"Who was he?" Judith sipped her wine, her fingers trailing over the goblet's carving.
"A private detective. He'd been sent to find me."
"Why hadn't anyone contacted you before?"
"I don't know. There was a fund. Mom and Dad had set up a fund for me, right before their accident. It wasn't supposed to come to me until I turned eighteen."
"And no one else knew about it?"
"Not really. The old judge Mom and Dad used had made some notes about it and left them in his home office. He died around the same time as my parents." Tanya paused, took a long drink from her wine. "Now the story becomes foggy…"
"It wasn't that clear before."
Tanya frowned at her and continued. "The judge's niece found the notes when she was packing up his office. She planned on selling the house. I was about seventeen at the time. The notes, or rather, documents, included the date, the total amount of money, the financial institution where the deposit had been made, and some basic information about me."
Tanya shrugged. "That's what I was told. The niece notified the financial institution, a private detective was hired, and I was found. The money was there for me. That's what really mattered, twenty million dollars, all for me."
"You're certainly practical," Judith said, smiling.
"Hello, Charles," Tanya said as a man in a beige suit entered the dining room. "Judith Abramson, Charles Aldrin. Charles is my bodyguard, Judith."
With quick, brisk movements, Charles crossed the room to Judith and offered his hand. Of medium height, he stood on a level with the tall, slender Judith. He clasped her hand.
"I've heard so much about you from Tanya, Mr. Aldrin. I work for Mr. Clark, too."
"I know," Charles said, smiling. "Everything looks so elegant, Tanya."
"Where's Edda?" Tanya asked.
"Edda is right here," a voice from behind her answered. Edda, a woman in her fifties, wore a severe navy blue suit. Her short, straight hair gleamed, framing a warm, friendly face. "Hello, everyone," she said, "I'm Edda Milton, here with the food." She grinned as she wheeled a cart full of covered dishes into the room.
"Oh, good, Edda! I'm starved," Tanya said.
"Edda, did you cook all that?" Judith asked as the covered dishes were placed on the table.
"No," Edda replied. "Tanya didn't let me cook tonight. She sent out to a gourmet restaurant."