“Also figured.”
“Joy Barrister, I haven’t quite completed. But at this point, I can say she’s a careful investor. The divorce didn’t cost her, unless you count the fact her ex is also quite well-off, and their combined wealth put them both on another level.”
“I can count that.”
“With her father’s death and his bequests, she now owns the condo outright, and like her brother with Barrister House, is having considerable work done to, I imagine, make it more to her taste. She spends lavishly, but well within her means, which are also lavish. She does have one small, in comparison, questionable account.”
“Really?”
“It’s not unusual for someone with great wealth to work the system to try to protect some of that wealth. She has some rental properties scattered here and there and holds them under an LLC. And more or less adjacent to that, this other account. Technically questionable. She might get a rap on the knuckles for it, but no more than that. She opened it after the divorce.”
“Okay, you could look a little more there, since that’s the first out-of-bounds on any of them.”
“I’ll do that, and the staff. I could have a conversation with our estate attorney.”
“Why is itourestate attorney?”
Eyes sober, he reached over and took her hand. “I know it’s a burden to you, and I’m forever grateful you bear it, and so gracefully. But our marriage, our partnership, our enduring love and excellent sex has made you a wealthy woman.”
She looked into those wildly blue eyes, where humor danced under the sobriety. And said, “Bite me.”
“There’s that excellent sex again. You met with the estate attorney in regards to your will.”
“I’m dumping it all back on you.”
“And,” he continued, “asked me to deal with other eventualities, then—though I’m painfully aware you didn’t read the prenup document thoroughly or comprehensively—you signed it.”
“Yeah, yeah, but—”
“But. Garrett remains both my estate attorney and yours. So if you want, I can have a conversation with him. Or open the door so you can do so.”
“I’d rather the first, but it has to be the second.”
“All right then.”
“Somebody spilled the vault thing to somebody else. That’s the only way this happened. If they did it for gain, it’s somewhere in the financials. If they did it to brag? That’s harder to pin down. If revenge plays in? That’s why I have to look at the ex-wives and bed rompers. Since it doesn’t look like either the vic or his wife played around, I look at the sister, the daughters, the staff for that angle.
“Anyway. I’d better get to it. I guess we need to clean this up.”
Once they had, simple enough in the slick, sleek, and efficient kitchen, they started upstairs.
“You hang with Summerset sometimes in there.”
“In the kitchen? Yes, now and again.”
“So why do they call that other space a butler’s pantry? He’s not a butler. He’s more… a castle manager.”
“He’d enjoy that distinction.”
“And people have what they call a butler’s pantry who don’t have anything or anyone remotely like a butler. It’s just another one of thoseterms that make no sense. Maybe I’ll change my will and leave everything to Galahad.”
“Your mind is a constant fascination to me.”
“There’s a lot on it right now.”
“Including butler’s pantries and inherited wealth for cats.”
“They’re handy distractions.” She stepped into her office. “Done with them now. I’m going to update the board, write up this last round of interviews, a report on the transfer from the vault. Then I’ll start looking at the thieves. The exes are scattered all over the place, so because of the planet’s damn rotation, that’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”
