Page 47 of Freeing Ruby

“You said your mom left all of her financial assets to you. She didn’t leave anything in her will for your dad?”

I shake my head. “No. They really weren’t getting along at the time. And besides, my dad is wealthy in his own right. I guess she figured he didn’t need anything from her.”

Miguel looks pensive, and I can just see the wheels turning in his head as he tries to make sense of it.

“I’m sorry I didn’t think to tell you. I just don’t think about it often. It’s always there, in the back of my mind. I guess I take it for granted.”

Miguel hands me the stack of mail and, with a groan, runs his fingers through his hair.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“I think we have our motive, Ruby.”

“Motive for what?”

“For terrorizing you.”

“Because of my inheritance? I don’t see how that helps anyone.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” he says. “This changes everything.”

Chapter 17

Miguel

Well, now we have our motive. Someone’s terrorizing Ruby to get access to her trust fund. And who would want to do that? For starters, it would have to be someone who knows about her trust fund. Someone like the guy who’s been collecting her mail. “Does Darren know about your trust fund?”

“No.” Ruby shakes her head. “I’ve never told anyone.”

“So, who knows about the money?”

“My dad, of course,” she says. “And Edward. He’s the trustee.”

“No one else? Not any other friends or family members?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t have any friends. Neither of my parents has any siblings, and my grandparents have passed, so there really isn’t any other family. I suppose my dad might have told someone, maybe one of his friends or a colleague. It’s not a secret.”

I run my fingers through my hair and blow out a breath. This is about the money. I know it is. Someone’s angling to get control of her inheritance. My bet is still on Darren. If he’d managed to get her to date him, and eventually marry him, he’d have access to her money. “Has Darren ever asked you out on a date?”

I can tell by the shocked look on her face that the answer is yes.

She shrugs. “A few times.”

“And what did you tell him?”

“I said no.”

My mind is racing through all of the implications. “Have any of the envelopes you received from your attorney ever arrived opened or damaged?”

She looks thoughtful. “One of them looked like it got chewed up in the automatic sorter at the post office. The envelope was mangled and taped shut when I got it. But that happens sometimes.”

“Or,” I counter, “Darren opened it himself and made it look like it had been shredded at the post office. If he did, then he knows about your trust fund.”

Ruby starts to object, then stops. “I suppose it’s possible.”

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that you have a stalker and you’re about to become a very wealthy woman.” I grab my phone. “I need to call Shane.”

“Hey, Miguel,” Shane says as he takes my call. “How’s everything going with Ruby?”

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