Page 81 of The Vampire and the Barista

CHAPTER 28

Jamie and Dave were sitting in David’s study. Dave was sat behind the desk, Jamie in the chair opposite, both working on their computers. Digging through any records they could find to research Jamie’s parents. Dave was doing a general search, and Jamie was looking into wills from previous family members.

Jamie was looking at his grandfather’s will. “I found it,” he suddenly says.

“What?” Dave asks, looking at him.

“It would seem that one side of my mum’s family came from money. My mother gets a monthly allowance of five thousand per child under eighteen living in the house.”

“So with Kitty and Karl moving out, that’s ten thousand pounds your father might no longer get. But how would whoever is sending this payment know your siblings have left home?”

Jamie shook his head. “No idea. But there is contact information for the solicitor’s office. But what I don’t understand is, my parents divorced, so why are the payments now being paid to my father? Surely once the divorce was final, the money would have stopped.

“Unless your mum insisted it was paid to him. How old is the will? Maybe the firm isn’t around anymore.”

“Looking at the date, it’s over thirty years old. I never met this branch of the family,” Jamie searched the law firm. “So, the firm is still open. It’s in Liverpool. I never knew I had relatives there. I’m going to email them and see if they can help.”

“That means, when you were living at home, he was getting fifteen grand a month for the three of you,” Dave commented.

Jamie nods. “Yeah, which could be how they could afford that house and all that alcohol.”

Just then, a phone pinged. Dave glanced at his phone, which was sat on the desk. He smiled as he picked his phone up.

“That your David?”

Dave nodded with a smile, reading the message. “David and Stefan are coming home for a while. Thank goodness, I miss my mate.”

“I can imagine. Let Thomaz and your mum know, and they can make a celebration dinner for them returning,” Jamie suggested.

“It might sound silly, as they’ve not been away that long, but yes, why don’t I?”

Jamie closed his laptop. “In that case, you go and tell them, and I’ll check up on the children and then let Ivan know what I found.”

Dave jumped up. “Let’s.”

Jamie picked his laptop and stood up. “Catch you later.”

Jamie walked outside looking for the children. He walked around the grounds, only now noticing for the first time how big they were. He was walking down a path, surrounded by roses and came across Jack, sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree.

Jamie was about to leave him alone when he heard Jack sniff. He pulled his phone out and messaged Seth. That sent, he walked closer. “Jack?”

Jack wiped his eyes and looked up. “Sorry.”

Jamie knelt down in front of him. “There’s nothing to apologise for. What can I do?”

“Nothing, but thank you. Sometimes everything gets a bit too much, but I don’t want Spencer to know. He’s struggling as it is.”

“Dave told me earlier that David and Stefan are coming home today, so that should help some.”

Jack nods. “Yeah, Louise is great, but I know she misses Stefan.”

They heard running footsteps, and Seth and Gio ran over to them.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Jamie says, standing up.

“Thanks, Jamie,” Jack says to him, as Seth and Gio drop down next to Jack and wrap their arms around him.

“Yeah, thanks, Jamie,” Seth adds.