Page 80 of The Facilitator: Part 2
We said goodbye and for a moment I just sat with tears in my eyes. The laptop pinged to let me know I had an email. I only opened the images for confirmation of what I knew. Up popped pictures of Mrs. Collingsworth’s house. Daniel wasn’t just after his half of the trust; he was aftermore.
I immediately dialled Mackenzie. The ringtone was odd. I guessed the call was diverting to the UK then back out to theU.S.
“Hey, baby, are you okay?” There was a panic to hisvoice.
“I’ve just got off the phone from Jerry. I really need to speak to you. It’s worse than we thought. He knows it’s Addison, and he has agreed to give us a day or so before he confronts her. Daniel is trying to sell the house, Mackenzie, Jerry has given her nearly two millionpounds…”
“Slow down, Lauren. I’m sending a car to fetch you. Don’t just get in any car that turns up; the driver is…” I heard him ask someone about a car. “Trent, the driver is named Trent, okay? He’ll be there in less than a halfhour.”
“Okay. I’m sorry to call, but I thought this was important,” Isaid.
“You bet it’s important. I’ll see yousoon.”
I decided to change clothes; the dress I had on was a little revealing and more suited to the beach. My heart was in my mouth as I ran up the stairs and changed. I then sat back at the table and wrote down the conversation as best I could remember. I didn’t want to miss out anything important and I didn’t want to get confused. I placed the pages of my notepad on top of the laptop; I’d need to take it so I could show the photographs of the house Addison intended tobuy.
I tapped my fingertips on the tabletop while I waited. Eventually there was a knock to the front door. I grabbed the items I needed and headedout.
“Ma’am, I’ve been asked to collect you,” a guysaid.
“Can you tell me your name?” Iasked.
“Trent, ma’am,” hereplied.
I nodded and followed him to the car. It wasn’t until I had gotten into the car that I thought back on what Mackenzie had said,‘Don’t get into just any car that turns up…’and I wondered what he’d meant. We drove in silence until we came to stop beside a row of single-storey buildings. Mackenzie stood outside one. He opened the rear door for me to climb out and thanked thedriver.
“Why did you tell me not to just get into any old car?” Iasked.
“So you know to get into the car I sent for you,” he said, as he placed his hand on my back to guideme.
“I’m not likely to just get in any old car, and any old car isn’t going to turn up at your house, a house off the beaten track to collect me, is it?” I said, standing still and facinghim.
“Okay, I think Daniel might know we are onto him and it’s not beyond him to do anything stupid,” hereplied.
“Like what? Oh, you thinkhe’d…”
“No, I don’t think anything, but I’d rather not take chances. Now, can we getin?”
He reached around me to open a door and I stepped inside. There was a reception he led me past and into an office. I faltered when I saw Vivienne. Gabriella had her arm wrapped around her shoulders and Vivienne was weeping. Alex stood behind them both. A gentleman rose from behind a large wooden desk. He extended his arm to shake myhand.
“Lauren, this is Christopher. He’s the family lawyer,” Mackenziesaid.
I shook his hand and took the seat that was offered to me. I placed the laptop and notes on the edge of thedesk.
“Do you want to tell us what you know?” Christopherasked.
I looked at Vivienne. She dabbed her eyes with a lace handkerchief and she nodded her head. She was ready. I picked up the notes and relayed what Jerry had said. I then opened the laptop and brought up the images. I slowly turned the laptop so those in the room could see the photographs of the house. I noticed an unopened email from Jerry, so I clicked on that and it brought up details of the offshore company and a post office address in GrandCayman.
For a moment there was silence other than a gentle sob fromGabriella.
“We’re debating on calling the police, but right now we’re in a sticky situation,” Christopher said to me. “It appears Mrs. Collingsworth’s signature is on the document Daniel had, a release of funds document. We also know a transfer of ownership of the property document has been drawn up by an out-of-town lawyer. It transfers the house to Daniel and hiswife.”
“Hiswife?”
“Addison Miller. It seems the two married a few yearsago.”
“They’re cousins, is thatlegal?”
“Yes, in this state, itis.”
