A Hollywood Bride(55)
Sure enough, it’s a number I recognize. As I leave the office, I call Brian.
“Hallo, Paige.” His voice is lightly accented—British I think. He always sounds jovial and cheery. “I’m surprised to hear from you. Thought you’d be busy with the wedding.”
“Not quite that busy. We have a good team in place to help.”
“Always pleasant to hear. What can I do for you?”
“I wanted to know about The Reed Trust.”
“Ah.” Something in his tone changes. I can almost imagine him shifting his weight in his seat. “Of course, I can’t go into detail. Attorney-client privilege and all that. But it’s a fairly complex trust. Multiple layers.”
“Is it Ryder’s?”
“No, I wouldn’t imagine so. It belongs to a client one of my colleagues used to handle, but after his retirement, the account came to me. I’ve yet to meet the client, actually. Just his lawyers.”
“I see. Apparently, it’s interested in funding my stepsister’s web comic business. Bethany Smith?”
“Ah. That. A good opportunity, I thought. She’s quite talented.”
“Thank you.”
We exchange a few pleasantries and hang up. What he says makes sense. If it were Ryder’s, he would know.
But… I shake my head. Reed. It’s just too big a coincidence.
Then I tell myself to stop being paranoid. Still… I can’t ignore the bad feeling. I dial Gary, who picks it up after a few rings.
“Sup, Paige?” he says.
“I wanted to know if you can help me with something.” Gary’s a natural extrovert, and knows all sorts of people.
“Shoot.”
“You said one of your friends is a PI, right?
“Yeah. He mostly does boring stuff like following spouses around town, seeing if they’re cheating or not…although he’s also pretty good at digging up hidden assets during divorce proceedings.” Suddenly he stops. “Uh…you need something like that?”
I chuckle. “Ryder isn’t cheating on me, so no.”
“Okay. Whew.”
“It’s about a trust. I want to know who owns it, but I can’t seem to find the info.”
“I can ask, but it’s gonna cost you. That guy never works for free.”
“I can pay.” One thing about living with Ryder, my account has been growing fatter because I don’t have to spend any money on food or clothes or…anything, really. “I’ll text you the info. Tell him it’s urgent.”
“Okay. I’ll make sure he gets on it ASAP.”
“Thanks.” I hang up. I’m probably going to end up wasting that money, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.
Chapter Twenty-One
Paige
It’s been two days since Ryder and I visited Bethany in the hospital. I watch my phone like a hawk, but there’s nothing from Gary or his friend. Bethany is back home and seems to be doing well. Her face is slowly returning to normal, and she’s back on top of her contract negotiations, which are apparently becoming a pain in the nether region. But she’s managing.
Ryder is another matter.
He makes love to me at night as desperately and passionately as before—that time when I thought he was going to say, “I love you.” But during the day, he’s distant, often in deep in thought, and paces around his office, his hands curled into fists. He doesn’t even glance at the scripts Mira sends over, and it isn’t like him to neglect work. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was worried.
I want to figure out what’s wrong, but every time I ask, he turns it aside with a joke. I’m not imagining things though; even Elizabeth notices.
“He is acting a bit odd, isn’t he?” she says over late morning coffee.
I nibble on a cracker. “Yeah. Did he say anything to you?”
“Nope. Nothing. I’m almost worried about him.”
“Why?”
“He was like this when we heard that our grandpa was ill. The doctor wasn’t sure if he would recover, but grandpa eventually pulled through.”
“Anyone in your family sick?” I ask.
“Nah. All of us siblings are a sturdy lot, and he certainly wouldn’t act like this if it was Dad.”
I frown, unsure what to make of Elizabeth’s revelation. After we finish our mid-morning snack, I go to his office. Sure enough, Ryder’s pacing again.
“Hey.” I put a hand over his fist.
“Huh?” He stops pacing and looks at me, blinking as though he’s having a hard time switching gears.
“Are you still worried about Bethany and her baby?” Normally I wouldn’t assume that, but he did show unusual concern for their welfare…