I blink. Brian Miller is Ryder’s business manager. Brian has other clients, of course, but this…
And there have to be other Brian Millers in Los Angeles, I tell myself. It’s not an uncommon name.
Still…
I tap my finger on the paper. If Ryder had created a trust, he probably wouldn’t have named it “Reed” since he hates Julian and everything his father stands for. On the other hand, he did adore his grandfather. And he genuinely enjoyed Bethany’s comics. So he could’ve formed a trust and named it “Reed” for his grandfather, then decided to fund Bethany’s comics.
I skim the rest of the paperwork, looking for clues. All I come away with is a sense that Ryder is not behind it. If he were, the contract terms wouldn’t be so onerous. He would’ve been tough, of course, but much fairer. He wouldn’t be asking to hold Bethany’s comics hostage for twenty-five years in the event that the partnership breaks up, and he certainly wouldn’t be demanding that Bethany match at least fifty percent of the money the trust is pouring into the venture.
But first things first. I take the notes and go back to my car, locking the house back up on the way out.
The drive over to Bethany’s lawyer’s office isn’t bad. The receptionist is a friendly Asian woman in her late fifties. Steel gray streaks her otherwise jet black hair, and she has large gold earrings in the shape of musical notes. “Thank you,” she says, taking the notebook. Her face creases as she smiles.
“Mind if I ask you a question?”
“Not at all.”
“Do you know who owns The Reed Trust?”
“Hmm. Not really. Let me see.” She taps a few keys on her laptop. “Nothing here except a contact number for the representative. Brian Miller. Do you need his information?”
“Could I get that number from you?”
“Sure.” She writes it down and gives me the slip of paper with another smile.
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.”