“Oh, aren’t you the sensitive one?” Noah chided him. “Are you getting one of your ‘woo-woo’ visions?” Liam was much more connected to spiritual things than Noah.
“It’s not ‘woo-woo,’ Noah. Don’t you ever get a vibe about anything?” Liam was always defending his interest in the subject of metaphysics. “A gut reaction?”
“Well, sure, but that’s not the same thing.”
Liam cocked his head and smiled. “Are you sure?”
Noah gave him an affectionate punch in the arm. “Ouch!” Liam yelled, pretending to be hurt while the other people in the room looked on with displeasure. Liam laughed, recalling the times when Noah would try to embarrass him in the library.
The phone at the receptionist’s desk buzzed. “Yes, I’ll send them in.” She nodded at Liam and Noah. They smiled, thanked her, and made their way down the hall to Edward Coulson’s office.
Liam put his hand on Noah’s arm and held him back. He whispered, “Doesn’t this seem a bit odd? We’ve never had to meet with Edward privately.”
“Oh, stop fretting.” Noah patted Liam on the cheek. “It probably has to do with the trust fund.”
Coulson stood from behind his desk as the boys entered the room. He looked pale. Paler than usual. “Sit down, please.”
His tone was cold and even.
“As you know, your mother’s father, Jerome Adams, set up a college trust fund for you.”
“Yep!” Noah smiled and sat back in his chair while Liam continued to sit on the edge of his.
“Income from that trust terminates upon your graduation,” Coulson continued. “So, should you wish to enroll in a graduate program, you would have to pay for your own housing and amenities.”
“Wait. What are you saying?” Noah sat upright and forward.
“The trust only covers the tuition for advanced studies.” Coulson waited for the information to sink in.
“You mean we would have to pay for housing? Food? Gas?” Noah was incredulous.
“I’m afraid so,” Coulson said evenly.
“Hold on,” Noah said sternly. “Pops had lots of money. I thought we were the heirs to his estate.”
“Well, only part of it,” Coulson explained. “Your grandfather set aside money for your studies, not your pleasure.”
“Pleasure?” Noah was becoming agitated. “How are we supposed to continue our education if we have to get jobs?”
Coulson cleared his throat, and continued, “Your grandfather was a very traditional man. He believed everyone should earn their way. He gave you both head starts by setting money aside for your education. Keep in mind that he also paid for your boarding school.”
Noah looked deflated, while Liam listened intently. Coulson continued, “You are both going to have to let me know your intentions before you graduate so I can release the funds if you choose to continue your education.”
“But ... what about our parents? Don’t they have the money to help pay for overhead?” Noah was a few octaves shy of whining.
“You will have to take that up with your father. I am only here to inform you about the educational trust.”
“So that’s it?” Noah blinked several times, trying to absorb this new information. While the young men never behaved as if they were entitled, they assumed money would never be an issue, let alone having to get a job.
“Yes. Do you have any other questions?” Coulson stood.
“I guess not.” Noah shrugged.
“Thank you for your time.” Liam held out his hand politely.
“Remember, I need to know your decisions by the first of May. Good luck.” Coulson moved from behind the desk and ushered them out.
As they headed toward the elevator, Noah hissed, “I can’t believe this! Why couldn’t Dad tell us this himself?”
“Probably because it wasn’t his decision. It was Grandpa Adams who set up the trust.” Liam took in a big sigh. “I was going to study for my master’s in psychology, but I also wanted to travel a bit before I had to hit the books again.” Liam was much more resigned to the situation than Noah.
“Well, this sucks. I’m going to have a talk with Mother about it,” Noah huffed, as they made their way back to the waiting area and elevator bank.
Liam chuckled. “Yeah, good luck with that.”
When they got home, Noah went in search of his mother. “Margaret? Where is my mother?”
“Oh, Noah. She left for London this morning. She is going to spend some time with her sister Dorothy. Didn’t she tell you?” Margaret looked a tad confused.
“No.” Noah was infuriated. “She threw us to the wolves!”
Margaret didn’t dare respond. She wasn’t used to either of the boys having a temper tantrum, and she feared she was about to witness one.
“Where’s my father?” Noah demanded. Margaret gave him a blank stare.
“Liam! Liam!” Noah went yelling through the house. “Where the hell are you?”
Liam leaned over the second-floor balcony. “Up here. What seems to be the problem?”
“The problem?” Noah was about to explode. “Did you know Dear Mother has taken flight to London?”
Liam looked confused. “What do you mean, London?”
“London, as in England. Don’t be a schmuck. She flew the coop.”
Liam kept looking at his brother, waiting for more steam to come off, which it did.
“I can’t believe this is happening! We’re screwed, and there’s no one here to explain why.” By this time, Noah was climbing the stairs two at a time.
“Take it easy. We’re not exactly screwed.” Not only was Liam the more circumspect of the two, he was also the more levelheaded. “We just need to figure out a plan. Where’s Dad?”
“Hell if I know. Probably in Michigan with one of his whores.”
Chapter Three
Present Day
Washington, D. C.
Maggie punched the REPLAY button one more time before she dialed the number. “Hello, Flowers Exotica,” a friendly voice answered.
“Hi, my name is Maggie Spritzer. A friend of mine left me a message asking that I call her back at this number.” Maggie sounded her usual journalistic self. Pragmatic and polite, but her hands were shaking. Something wasn’t quite right.
“Oh yes. A young lady was here about an hour ago and asked to use the phone. But she left with two men in a black SUV.”
Maggie stared at the phone. “Did she seem all right to you?”
She was now taking notes.
“Well, it’s hard to say. She seemed a little confused and nervous. I gave her a cup of tea while she waited for you to call her back.”
“Did the men say anything to her? Did they come into the shop? Did she go willingly?” Maggie was rattling off questions like a machine gun.
“She saw the SUV and left the store as soon as one of the men got out. They had a very brief exchange, and she got in.”
“Could you hear anything they said?” Maggie was tapping her pen on the desk like a drum.
“No.”