Tyler spoke, but his attention stayed on me. “Sorry if I woke ye. I need to talk to Mila, if she’s around?”
“She’s up. I’ll take you to her.”
Movement, a muffled conversation, then a woman’s voice followed.
“Tyler? You wanted to talk to me?”
Shock stole my breath. I’d expected to feel something, after so many years of imagining this, but she was so familiar.
She sounded like me.
Tyler’s gaze soaked in every reaction. “I have a question on the trusted companies. Can you give me a refresher of what that term means?”
“Sure. The vote on the future of my grandfather’s company is divided between the five heirs, which is made up of me, Kane, our missing sister Darcy, Uncle Wallace, and lastly, our grandmother. But in the event of a deadlock, which means one person not voting, he gave one vote to the three businesses he called his trusted companies. We worked out who they are. All Deadwater-based, owned by his cronies, though at least one is now operated by the son of the original business owner.”
Interest flashed in Tyler’s eyes. “Which?”
“The three are Harford and Tien, owned by Denise Harford, Debrock Finances, who is Paul Debrock, and Sullivan Property Solutions. The owner was Peter Sullivan, but he was diagnosed with dementia a couple of years ago. His son, Oscar, is in control now.”
I shrank in on myself—even now, it was a jump scare—and focused on that detail. Oscar. Sullivan’s first name was Oscar. It didn’t suit the man who’d tried to break me.
Some calculation ticked away in Tyler’s eyes. “What happens if one of the trusted companies can’t vote?”
“The owner or the whole company?”
“The owner.”
“I’m not sure. Assuming Darcy isn’t found, or won’t vote, that’s when the trusted companies come into play. If only two of the three are available, the vote is unbalanced again. I’d have to call the solicitor to find out what they would do in the case of a deadlock. Why are you asking?”
“If that vote stalls again, would that cause problems for ye?”
She took a breath. A deep one. “Honestly? I don’t know. I was so fired up about getting the company operating again. Then we uncovered the rot under the surface. I guess all I want now is answers.”
Convict’s voice joined hers. “And for the podcasters, journalists, and influencers to leave her alone. They’re fucking relentless.”
On my phone, I tapped a message into my notes screen and held it out to Tyler. He nodded and read it out.
“Is Mila safe?”
“Course she fucking is. What do you take me for?” Convict grouched. “We’re staying at the warehouse for a while as Mila’s apartment is under siege. We’re good.”
I pulled a face by way of apology.
Mila’s voice returned. “I’ll talk to the solicitor and come back to you. I just want the vote to go ahead so that part of the process is behind me. It’s a weight around my neck. As much as the relatives still hounding me. I wish I knew why my grandfather ever started those payouts. I wish I knew anything, including what to do for the best.” She hesitated. “Jeez, that overwhelm is messing with my head. There’s a reason one of the company owners wouldn’t be able to vote, isn’t there?”
“Possibly,” Tyler intoned.
“Good to know. I’ll call back.” She hung up.
I stared at the phone. “I like her voice.”
“She’s a good person, from what I know of her.”
“Which is what?”
“She’s somehow reminiscent of ye. Mannerisms, maybe. That should’ve been my first clue, but it didn’t occur to me when I met her.”
Damn, but I had the strongest sense of missing her. I’d never met my sister but I’d always wanted to. That sense only got stronger. More because I had the answer to a question she’dasked. I knew exactly why our grandfather paid money to his relations.
