found her if I’d known something about her. Do you know we didn’t even have any photos? I don’t even have a first name. Karl called her Ms. Smith. He didn’t know much beyond that. I tried to convince him I would never have a chance to find them without at least one name. He refused. Part of me wondered if he even knew himself.”

“But you were certain that he was of sound mind?” Nikki asked.

“Yes,” Deandra said firmly. “We talked at length about current and past events, including various professional sports and politics. Karl kept up with everything.”

“This was before he went into the nursing home?” Nikki clarified.

Deandra nodded. “It was really astounding how fast he went downhill after we finished up the will. It was like he’d used up his last bit of strength figuring how to make one last-ditch effort to find her.” She worried her bottom lip. “I don’t know if either of Karl’s children or Spencer knows about this, but Karl first talked to me about putting Ms. Smith in his will that July before she left.”

“No, I didn’t. After only knowing her a few months?”

“He said she was the daughter he wished he’d had,” Deandra answered. “I told him never to say that near Stephanie or it would not end well. And then I encouraged him to think about the change.”

“He was receptive to that?” Nikki asked.

“He was, because Ms. Smith had finally agreed to stay through the fall and winter. She’d initially told him they would only be able to work that summer and would have to move on. I suggested revisiting after Ms. Smith had been with him for a year. He agreed.”

Nikki took a few seconds to digest what she’d just learned. “Did he ask her why they would only be there for the summer?”

“He said she preferred not to say.” Deandra shrugged. “I confess, we both assumed she was afraid of someone. I even suggested that Karl get a security camera in case someone did come after her, for his own safety. But he was too set in his ways.”

“Did he ever say anything about telling Stephanie or Patrick?” Nikki asked.

“He wanted to tell Patrick but didn’t want to put him in that position. I said someone from the family needed to confirm his competence in addition to me, and he brought in Spencer. Kid knows his mother—he’s the one who thought Patrick should have a copy of the change, because his mother would do everything possible to hide it. Patrick really never looked at it until the will was read.”

Nikki tried to pluck one of the questions from the dozens currently racing in her mind. “So between the time the family disappeared and Karl’s death, how often did Karl bring up putting Ms. Smith in the will?”

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