The Desire for a Simple Life

TWENTY-FIVE

TWENTY-FIVE

Natalia

- Sixteen days pass, 12:09 pm -

"I hope that you will follow the instruction." Dr. Neffis says to Grant.

"I will." Grant says reluctantly.

Charlotte drives away and we are on the road. "Charlotte, thank you again for giving us a ride." I say.

"Of course, Natalia." She looks over to me with a warm, yet pained smile. Charlotte is the nicest person on the face of the Earth. We have been chatting for the past week, she doesn't seem to be mad at me for her husband's death. I think she understands that I miss Omar too.

The car ride is brisk. Before we know it, Charlotte drops Grant and I at the mansion. I thank Charlotte and give her a hug, telling her we will be in touch. She drives away and I wave until she is out of sight. Grant and I make our way into the mansion to find it completely empty and spotless. Grant goes somewhere while I crutch to my father's office.

I need to find someone to help me. I need to find a name. Someone that was in Omar's position or close to it. My father didn't trust many people, so I don't know if I will find anyone. I could ask my father's lawyer. My guess is that he'd know a lot about the company.

I search my father's office, and every name I come across I read up on. So many names come up. Most of them are dead. Others are missing. Some are clients. The rest are workers.

I come upon the name, Robert Cole. When I go into Cole's files I find that he was my father's lawyer. But he left the company abruptly. And that's all it says. Unsatisfied with the lack of information, I dig deeper, going into my father's computer. I put "Robert Cole" into the search engine and numerous legal files come up. What kind of search engine is this? It's more than a google, or inhansted database.

I go as deep as the exact time he was born. He worked for my father as his lawyer for nearly ten years before leaving and going to Atticus, working there for another ten years. Cole helped Atticus in several legal matters, winning the court with flying colors. He is a tiger shark lawyer. Or was, he was just put away on charges of perjury, and embezzlement.

Another lost source.

The next name I come across is Peter Smith. He was the last documented lawyer my father had. I look through my father's manual paper files. From the looks of it, Peter Smith is a really well-known attorney. He continues his practice in a law firm. But isn't working for my father anymore. He worked for him a year and a half ago. He didn't play dirty in any of his cases. He actually seems like a good lawyer.

I find an address and phone number. It's very possible that those two are no longer in use for Smith. I put his name into the database and find all new information. A new address and phone number. Without thought I sit up in my father's office chair, pulling the phone closer to me. I click the numbers into the phone and press the green "call" button.

After a couple of rings, someone picks up. "This is Peter Smith hello?" Peter says.

"Hi." I breathe. What do I actually say to him? Where do I start?

"Hello? Who is this?" He questions.

"Oh- yea. I am Natalia Lakes- or Natalia Brewer." I say.

"You're Thatcher's daughter." He says. "I heard about all that on the news." He states.

"Yea." I honestly don't know what to say.

"Well, can I ask what you're calling about? And on my personal cell nonetheless?" Peter Smith questions.